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Computer Programming

You should already be familiar with at least one object-oriented programming language. Java and Python are useful languages for this purpose.

During the MSIS program

During your time in the MSIS program you will use R, PHP, Javascript and possibly other computer languages. You will learn about RPA, which uses many concepts from programming. The more languages you learn, the better you will understand how computer languages work, why a particular language might be more appropriate for a given task, and why different languages use different idioms.

You are encouraged to practice with Python, as that is what a majority of our incoming students studied. However, many of these exercises can be completed in any programming languages.

Major concepts

You should be able to write simple programs in at least one programming language. (It doesn’t matter which one.) Using the code of the program you wrote, you should also be able to do the following:

  1. Explain variable types in the programming language you learned.
  2. Use control structures like if statements and loops to control a program’s flow.
  3. Build one or more functions or object methods that accept parameters and have return types.
  4. Explain encapsulation, and why code is often organized into objects and classes.
    1. Explain the difference between a class and an object instance.
    2. Explain inheritance and polymorphism, and demonstrate these concepts with a class diagram.
    3. Explain the difference between static and instance methods of an object.
  5. Explain the importance of serializing data.

Resources

There are many great resources for learning basic programming. Learning on your own can be a challenge, but the best advice is to write software. Even professional programmers do this when learning a new language. 1

Most of the resources listed here are for Python, but you should be able to find similar resources for any programming language. When looking for Python resources, make sure it covers Python 3 and not Python 2.

There are many ways to learn Python, from online tutorials, online learning companies like Data Camp and Code Academy, and even EdX courses.

The site learnpython.org has some great interactive lessons. Google has a free Python course too. If you prefer videos, Mosh Hamedani has a very popular “Python for Beginners” video on YouTube. On the down side, these courses don’t have good coverage of object-oriented concepts like objects, classes, and instances.

Python.org and WikiBooks both have great references for anyone learning Python, but they focus on specific topics rather than on building projects. As you practice Python, the “LearnPython” Reddit can help with specific concepts.

Tested and highly-reviewed books for learning Python:

  • Python Crash Course, 2nd Ed., Eric Matthes, No Starch Press (2019), ISBN-13: 978-1593279288 [Amazon]
  • Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well (2nd Ed), Jamie Chan, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2nd Edition (2017), ISBN-13: 978-1546488330 [Amazon]
  • Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python 3.6 (3rd ed.), Paul Gries, Jennifer Campbell, Jason Montojo, Pragmatic Bookshelf (2017), ISBN-13: 978-1680502688 [Amazon]
  • Learn Programming in Python with Cody Jackson, Cody Jackson, Packt Publishing (2018), ISBN-13: 978-1789531947 [Amazon]

Object-oriented programming

Once you have some experience with Python (or whatever programming language you chose), it’s important to make sure you also understand object-oriented programming concepts. The following tutorials cover OOP concepts in Python:

To get an even better understanding of object-oriented application design, we recommend Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, by Brett D. McLaughlin, Gary Pollice, and Dave West. It’s written in an unusual (but effective!) style, and the book is a much easier read than you might expect for it’s size. The only downside for Python learners is that the book is written all in Java. However, the concepts translate to any OOP language, and once you understand Python you’ll be able to grok the code in this book.

Practice

Here is a small list of programs or scripts you could write. These can be accomplished as simple command-line applications, or built in a slightly more complex way as web applications. You are encouraged to be comfortable with both methods.

  • Mortgage interest calculator. Ask the user for an interest rate, loan term, and amount financed. Print out both the interest paid over the life of the loan and total amount the lessee will pay.
  • Unit conversion. Ask the user for a temperature in Fahrenheit. Print output in Celsius. For a bigger challenge, also ask the user for the input and output units. This exercise can be repeated using liquid measures (quarts, gallons, liters), weight measures (pounds, kilograms, stone), distance measures (feet, yards, miles, meters), etc.
  • Calculator. Allow the user to enter a mathematical equation. Output the answer. For greater difficulty, correctly support order of operations (2 + 3 * 4 = 14).
  • Read a file Given a file with a list of words as input, filter the file to remove duplicates, and return the list sorted alphabetically.
  • TODO list (using a database) Write a TODO list app. Store future todos and completed items in a database. (Good databases to use for this project include SQLite and MySQL.)
  • Consume a web service. Write a program that uses a free web service. There are several lists of free web service APIs available online (like this one). Here are some specific examples:

  1. For example, see the book Seven Languages in Seven Weeks, by Bruce Tate, Pragmatic Bookshelf (2010), ISBN-13: 978-1934356593 [Amazon] ↩