CSCC09 Programming on the Web

An introduction to software development on the web. Concepts underlying the development of programs that operate on the web. Operational concepts of the internet and the web, static and dynamic client content, dynamically served content, n-tiered architectures, web development processes and security on the web.

Instructor: Cho Yin Yong

Course Objectives

Web technologies dominate the tech scene - the big names like Amazon, Netflix, Google, etc... got its name through the browser. Most technology startups nowadays are also built on web technologies, too, as a result, Full Stack Software Developers are among the most sought out jobs in the industry. New frameworks, and new technologies come every day, making web development more and more accessible to a wider population.

Our goal in this course is to learn the fundamental concepts of web programming, such as the architectures, protocols, languages, and the design patterns. With this knowledge, you will be able to traverse through the most popular frameworks out there both in the frontend, and the backend. We will also learn how to maintain a large scale web application to fit with ever-growing internet population, and how to protect your web application against a "Reddit Hug of Death".

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Write and debug javascript applications that manipulate the DOM
2. Build a web application using a reactive frontend framework like Angular
3. Use browser developer tools to analyse a debug a frontend web application
4. Apply design patterns and principles to web applications
5. Compare different frameworks from a software architecture point of view, highlighting similarities and differences
6. Explain and use multiple models for communication between a web server and client

Prerequisites

Students should be comfortable working in a unix-style environment from CSCB09, and have a good understanding of relational databases in CSCC43. No assumptions are made about your web dev background; all the required concepts will be introduced as needed in the course. However, students must be prepared to learn new technologies and frameworks in a short amount of time on their own.

For specific prerequisite requirements see the UTSC Registrar.

Course Staff

We encourage you to post questions regarding course materials and assignments on Slack. However, if you need extended support, the course staff will hold office hours. Please contact course staff via Slack direct message, we will not respond to any emails.

Course Timing

Course Information

• The course website and its Github repository

One of the nice things about using Github for the course website is that you can contribute to the course website. If you see something on the course website that should be fixed, or want to improve the UI, please feel free to submit a pull request.

• Slack

The slack #winter-2023 channel is the best place to ask technical questions, and general questions about the course, assignments and labs. For personal issues, please private message the instructor. I try to respond by the end of the next day. However, due to volume, it may take longer, especially on weekends.

• Anonymous Feedback Form

If you have feedback about the course, you can send an anonymous feedback to the course instructor (you also have the option of including your name). Since the sender cannot be determined, comments sent through the feedback form are considered public, and they may receive a response at the beginning of class or on Slack.

Marking Scheme

The numeric marks of labs, assignments, project and final exam will be used to compute a composite numeric score that will determine your final letter grade for the course:

• Labs: Each lab is closely related to your assignment, and is graded during practicals. We will take the best 5 only.
• Assignments: Over the term, you will complete 3 individual assignments.
• Project: As a team, you will develop a novel web application by applying concepts learnt in this course.
• Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive, 3 hours, and held during the exam period.

The weighting of course work is set as:

• Labs 5% (1% per lab)
• Assignments 30%
• Project 40%
• Final Exam 25%

Submission and Grading Policy

For each piece of work done for this class (either a lab, an assignment or the project), the student or the team will be required to submit the source code on the Github repository (student repository for individual work, team repository for the project).

For group work, the instructor reserves the right to assign different grades to each of the team members based on their individual contributions made to the team repository.

For your work to be graded, it must meet the minimum standards of a professional computer scientist. All files required to build the program must be committed to the repository, and the program must work. Last minute difficulties with git can easily be avoided by ensuring all files are added to the repository well before the deadline, and that you know how to commit them. Your submission may receive a grade of 0, if we cannot get any part of it to work.

No late submissions will be accepted for any course work, and no make-up assignments will be provided for missed/poorly completed work. It is your responsibility to ensure that all work is completed on time and to the best of your ability.

If an emergency arises that prevents you from being able to complete any piece of work, or attend an exam, contact one of the instructors immediately. You will need to have a properly completed Illness Verification Form signed by a registered doctor in order to be given special consideration.

If a piece of work has been mis-marked or if you believe the rubric used to evaluate the work is not appropriate, you may request a remark. For a remark to succeed, you must clearly and concisely express what you believe was mis-marked. To request a remark, please contact your TA. Requests must be submitted within 1 week of the marks being returned.

Academic Integrity

You are expected to comply with the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.

Assignment solutions must be prepared individually, except where an assignment handout allows working with a partner. Note that working with a partner may be restricted to just part of an assignment, such as programming task, whereas the rest of the assignment must be solved by an individual.

For group work, you are fully responsible for the piece of work you submit to the team repository as your contribution to the group work.

When the assignment handout allows you to use snippets of code or third-party library from the web, you should cite the source in the source code. As a rule of thumb, any piece of code larger than 5 lines that has been copied and re-used as is or even slightly modified must be clearly referenced.

You may discuss assignments with other students, for example to clarify the requirements of an assignment, to work through examples that help you understand the technology used for an assignment, or to learn how to configure your system to run a supporting piece of software used in an assignment. However, collaboration at the level of answering written questions or designing and writing code, is strictly forbidden. Written problems and programming assignments must be answered, designed and coded by you alone, using the text, your own notes, and other texts and Web sources as aids.

Do not let other students look at your assignment solutions, since this can lead to copying. Remember you are in violation of the UTSC Academic Code whether you copy someone else’s work or allow someone else to copy your work. These rules are meant to ensure that all students understand their solutions well enough to prepare the solutions themselves. If challenged you must be able to reproduce and explain your work.

You are not allowed to ask for help outside the course. Asking for help anywhere else online or in private chat groups (unless the private group chat was set up between the group members of the same group project) will be considered as unauthorized help.

The course staff reserves the right to use code and text analysis tools to compare your submission with others to verify that no improper collaboration has occurred.

Failure to comply with these guidelines is a serious academic offence. In past academic offense cases, the Associate Dean has imposed penalties for code violations that range from a mark of zero on plagiarized assignments to academic suspension from the University.

Accessibility Needs

The University of Toronto is committed to accessibility. If you require accommodations for a disability, or have any accessibility concerns about the course, the classroom or course materials, please contact AccessAbility Services as soon as possible.

Credits

Many thanks to Professor Thierry Sans for providing me course material for me to run this course.