Introduction to programming

Describe computer data storage and processing concepts

Describe application types

Describe the lifecycle of an application

Describe code compilation

This module covers programming language syntax and the importance of using good syntax and following the syntax rules for the chosen language. This module also discusses the core data types and how to store these data types in computer memory by using variables and constants.

Syntax

Data Types

Variables and Constants

Selecting Data Types

Declaring and Using Variables for Numeric Types

Declaring and Using Variables for Textual Data Types

Working with Boolean Variables

Declaring and Using Constants

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Define syntax

Explain the different types of core data used in programs

Declare and use variables and constants in a computer program

This module covers how code is executed in a computer program, such as top to bottom, in structured programming and branching in code execution. The module teaches these concepts through the use of functions, decision structures, and looping constructs.

Introduction to Structured Programming Concepts

Introduction to Branching

Using Functions

Using Decision Structures

Introducing Repetition

Implementing Functions

Implementing Decisions in Code

Implementing Repetition Structures

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe structured programming

Create and use functions in your code

Create and use decision structures

Create and use looping structures

This module introduces the concept of an algorithm by examining a daily routine such as a morning routine for getting up and going to work, outlining all the steps required including the decisions to be made as the routine progresses. The module also discusses how to translate these set of steps into pseudo code for evaluation of the algorithm that will be translated into actual code.

Understand How to Write Pseudo Code

Algorithm Examples

Introduction to Data Structures

Working with Pseudo Code

Creating Data Structures

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Transfer problem statements into pseudo code

Create algorithms

Translate pseudo code into programming code

Create simple algorithms in code

Create data structures to store data

This module helps students understand that errors are a part of programming and they must understand how to anticipate errors, handle those errors in code, and present a good user experience with a program. This module introduces structured exception handling as the mechanism to deal with errors.

Introduction to Program Errors

Introduction to Structured Error Handling

Introduction to Debugging in Visual Studio

Create Structured Exception Handlers

Using the Visual Studio Debugger

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Implement structured exception handling

Debug applications by using Visual Studio 2013

This module covers an introduction to the concepts related to object-oriented programming (OOP). The content has been split across two modules with this module focusing on basic OOP concepts that will provide sufficient knowledge to understand complex data structures starting with structs and then moving onto classes. This module helps the students gain an understanding of how to encapsulate data and related functionality within a class.

Introduction to Complex Structures

Introduction to Structs

Introduction to Classes

Introducing Encapsulation

Creating structs

Creating Classes

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Create and use structure types

Create and use basic class files

Choose when to use a struct vs a class

This module teaches students about inheritance and polymorphism in classes and function overloading. Function overloading and polymorphism can go hand-in-hand as often times when you inherit from a class, you want to override or change the existing behavior to suit the needs of you class.

The module also provides an introduction to the base class library in the .NET Framework so that students can start to think about the existence of functionality in other class files and how they can search the .NET Framework to find this functionality and take advantage of it.

Introduction to Inheritance

Introduction to Polymorphism

Introduction to the .NET Framework and the Base Class Library

Creating a Base Class

Inheriting a Base Class

Implementing Polymorphism by Overriding a Function

Implementing Polymorphism by Overloading

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Use inheritance in OOP

Implement polymorphism in your classes

Describe how the base class library is constructed

Find class information by using the Object Browser

This module helps students think about security in their applications. This module introduces the concepts of authentication for users and also introduces the concept of permissions for the code that is running on a computer. It explains that operating systems might prevent certain aspects of the program from executing, such as saving a file to a directory to which the user running the app might not have permission to write. The module briefly covers code signing and why programmers might want to consider using code signing.

Authentication and Authorization

Code Permissions on Computers

Introducing Code Signing

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe how authorization and authentication work

Describe how to apply access permissions for executing code on a computer

Explain how code signing works

This module introduces some core input/output (I/O) concepts that programmers will use while creating applications. Starting with console I/O, this module introduces input and output to the Console window.

The module also talks about reading and writing files, which is an important concept to know because applications work with the files on the disk systems on computers.

Using Console I/O

Using File I/O

Reading and Writing with the Console

Reading and Writing Files

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Read input from a console

Output data to the console

Read and write text files

This module enables students understand that memory on a computer is a finite resource. It talks about how good application design and good coding discipline with memory conservation and memory management will help programmers learn to develop applications that users will like. This is because these applications will be fast, responsive, and do not negatively impact other applications.

Value Types vs Reference Types

Converting Types

The Garbage Collector

Converting Types

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Implement value and reference types correctly in an application

Convert between value types and reference types

Use the garbage collector