CS 6452: Prototyping Interactive Systems (Fall 2006)

Details: Meets Monday 3:05 - 5:55PM, Instructional Center 219

Instructor: Keith Edwards, keith (AT) cc, TSRB 345; Office Hours TBD (currently by appointment).

Mentor: Swaroop Vattam, svattam (AT) cc. Office hours Fridays 1-2 at Swaroop's desk (TSRB 2nd floor, southeast corner student area, near the AI lab).

Course mailing list: coming soon

Course Swiki: here

Grading and Class Policies

Project. (40% of overall grade) This will be a substantial software implementation project, delivered in multiple "modules" throughout the semester. This will be an individual effort (no teams). Unless otherwise specified, each project turnin is due at 11:59PM on the evening of the announced due date.

Exams. (20%) We will have some number (TBD) of longer written assignments, based on readings and the project. I'll post more details later in the semester.

Readings and Homeworks. (20%) We will have reading assignments periodically throughout the semester. Homework will consist of written summaries of these papers, due at the start of class on the due date. I will provide details about format and what I'm looking for in these summaries at the time of the assignment.

Discussion and Class Participation. (10%) We'll have in-class discussion of the assigned papers. I expect everyone to have read the papers before the class time, so that we can have a lively and informed discussion.

In-class Presentations. (10%) Everyone is responsible for doing one short in-class presentation during the course of the semester to describe some aspect of their project (novel design choice; overcoming some debugging problem; etc.)

Documents and Software

Potentially Useful (but Optional) Texts

Jython Essentials, Samuele Pedroni and Noel Rapin
Learning Python, Mark Lutz and David Ascher
Python Cookbook, Alex Martelli and David Ascher
Python Standard Library, Frederick Lundh
Python Pocket Reference, Mark Lutz

See Syllabus document above for some comments on each of these.

Useful Chapters from Text of 4452

Mark Guzdial has graciously given me permission to post sections from his book that cover a couple of topics that will be useful to us as we go through the class:

Other Resources

Sun's site for all things Swing

Tentative Class Schedule

(Please check the class schedule periodically, as it may be updated as necessary.)

Week Topic Materials Assignments & Readings

1
8/21/06 Introduction

Course goals, structure, and context
Prototyping defined
Kinds of prototyping (lo-fi, hi-fi)
Practicum: setting up the development environment
Slides:

Week 1 (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 1 (PDF)
Assignments:

Project Phase 0: Lo-fi prototype, due in class 8/28/06

2
8/28/06 Jython Refresher (prelude to Asynchronous Programming)

Jython syntax
Scoping rules
Collections, Classes, and Modules
Accessing Swing from Jython
Slides:

Week 2 (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 2 (PDF)
Other stuff:

Swing Sampler code
Overview of reading summaries (Keynote, ZIPped)
Overview of reading summaries (PDF)
Readings:

DENIM: Finding a Tighter Fit Between Tools and Practice for Web Site Design
Assignments:

Project Phase 0 (lo-fi prototype) due in class today.
Project Phase 1: GUI module. Due 11:59PM, 9/26/06.

grading criteria.

3
9/4/06 No Class! Georgia Tech Holiday!

4
9/11/06 Asynchronous Programming

Understanding asynchrony
Event-based programming
Combining event-based and O-O techniques
Short lecture, followed by paper discussion then lab time! Slides:

Week 4 (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 4 (PDF)
Readings:

Animation: From Cartoons to the User Interface
Assignments:

Continue GUI implementation
In-Class Presentations:

Sarita Yardi

5
9/18/06 Instructor will be out of town this week
Keep working on project.
Please remember to turn in summary for previous week's reading (either slide under my door (TSRB 345), or leave in my mailbox, or email to me). Slides:

None
Readings:

Debugging Lenses: A New Class of Transparent Tools for User Interface Debugging
Assignments:

Continue GUI implementation

6
9/25/06 Wrap-up of Asynchronous Programming

Threading and locks
Implementing an event dispatch engine
Distributed Applications (Networking Basics)

Networking basics
Network programming: sockets, marshalling
P2P and discovery
Slides:

Week 6 - Threads (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 6 - Threads (PDF)
Week 6 - Networks (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 6 - Networks (PDF)
Other stuff:

Net Sampler Code (ZIP file)
IM Server Code (ZIP file)
In-class Presentations:

Lana Yarosh
Zach Pousman
Matt Miller
Take Home Exam 1: Covering readings and lectures to date.

