Programming is one of the basic activities of computer scientists and a prerequisite for many other courses in computer science studies. The aim of the module "Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms" is to learn the basic concepts of imperative, procedural and object-oriented programming using the Java programming language and to present known, efficient algorithms and data structures for various, frequently occurring problems.
After completing the module, the students should be able to independently develop imperative and simple object-oriented programmes based on Java for solving smaller problems and assess the efficiency of their programmes. They should also be able to apply important algorithms and select them based on their complexity. Professional competence
The students:
describe basic concepts of imperative programming with Java
recognise imperative programming terminology and use the appropriate terms accurately in discussions
recognise basic terminology of object-oriented programming
describe what programs presented to them do
independently develop programs to solve small problems
systematically examine their own and other people's programmes for errors
use modern programme development environments to develop and test programmes
create algorithms with general design concepts (e.g. Greedy method, divide-and-conquer method)
name algorithms and data structures for solving common problems and evaluate their applicability
name problems of efficiency of algorithmic solutions of concrete problems and evaluate them
make a well-founded choice of an algorithm and a data structure for solving a concrete problem
apply the learned algorithms and data structures sensibly to given and concrete problems
Methodogical competence
The students:
solve given problems from the point of view of imperative or object-oriented programming
transfer practical experience in programme development to new tasks
Social competence
The students:
communicate the structure and mode of operation of self-developed programmes to others
present solutions to small tasks in front of groups
Self-competence
The students:
organise themselves in finding algorithmic solutions to small and medium-sized problems in computer science
incorporate the concepts of general programme design in their actions
Module contents
In the first part, general basic concepts of programming are introduced:
Algorithm, programming languages, computer
development tools, development phases
compilers
grammars
logic
The second part deals with basic programming concepts:
data types
variables
Expressions, statements
control structures
Methods, parameters
recursion
Reference data types, arrays
Classes, objects
Documentation
Testing
The third part contains an introduction to data structures and algorithms as well as a discussion of their efficiency, i.e. the computational effort or memory requirements depending on the amount of data to be processed. The module introduces known, efficient algorithms and data structures for various, frequently occurring problems. These include in particular:
Methods for searching for keys, as well as insertion and deletion indynamic data sets, e.g. lists, trees, AVL trees or hash methods,
Methods for searching for text patterns,
Methods for sorting data by key values, e.g. QuickSort and HeapSort,
Graph-based applications, e.g. for finding shortest paths in graphs.
The lecture part is supplemented by a comprehensive exercise part, in which in particular the taught programming contents are implemented in practical examples.
Recommended reading
Essential:
Lecture Notes (made available either in printed form or via Stud.IP during the course of the lecture)
Good secondary literature:
Dietmar Ratz, Jens Scheffler, Detlev Seese, Jan Wiesenberger: Grundkurs Programmieren in Java, Carl Hanser Verlag.
Joachim Goll, Cornelia Heinisch: Java als erste Programmiersprache, Springer Vieweg Verlag
Ottmann, Widmayer: Algorithmen und Datenstrukturen. Spektrum Verlag, 5. Auflage, 2012
