Web-centric Computing

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About The Class

The class meets Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays from 12:35 p.m. until 1:25 p.m. (and occasionally from 6:05 p.m. until 7:25 p.m.) in the Computer Science's building Teaching Lab #2.

The midterm test will be held in the Computer Science Auditorium (room 127 of the CS building).

Course description

From the Dalhousie Calendar:

CSCI 4173.03: Web-Centric Computing.

This class aims to give an understanding of how medium-sized interactive client/server Web applications can be built using different types of Web technologies. We explore the significance of Web design and programming concepts in terms of accessibility issues both from the perspective of Web robots and end-users. Students see how to implement a database-driven website, and gain understanding of the relevant technologies involved in each tier of the architecture and the accompanying performance trade-offs. Web caching and proxy techniques are introduced, and security issues and strategies of Web-based applications are discussed.

Prerequisites:

CSCI 2140, CSCI 3120.03, and CSCI 3171.03

The Winter 2006 version of this course will concentrate on hypertextual and user-oriented aspects of The Web. The course will cover all of the topics listed in the Course Goals and Topics document.

Students who do not have a basic knowledge of databases, (X)HTML, CSS, and asynchronous client-server programming are strongly advised to get help (through tutorials, websites, and so on) to allow them to progress through this course.

Other Course Related Information

1. Syllabus in PDF format

Syllabus

Note that the classroom has changed since the first class

2. Goals and Topics for the course

in a separate document

3. Lecture schedule

summaries of upcoming and past class meetings, including links to materials and resources in other parts of the course website

4. Current grades

in order by the secret number you gave me on your intake form

5. Assignments, and

6. Test Information

are below

Assignments and Readings

[Course | Announcements | Materials | Resources]
Course: [General | Assig | Test ]

Readings and assignments are announced in class. Updates and copies of those announcements may be posted here too.

Assignment #1: Apache Server

Assigned: 05 January
Due: 17 January (Wednesday)
Details

Briefly: Install the latest version of the Apache server in your ~/bin/4173 directory and create a tiny website. You will do later assignments using your own personal server. Bring the port number to class on the due date.

Assignment #2: One Month Calendar

Assigned: 05 January
Due: 19 January (Friday)
Details

Briefly: Get input from the user with two different input methods (for example, from a form and from pop-up input boxes) and use that input to make a one month calendar. Use CSS for formatting.

Assignment #3: MicroWiki / Appointment Calendar

Assigned: 31 January
Due: 14 February (Wednesday)
Details

Grading Criteria

Here are the criteria that were used to assess assignment threes:

Required

1. any two consecutive months between the years 1799 and 9999
2. editable, not merely replaceable
3. at least two attributes: start time, location, title and so on
4. at least one field long enough to hold 255 characters
5. appointments are attached to a specific date
6. Level-AA accessibility

Possible Bonuses

1. colour coding by appointment type
2. error checking
3. multiple appointments per day
4. repeated events
5. automated date calculations
6. particularly useful or interesting use of CSS
7. other novel features

Assignment #4: Computing metrics for a live website

Assigned: 13 March (details in print on 20 March)
Due: 05 April
Details

Assignment #4 update

All of the files for the assignment must be

1. in a directory named webgraph; and
2. submitted for grading using the submit program
   • submit knows the assignment as A5
   • it is due by 5p.m. of 05 April.

Test Information

[Course | Announcements | Materials | Resources]
Course: [General | Assig | Test ]

There will be one test and a final exam. No appeals of grades or addition errors for the test will be accepted two weeks after the tests are returned to the class.

Test Information

The test will be held in the Computer Science Auditorium during class time on Monday night 26 February. It will cover all of the material in the readings and lectures before that date.

Final Exam Information

The final exam has been scheduled by the Registrar's Office to begin at 2p.m. on Tuesday 17 April in the Dalplex. This will be a three hour exam covering all topics we studied this year.