CompSci 4 (Spring 2006) Java for Video Games
Meeting Time: TuTh 2:50-4:05
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Announcements
- Download the latest version of tipgame (with working sounds).
To use this update, save the jar file to your Desktop, then simply drag it from there onto your current project and confirm you want to replace the current version of the jar file with this new one. After that, sounds should be working in your project.
Course Staff
- Instructor section 1
Dietolf (Dee) Ramm
Office Hours: Wed 10:30-11:30am, Thu 10:30-11:30am in LSRC D226
- Instructor section 2
Robert Duvall
Office Hours: Wed 2:30-4pm, Thu 1-2:30pm in LSRC D228
- Graduate TA
Joseph Farfel
Office Hours: Mon 1:30-3pm, Wed 9-11pm in Social Sciences 229 (ICC)
- Undergraduate TAs
Albert Chung
Chris Morgan
Joanna Shih
David Winslow
Office Hours: Mon 7-9pm in
LSRC D240;
Mon 9-11pm, Wed 7-9pm, Thu 7-9pm in Social Sciences 229 (ICC)
Course Description
This course covers an introduction to the basic concepts of
computer programming. The course material focuses on using Java as
applied to video game development, but the concepts covered are widely
applicable across programming languages and applications. These
concepts include loops, selection statements, structured and
object-oriented design, data structures, event-driven design, and user
interface design. Designing,implementing and documenting a Java video
game within a small group is a major component of the course. These
projects are intended to build upon assignments completed throughout
the semester, and will extend and enhance previous course work. This
course is intended for non-majors and has no prerequisites.
Acknowledgment: The video games version of this course was designed by
and many of the materials were
assembled by (and were often written by) Jam Jenkins. He also
wrote
the Java game platform that will be used in many of the assignments.
Textbook
Web Resources
- Course Bulletin Board
- Java
- Video Games
- Sample games made using our gaming package
- HTML
- Other Java Video Game Courses
- Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
- Duke Specific Resources
- Sample Exam Questions
Tips for Success
- Work hard early - this goes for the rest of your classes
too. It's much easier to work hard in the beginning when the
basics are covered and then slack more at the end. This works
well because the topics build upon themselves. When you miss
something you'll be lost until you catch up. If this happens at
the end of the semester it's not so much of a big deal because you
won't miss much, but if you miss something early, then you'll miss
out on a large part of the course material. I'm not suggesting
slacking off in this class, but if you do, please do it at the end of
the semester and not at the beginning.
- Spend more time coding than reading. Reading helps
you understand the material, but experience is a far greater
teacher. No amount of reading will enable you to understand
programming without actually programming yourself. The purpose of
reading
is to help you understand the lecture more easily and help you get
stuck less when you are coding. If you can understand the
lectures and program without doing the reading, great - save yourself
some time and skip the reading, but if you are having trouble with
either of these, the first questions I'll ask you when you come for
office hours is, "Have you done the reading and are you attending
class?"
- Most of the intelligence in the class is not in the front of
the classroom. That's right, the instructor is not
the sole source of intelligence within the class (thank goodness!).
You and your classmates are quite intelligent, and that's why you
are working together in many of the assignments and projects.
Work together, collaborate, and take advantage of the vast
intelligence available throughout the classroom. That said, you
will all get individual grades (not one class grade), so also take
personal responsibility for your own learning as well.
- Don't fall behind without getting help. If you are
not learning at a level that satisfies you, then be sure to seek out
assistance. the instructor is available for office
hours. In addition your teaching assistant is available
by appointment.
Grading Policy
- 50% Homeworks
- 30% Tests
- 20% Project
You should check your grades on Blackboard