Designer's Outpost paper
Exam 1
Assignments:

Project Phase 1 (GUI module) due Tuesday, 11:59PM
Project Phase 2: Networking module. Due Tuesday, 10/24/06, 11:59PM.

grading criteria

7
10/2/06 Distributed Applications

Exception handling
Network programming idioms
Protocol design and prototyping
Slides:

Week 7 (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 7 (PDF)
Assignments:

Continue with networking project
Readings:

Rethinking the Design of the Internet: The End-to-End Argument vs. the Brave New World
[Note: Section 3 is optional; plase read the other sections though. Also, since there is no technical artifact here, you can just analyze/critique the positions in the paper.]

8
10/9/06 Distributed Applications

No lecture this week. Discussion of readings, then lab time Slides:

None
Assignments:

Continue with networking project.
Sign up for in-class presentations on 10/23/06.
Readings:

Picking Pockets on the Lawn: The Development of Tactics and Strategies in a Mobile Game

9
10/16/06 No Class! Fall Recess!

10
10/23/06 Distributed Applications
No lecture this week. Discussion of readings, then lab time.
Slides:

None
In-Class Presentations:

Lan Guo
Christopher le Dantec
Travis Little
Evan Barba
Assignments:

Project Phase 2 (Networking module) due Tuesday, 11:59PM

11
10/30/06 Web Services

Mining intelligence
Extracing content from the Web
Web Services: WSDL, SOAP, etc.
Google, Maps, Wikipedia, and Placelab
Slides:

Week 11 (Keynote, ZIPped)
Week 11 (PDF)
Other Stuff:

wiki.py (ZIPped)
Take Home Exam 2: Covering readings and lectures to date.

Exam 2
Assignments:

Project Phase 3: Web Services module. Due Tuesday 11/14/06, 11:59PM

grading criteria

12
11/6/06 Web Services
No lecture this week. Discussion of readings, in-class presentations, then lab time.
Assignments:

Keep working on web services project.
Sign up for in-class presentations on 11/13

13
11/13/06 Web Services
No lecture this week. In-class presentations then lab time.
In-Class Presentations:

Assignments:

Project Phase 3 (Web Services module) due Tuesday, 11:59PM

14
11/20/06 Data Management

Data management strategies
Databases
Key principles: keys, schemas, relationships
Designing a database schema, normalization
SQL overview
Using databases from Java/Jython
Slides:

Week 14 (Keynote 3, ZIPped)
Week 14 (PDF)
Other Stuff:

hsqldb.jar
Assignments:

Project Phase 4: Database module. Due Tuesday 12/5/06, 11:59PM.

grading criteria

15
11/27/06 Data Management

Wrap up previous database slides
Short lecture will be followed by lab time. OPTIONAL Take Home Exam 3

Exam 3
Listening In paper

Assignments:

Keep working on database project.
Sign up for in-class presentations on 12/4

16
12/4/06 Data Management
No lecture this week. In-class presentations then lab time.
In-Class Presentations:

Assignments:

