Data Structures: Lab

Lab Instructor

• Office: Steinmetz Hall 221
• Email: tartaroa@union.edu
• Office hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays10:30-12:30

General Information

• Meeting time: Thursdays 10:55-12:40 OR 1:55-3:40
• Meeting place: PASTA lab, NWSE 104
• Class format: Small programming assignments.

Lab Policies

Here are the details:

• Logging into a PASTA lab machine: Most of you should already have an account on the "D4NEW" domain, so you can just login normally. If this is your first time, your username is the first 7 letters of your last name followed by your first initial. Your initial password for Windows XP is union followed by your username. For example, my initial password would be uniontartaroa. On the login screen under the space where you type your password, make sure you are logging into the "D4NEW" domain. You may also login to the Linux OS, if you prefer. The initial password there is union followed by your ID number.

  When you log on for the first time, you need to change 2 passwords to two different accounts to which you have access since your initial password is temporary and will soon expire. There is a "Message of the Day" screen that should pop up once you log in that will explain how. Follow the instructions.

• Labs will be posted on Blackboard immediately before lab time. Feel free to print it out, if you wish.

• Bring your textbook and notes to each lab.

• Each student must write his/her own code, but you are encouraged to converse with other students and the lab instructor whenever you're stuck. There should be lots of talking in lab!

• For each lab project, name the project with your last name and the lab number, such as "tartaro_lab1".

• Read the lab carefully and don't skip parts! Along the way during each lab, I may ask you to answer some questions on a separate sheet of paper, or do a memory diagram drawing, or copy some output to a separate text file, or a number of other things. If you skim stuff, you'll miss stuff, and lose points. Read each section completely before doing what it says so you'll catch the point I'm trying to make.

• Just like larger programming projects, you should practice good programming skills in lab. Document your code. Name variables meaningfully. When possible, paste a copy of the output into a separate file and print it out at the end. You should also show how you tested your code using your own tests by including copies of different outputs along with the test input you used to create that particular output.

• You should turn in a hard (paper) copy and an electronic copy (via BlackBoard) of each lab. To hand in your electronic copy, go to the digital dropbox. Be sure to click send file - add file does not hand in the assignment, it is only available to you. Be sure to zip up your project before uploading it to BlackBoard. You should include in this .zip file an additional file called lastname_writeup.doc, eg. tartaro_writeup.doc. This file should include answers to any questions in the lab, output of the program, and the tests you ran. Be sure to describe the test (why did you run this test?) and provide both the test input and output

• I will try to create each lab so that you can complete it within the lab time. If you don't finish, however, you may complete the lab by 3pm the following Monday (class) for full credit consideration. Hand in your hard copy in class to the lab instructor; only hand in labs to the course instructor if the lab instructor is not in class. No labs will be accepted after 3:05pm on Monday.

• Attendance at lab meetings is mandatory. Unless you have prearranged an absence with your instructor, you cannot turn in that week's lab if you didn't show up. So don't miss labs!

• Each lab is worth 10 points and will be graded on correctness, good design, and adequate testing.