CSC152 2005S, Class 44: Some List ADTs

Admin:
* Sleep won again
* For Monday: Finish the Hash table lab
* Quiz!  Explain the limitations of add and set
* Options for continuing on in CS
* About the homework:
  * Choose the order
  * Email only

Overview:
* What is a list?
* Three kinds of lists:
  * Simple
  * Sequenced
  * Sorted
* About list cursors

Quiz
* In lab on Tuesday and Wednesday, you explored add and set for java.util.Vector
* (a) How are they similar?
  * Both methods "add" objects to the vector (change the contents)
  * Have similar preconditions
  * Can specify the place in which to add the object.
* (b) How are they different?
  * set just replaces an element, the total size does not change
  * add puts it at the end (one-param) or inserts it (two-param)
  * If add inserts, it shifts everything down
  * They return different things
    * add returns boolean or void (nothing)
    * set returns an Object that represents the value that was previously in the Vector at that position [-1]
* (c) What are their preconditions?
  * set: Must already be an element at that position
    0 <= location < vec.size
  * add: No preconditions for adding at the end (one-parameter)
  * add: Location must be within bounds
    0 <= location <= vec.size [-1]

Other important learning goals:
* You can't use an arbitrary index ... you must grow the array to the appropriate size before setting a value.

/Continuing in CS/
* Recommended next course (Fall): CSC223: Software Designs
  * Learn a lot more Java (and re-learn the Java you've already learned)
  * Build a large project with fellow students
  * Learn about the design techniques and ideas for large projects
* Recommended next course (Spring): CS201: LONG NAME
  * C programming
  * Memory management
  * Program verification
* Alternative for the fall for people who really want to understand *computers*: CSC211 Architecture (How computers are built)
  * Requires special permission if you haven't taken 201 first.
* Alternative for people who really love algorithm design and analysis AND have taken MAT218: Consider CSC301: Algorithms
* Other interesting thing: Guided reading in "Women in Computing" (talk to Voyles or Walker for more info)
  * 2 credits or 4 credits
  * 2 credits is once per week
* Digital Art!  Limit of 12
* Prospective CS majors should also take more math in the fall
  MAT131 Calc I : Differential Calculus
  MAT133 Calc II : Integral Calculus
  MAT215 Linear Algebra: Important if you ever want to do real computer graphics
  * There may be a computer-based version
  MAT218 Combinatorics: Mathematics of combinations