Project Phase 4 (Database module) due Tuesday, 12/5, at 11:59PM

Week	Topic	Materials	Assignments & Readings
1 8/21/06	Introduction Course goals, structure, and context Prototyping defined Kinds of prototyping (lo-fi, hi-fi) Practicum: setting up the development environment	Slides: Week 1 (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 1 (PDF)	Assignments: Project Phase 0: Lo-fi prototype, due in class 8/28/06
2 8/28/06	Jython Refresher (prelude to Asynchronous Programming) Jython syntax Scoping rules Collections, Classes, and Modules Accessing Swing from Jython	Slides: Week 2 (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 2 (PDF) Other stuff: Swing Sampler code Overview of reading summaries (Keynote, ZIPped) Overview of reading summaries (PDF)	Readings: DENIM: Finding a Tighter Fit Between Tools and Practice for Web Site Design Assignments: Project Phase 0 (lo-fi prototype) due in class today. Project Phase 1: GUI module. Due 11:59PM, 9/26/06. grading criteria.
3 9/4/06	No Class! Georgia Tech Holiday!
4 9/11/06	Asynchronous Programming Understanding asynchrony Event-based programming Combining event-based and O-O techniques Short lecture, followed by paper discussion then lab time!	Slides: Week 4 (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 4 (PDF)	Readings: Animation: From Cartoons to the User Interface Assignments: Continue GUI implementation In-Class Presentations: Sarita Yardi
5 9/18/06	Instructor will be out of town this week Keep working on project. Please remember to turn in summary for previous week's reading (either slide under my door (TSRB 345), or leave in my mailbox, or email to me).	Slides: None	Readings: Debugging Lenses: A New Class of Transparent Tools for User Interface Debugging Assignments: Continue GUI implementation
6 9/25/06	Wrap-up of Asynchronous Programming Threading and locks Implementing an event dispatch engine Distributed Applications (Networking Basics) Networking basics Network programming: sockets, marshalling P2P and discovery	Slides: Week 6 - Threads (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 6 - Threads (PDF) Week 6 - Networks (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 6 - Networks (PDF) Other stuff: Net Sampler Code (ZIP file) IM Server Code (ZIP file)	In-class Presentations: Lana Yarosh Zach Pousman Matt Miller Take Home Exam 1: Covering readings and lectures to date. Designer's Outpost paper Exam 1 Assignments: Project Phase 1 (GUI module) due Tuesday, 11:59PM Project Phase 2: Networking module. Due Tuesday, 10/24/06, 11:59PM. grading criteria
7 10/2/06	Distributed Applications Exception handling Network programming idioms Protocol design and prototyping	Slides: Week 7 (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 7 (PDF)	Assignments: Continue with networking project Readings: Rethinking the Design of the Internet: The End-to-End Argument vs. the Brave New World [Note: Section 3 is optional; plase read the other sections though. Also, since there is no technical artifact here, you can just analyze/critique the positions in the paper.]
8 10/9/06	Distributed Applications No lecture this week. Discussion of readings, then lab time	Slides: None	Assignments: Continue with networking project. Sign up for in-class presentations on 10/23/06. Readings: Picking Pockets on the Lawn: The Development of Tactics and Strategies in a Mobile Game
9 10/16/06	No Class! Fall Recess!
10 10/23/06	Distributed Applications No lecture this week. Discussion of readings, then lab time.	Slides: None	In-Class Presentations: Lan Guo Christopher le Dantec Travis Little Evan Barba Assignments: Project Phase 2 (Networking module) due Tuesday, 11:59PM
11 10/30/06	Web Services Mining intelligence Extracing content from the Web Web Services: WSDL, SOAP, etc. Google, Maps, Wikipedia, and Placelab	Slides: Week 11 (Keynote, ZIPped) Week 11 (PDF) Other Stuff: wiki.py (ZIPped)	Take Home Exam 2: Covering readings and lectures to date. Exam 2 Assignments: Project Phase 3: Web Services module. Due Tuesday 11/14/06, 11:59PM grading criteria
12 11/6/06	Web Services No lecture this week. Discussion of readings, in-class presentations, then lab time.		Assignments: Keep working on web services project. Sign up for in-class presentations on 11/13
13 11/13/06	Web Services No lecture this week. In-class presentations then lab time.		In-Class Presentations: Assignments: Project Phase 3 (Web Services module) due Tuesday, 11:59PM
14 11/20/06	Data Management Data management strategies Databases Key principles: keys, schemas, relationships Designing a database schema, normalization SQL overview Using databases from Java/Jython	Slides: Week 14 (Keynote 3, ZIPped) Week 14 (PDF) Other Stuff: hsqldb.jar	Assignments: Project Phase 4: Database module. Due Tuesday 12/5/06, 11:59PM. grading criteria
15 11/27/06	Data Management Wrap up previous database slides Short lecture will be followed by lab time.		OPTIONAL Take Home Exam 3 Exam 3 Listening In paper Assignments: Keep working on database project. Sign up for in-class presentations on 12/4
16 12/4/06	Data Management No lecture this week. In-class presentations then lab time.		In-Class Presentations: Assignments: Project Phase 4 (Database module) due Tuesday, 12/5, at 11:59PM