CSC 148H - Advice on skipping 108 University of Toronto - Fall 2000
Department of Computer Science

CSC 148H - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE

Advice on skipping 108

If you are thinking about skipping 108

csc108 is a prerequisite for csc148, which means that we will assume from the first day of classes that you already know the material in csc108. On the other hand, the prerequisite is not checked, which means that you can decide for yourself that you are going to skip 108, and no one will stop you.

For many students, skipping 108 is a bad idea -- it would lead to a miserable experience and a poor grade in 148. This page is intended to help you figure out if skipping 108 might make sense for you.

I would advise you to skip 108 and go straight into 148 only if

You have learned Java through some other means, perhaps self study.
See below for how much of Java we are assuming you know.
Or you know all the concepts below, but in C++, and can devote 10-20 hours in the next two weeks to learning how to express them in Java.
Or you know how to program, but don't know object-oriented programming (OOP), and have nothing else to do but learn OOP and Java in the next month or so -- and you don't mind getting a lower mark in 148 due to the disadvantage of taking it without the relevant background.

Otherwise, you should either

Switch to 108 and take 148 later. Don't be discouraged -- this is the normal sequence, and 148 is offered every term, including summers.
Or skip 108, but teach yourself OOP and Java before your csc148 term begins.

If you have no programming experience at all, I urge you to take 108.

How much Java 148 assumes

In csc148, we will assume you know all of the following, in Java:

what a class is vs an instance
how to define a class
how to use a class
how to define and use data members (also called instance variables)
how to define and use methods
how to write classes that inherit from other classes

Of course, we also assume that you understand basic programming concepts, including:

variables
control structures: if, for-loop etc.
arrays
parameters/arguments
strings

We will assume that you are able to write a program that is several pages long, that defines 3 or more classes, and where no method is more than one page long.

How to check your understanding

Here are some things to do that will test your understanding of Java:

Do the tutorial exercises
Start assignment 1

If you have significant problems with either of these, it is probably a sign that your background is weak. You may want to talk to your professor for advice.

References

Here are some references that may be helpful if you need to build up your background in Java:

The csc108 textbook: Introduction to Programming Using Java: An Object-Oriented Approach (Java 2 Update) by David Arnow and Gerald Weiss; Addison-Wesley, 2000. (See this list of errors in the text, compiled by 108 instructors.)
This book is for beginners, but you can skip over the sections on things you already know and focus on what you need.
ProgramLive with Java by David and Paul Gries. (I may have the title slightly wrong.)
This is a new book, completely on CD-ROM. It is at the 108-level, but is more interactive than an ordinary book. The UofT bookstore carries it.
Java in A Nutshell by David Flanagan; O'Reilly and Associates.
This book is suitable for C and C++ programmers who want a quick introduction to Java.
The online documentation for the Java API libraries.
This won't teach you Java, but is an extrememly useful reference if you are brushing up on built-in Java classes like String or Vector.