What students need to know prior to taking CS 311

• Primitive types
  • integer
  • floating point
  • bool
  • char
• Complex types
  • string
  • vector
  • tuple
  • map

• variables
• control flow
  • loops
  • conditionals
  • functions
    • pass by value
    • pass by reference
    • returning values
• separation of code
  • header files vs source file
  • modules

Students should know how to write and use a class:

• class definition
• access specifiers
  • public
  • protected
  • private
• multiple constructors
• destructors
• member data
• const & non-const member functions
• static member data

Some things not covered in CS 311 or covered very little:

• OOP & OO design, including
  • inheritance
  • virtual functions
  • separation of concerns and OO-style dependency injection
• I/O
  • Formatted I/O
  • File I/O]

Students need to have

• written code, built, and execute significant software packages involving
  • classes
  • objects
  • multiple functions
  • multiple code files

Students should know something about designing software themselves:

• modularity
• separation of concerns
• cohesiveness

Students should be able to interface:

• interface with software written by someone else &/or
• implement someone else's design.

Students should have performed

• basic testing
• basic debugging

Students know the basics of

• storing and accessing datasets
  • in memory
  • in files

Here are a few things that I cover in detail, without assuming much prior experience. I'm generally happier if students have seen them before, but that is not absolutely required:

• pointers
• built-in arrays
• dynamic memory allocation
• templates

Some things that I cover in detail, and I think it's fine if students have never seen them before.

• exceptions & exception safety
• RAII & resource management