Welcome to Cycle 6!
This week, I have been finalizing my talk and refreshing my mind on some previous Java topics that were a bit difficult to understand the first time I learned them.
For my TED talk, I had decided during Cycle 5 that I wanted to make the inspiration the heart of my speech. My inspiration for the project was mostly my Robotics team. I also added the fact that most apps on electronic devices nowadays run on Java. I plan to use this fact as the hook for my talk. Other than this, I also plan to show some of my programs and talk about difficulties that I had with the project. This is really exciting and I cannot wait to give my talk to the class!
The next thing I did was refresh my mind on previous topics that I learned. One of the concepts I had difficulty grasping was the introduction to programs (Cycle 4). I did not understand at first ow to make introductions to different types of programs. For example, the main introduction I studied was "import static java.lang.System.out;". This is an introduction to a program that displays text on the screen. I now know that I have to alter the "java.lang.System.out;" part to tailor the intro to different programs. This would be based on the class, or topic, of the program (For more on classes, see Cycle 2). After figuring this out, it made it a lot easier to understand the rest of the programs I studied.
Another topic I had difficulty with were operators. These were functions that allowed me to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numerical values. At first, I did not understand operators like "+=", and "*=". These are operators that add and multiply values and keep the resulting value. I did not understand how to implement them into my programs. Now, however, I understand that I need to use them with variable in order to make them work. This cleared up my confusion, and helped me understand the programs more thoroughly.
Finally this cycle, I learned one more new technique. In my book, it teaches switch statements with a very good example. Thanks to them for this example:
switch (verse) {
case 1:
out. println ("That's because ...")
break;
Okay, so let me explain a switch statement. The above program displays repetitive lyrics for a song. Instead of typing the same lyrics over and over and over again, I can put a switch in there. The switch tells the computer, in this case, to go back to the main verse of the song. This way, a programmer doesn't have to continually type the same lyrics more than once. This is useful for writing efficient, easy-to-understand code, and I'm glad it exists. I wouldn't want to type repetitive song lyrics!
So, throughout the six weeks, I have learned how to write basic to slightly advanced Java programs. This has led me to truly understand and admire the fact that Java is so versatile. I now know for sure that I made the right choice choosing Java programming for my project. I cannot wait to start using my new found knowledge to write programs outside of school.
See you soon, and remember, use those switch statements!
Himavath, you definitely picked one of the more challenging topics to study for your Genius Project. I am currently taking an intro to programming class, and I understand the basics of some of the troubles you face. It can get very frustrating when a program does not run and you encounter the dreaded "build error". Anyway, you seem to have learned a lot in Java, a challenging language, and seem to enjoy it. In terms of your TED Talk, I think that it could get a little confusing to plainly explain different lines of code. Be sure you talk more about the project as a whole then the nitty gritty, especially with this topic. Good luck with the talk and continue to practice in programming!
ReplyDeleteHimavath, I agree with Ethan your topic is certainly a more challenging one! It's not something that one can learn easily, especially coming from a person who works closely with HTML. From my past experience I know that if I have one misplaced letter or even a semi-colon would have disastrous results... Which is why I'm very impressed with your work! I hope your speech goes well. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Ethan, I took intro to computer programming, and it is not easy. I got along easily in the beginning, but as the projects became more complex, I fell behind. It is not easy. I remember being taught a switch statement and just staring at the screen blankly for 15 minutes trying to decipher it. You should be proud that you've gotten this good in such a short time.
ReplyDeleteOne question: how did you manage to do all this without your head exploding? First, I know NOTHING, I really mean NOTHING about computer programming. All I know is that the letters and numbers are all mixed up like a nonsense. However, my friends have told me how tedious the work can be, because one wrong letter can lead to a whole different story! Hearing from you, it sounds as if you're all set with your presentation! You are very organized with what you're going to do and seem passionate about your project! I admire you for being able to turn this impossible project into a success! Good job, Hima!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking from the perspective of a slightly-above-novice Python programmer, I share Sun's amazement at the fact that you are able to complete this task. I have mainly used websites such as Codecademy.com and Programr.com, which are specifically designed to approach the topic of programming in a very easily understood way, and even those were a bit challenging! the fact that you are doing this without any help whatsoever only makes it more impressive. Good work!
ReplyDelete