H79.2488 Lecture 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Napier
Code Literacy explores open-source software development as a social process. Through an opensource project students will explore how code communicates ideas and structure, and can be organized to bring together contributions from many people. The course examines the possibilities and pitfalls of open source programming. We'll create code as a group and explore how many people working together can contribute to a larger project. Students will choose a project to work on collectively during the semester. They will design the workings of a code system, build a foundation of code that can be extended and reused, then test the system in several contexts. Students will use several open-source software resources and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Programming will be in Java and/or Processing and object oriented software design will be explored in depth. Topics of investigation include: creating reusable modular code, designing libraries, project planning, using community software to organize a project. Students should have a working knowledge of Java or Processing and understand the basics of object-oriented programming. Introduction to Computational Media or equivalent programming experience is required. Students will contribute regularly to a group project and complete a final project. Coursework will consist of demonstrating and critiquing code and discussing software design techniques.
