COSC 416: Advanced Web Development

Announcements

About the class

This three-credit course focuses on building interactive web sites and web applications. We will emphasize database connectivity, web standards, and separation of code into presentation, persistence, and processing layers.

We will use XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build web application user interfaces (presentation). If you have not taken COSC 415 (Web Site Essentials) or have no experience with HTML and CSS, I strongly suggest waiting to take this class until after you’ve completed COSC 415 (which is a prerequisite, anyway). Please let me know early on if you feel that you need a refresher on XHTML and/or CSS. I don’t expect that you come to this course with any JavaScript knowledge.

To handle processing and persistence we will use the PHP programming language, along with the MySQL database server.

This is a programming heavy course. I certainly don’t expect you to be an expert coming in to the class, but if you have no programming experience at all please talk to me ASAP.

Class meetings

Thursdays 5:30–8:00, AC 216

Instructor

Randy Souza, Manager of Technical Services,
Center for Community Technology Services
University of Baltimore, AC 129

Phone: 410-837-6742
Email: rsouza<at>ubalt<dot>edu

Office hours by appointment

No paper handouts

This class is about web development. The syllabus and all assignments will be posted to this website, only. Check the site regularly to keep up-to-date on class announcements.

Books

Required books:

Recommended (optional) book:

Exams & quizzes

There will be at least four quizzes throughout the course of the semester. I use quizzes mainly to make sure (1) that you are keeping up with the reading and (2) understanding the concepts. If it looks like people are skipping the reading, I’ll give more quizzes. It’s in your (collective) hands.

Grading

I’ll give detailed instructions for each assignment as we go.

Recommended tools

You’ll want a text editor that can do syntax highlighting for HTML, CSS, and PHP.

You’ll also want an FTP client (for posting assignments to your class web page).

Finally, you can get a lot of help from your web browser, if you choose the right one. By which I mean Firefox, with the following extensions.

Policies

  1. Be honest. Obviously, if you cheat, try to pass someone else’s work off as your own, or behave contrary to the UB handbook, you’ll fail the class. But also be honest with yourself, with others in the class, and with me. If things are moving too slowly or too quickly, let me know. If you’re struggling with something, catch me or a classmate for help.
  2. Don’t grab HTML or PHP code off of the web and pass it off, unmodified, as your own. It’s cheating, and I’ll probably catch it (I’ve seen a lot of code).
  3. Be on time. Class starts at 5:30, so I’ll be talking at 5:30. I understand that UB students work, and I understand what parking is like. So I’m not going to penalize you, but I’m not going to stop class or back up if you come in late.
  4. Participate. Please. A large percentage of your grade will be based on my assessment of your in-class participation, and your classmates’ evaluation of your participation in group work.
  5. No cell phones, Blackberries, or anything that makes noise in class. If you’re expecting an urgent call, see me before class and then set your phone to vibrate.
  6. Work is due before class starts on the date shown on the syllabus, unless you’ve made an arrangement with me ahead of time. The official due date will be the date from the calendar on this web site. If your work is up to two weeks late, it will immediately lose one letter grade. If your work is more than two weeks late, it will not be accepted.
  7. Web work must be placed on your class website. Work will not be accepted in any other format, except with my prior approval.
    (website setup help)