CSE 101
Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms
Programming Assignments

General Instructions:

All programming assignments for this course will be submitted through the UCSC GitLab server. If you are new to GitLab, the following GitLab Tutorial may be useful. More introductory material can be found at the ITS GitLab for Instruction page. There is also a very gentle introduction to GitLab on YouTube, and some helpful documentation pages here and here that introduce command line tools for Git. Note that these videos describe interaction with the (free) cloud services GitLab.com or GitHub.com, whereas you will submit your projects to UCSC GitLab.  Strictly speaking, Git command line tools are not part of the content of this course, but they constitute an essential skill for any software professional, so it is worth your time to learn them. If you'd prefer not use Git at the command line, you can just to log in to UCSC GitLab, then upload your files directly through the web interface.

Begin by creating an account on UCSC GitLab .  I will run a script once a day that will then create your repository.  Note that I cannot create a repository unless an account already exists, which is why I run the script once a day. Thus you may have to wait up to 24 hours after you create your account before your repo appears on the server.  Next, create subdirectories in your repo for each of the assignments in this class. They should be named pa1, pa2, pa3, etc.. (not PA1, prog1, asgn1 or any other name). Be aware that if you misname any file or directory associated with a programming project in this course, you will break our grading scripts, and lose points as a result.

For each assignment, submit all required files to GitLab by placing them in the appropriate directory in your local repo, then upload them to the server (either by using Git commands add, commit and push, or by using the web interface.) If you have any trouble with any of these instructions, consult a Course Tutor or Teaching Assistant in a lab session or office hours.

Programming Assignments:

pa1: Due Wednesday April 6, 10:00pm      Extended again to Friday April 8, 10:00pm (last one!)
pa2: Due Wednesday April 13, 10:00pm     Extended again to Saturday April 16, 10:00pm (last)
pa3: Due Wednesday April 20, 10:00pm     Extended again to Saturday April 23, 10:00pm (last one)
pa4: Due Friday April 29, 10:00pm       Extended to Sunday May 1, 10:00pm
pa5: Due Friday May 6, 10:00pm        Extended yet again to Tuesday May 10, 10:00pm (last one)
pa6: Due Monday May 16, 10:00pm      Extended again to Wednesday May 18, 10:00pm (last one)
pa7: Due Monday May 23, 10:00pm      Extended again to Wednesday May 25, 10:00pm (last)
pa8: Due Tuesday May 31, 10:00pm      Extended again to Thursday June 2, 10:00pm (last)


UCSC Computer Accounts:

All programming assignments in this course will be tested and evaluated on the UCSC Unix Timeshare: unix.ucsc.edu. You may develop your projects in any computing environment or IDE you like, but since all programs will be evaluated on the timeshare, it is imperative that you thoroughly test your code on that platform before submission. Grading scripts for each project will be posted on Ed Discussion. Do not fail to use these scripts to test your programs.

The host unix.ucsc.edu provides a Linux command line environment and home directory access to multiple concurrent users. All students with an active CruzID account can access this system using their CruzID-Blue password. Follow the instructions below to log on to unix.ucsc.edu from your computing device.

Terminal access for Windows users:
Open a PowerShell or Command Prompt window. Type: ssh CruzID@unix.ucsc.edu, where CruzID is your Cruz ID (the the string before the @ in your email address), then respond with your Blue password.

Terminal access for Mac or Linux users:
Open your Terminal app. Type: ssh CruzID@unix.ucsc.edu, where CruzID is your Cruz ID (the the string before the @ in your email address), then respond with your Blue password.

The following software may be useful for development and testing of your projects.

Secure File Transfer for all users:
Download and install FileZilla for your platform. (Warning to Windows users: do not download the installer found here.) Set Host to unix.ucsc.edu, Username to your CruzID, Password to your Blue Password and Port to 22, then click Quickconnect.  The left pane shows your local file system, and the right pane shows the remote file system on unix.ucsc.edu. Just drag and drop files from one pane to the other to transfer files.

Code Editors:
Notepad++ (Windows only), BBedit (Mac only), SublimeText(all platforms). There are many others.

If you have any problems installing these tools, or logging on to unix.ucsc.edu, get help from a Teaching Assistant or Course Tutor. The host unix.ic.ucsc.edu is administered by Information Technology Services.  Consult the IT Services Catalog for assistance with your account.


If you find any errors, please report them to:   ptantalo@soe.ucsc.edu