CS 251: Intermediate Programming

Instructor:

Brooke Chenoweth
Department of Computer Science
Email: bchenoweth@cs.unm.edu (Include course number in a meaningful subject line, please)
Office: FEC 2060
Office Hours: Mondays 2:30pm-4:00pm in person, Thursdays 2:30pm-4:00pm via Zoom, or by appointment

Lectures

Lectures are 11:00 am - 11:50 am MWF in Mechanical Engineering 218

Course Assistant

• Enrique Mendoza Cupe
  • Email: enriquemendoza@unm.edu
  • Office hours: TBA

Course Description

CS-251 is an introduction to the methods underlying modern program development. Specific topics will include object-oriented design and the development of graphical user interfaces. Programming assignments will emphasize the use of objects implemented in standard libraries. Students taking this course should already be familiar with basic concepts of computer programming such as variables, conditional control flow and loops.

Syllabus

• Updated 2026-08-24 with office hours

UNM Canvas

Handy References and Links

CS 251 Code Standards

Java

• Download Java from Oracle
• Java Tutorials
• Java API
• Java code conventions
• Javadoc conventions
• Introduction of Programming Using Java - A free, online textbook that you may find helpful.

Editors and IDEs

• emacs
• vi
• IntelliJ IDEA

Past Exams

• Spring 2014 midterm
• Fall 2014 midterm
• Spring 2015 midterm
• Spring 2017 midterm
• Spring 2018 midterm
• Spring 2022 midterm
• Fall 2023 midterm
• Spring 2014 final
• Fall 2014 final
• Spring 2015 final
• Spring 2017 final
• Fall 2017 final
• Spring 2022 final
• Fall 2023 final

Lectures and Assignments

Week 1

• Monday, August 17: Welcome and Intro
  • Starting with Java
• Wednesday, August 19: Compiling and running on the command line
  • Java Basics Left off at while loop
• Friday, August 21: Continue Java basics
  • Describe FizzBuzz assignment
  • Begin Methods and Classes
• Project 1: FizzBuzz
  • Due Friday, August 28
  • Example output
  • ArgSum.java Small example using command line arguments
  • Oracle's documentation for the Integer class

Week 2

• Monday, August 24: Methods and Classes
• Wednesday, August 26: Interfaces and Enums
• Friday, August 28: Go over quiz 2
  • Describe Gomoku project
• Project 2: Gomoku
  • Due Friday, September 11
  • jar file with provided classes
  • Javadoc for GomokuGUI and GomokuInterface

Week 3

• Monday, August 31: Inheritance
• Wednesday, September 2: Continue inheritance
  • Coding Standards
  • More class stuff
• Friday, September 4: Continue more class stuff
• Project 3: Inheritance
  • Due Friday, September 18
  • Dessert.java Base class for dessert types.
  • DessertTest.java Class to test your code.
  • Expected output from running DessertTest

Week 4

• Monday, September 7: No classes for Labor Day holiday
• Wednesday, September 9: Go over quiz 3
  • Exceptions
• Friday, September 11: Fun with keywords

Week 5

• Monday, September 14: Go over quiz 4
  • Finish keywords
  • Describe project 4
• Wednesday, September 16: Introduction to Collections and Generics
  • Java Collections Framework
  • Collections Interfaces
• Friday, September 18: Continue collections interfaces
• Project 4: Exceptions
  • Due Friday, September 25
  • Once you have implemented your classes, use BankingTest to test them.

Week 6

• Monday, September 21: Go over quiz 5
  • Finish collections
  • Overriding equals and hashcode
• Wednesday, September 23
• Friday, September 25: Go over quiz 6

Week 7

• Monday, September 28
• Wednesday, September 30: Go over quiz 7
• Friday, October 2

Week 8

• Monday, October 5: Review for midterm
• Wednesday, October 7: Midterm exam
  • You may bring with you a single sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper. You may write on both sides. You may type it on a computer.
  • The test is closed book, closed laptop, closed phone, closed friends. You can only use the single sheet of paper and whatever is in your brains. You may also bring a calculator to perform basic arithmetic.
• Friday, October 9: No class during Fall Break

Week 9

• Monday, October 12
• Wednesday, October 14
• Friday, October 16

Week 10

• Monday, October 19
• Wednesday, October 21
• Friday, October 23

Week 11

• Monday, October 26
• Wednesday, October 28
• Friday, October 30

Week 12

• Monday, November 2
• Wednesday, November 4
• Friday, November 6

Week 13

• Monday, November 9
• Wednesday, November 11
• Friday, November 13

Week 14

• Monday, November 16
• Wednesday, November 18
• Friday, November 20

Week 15

• Monday, November 23
• Wednesday, November 25
• Friday, November 27: No class during Thanksgiving Break

Week 16

• Monday, November 30
• Wednesday, December 2
• Friday, December 4: Review for final

Finals Week

• Wednesday, December 9 (10am - noon) Final Exam
  • Please note that this is not the usual lecture time!
  • You may bring with you a single sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper. You may write on both sides. You may type it on a computer.
  • The test is closed book, closed laptop, closed phone, closed friends. You can only use the single sheet of paper and whatever is in your brains.
  • You may bring a calculator to perform basic arithmetic.
• It's finals week, so I won't be having my usual office hours, but will be checking my email and Canvas messages.