Assignment 0. Welcome to CS106B!

Due Friday, September 24 at 11:59 pm Pacific

  • In CS106B, we build flexibility into the assignment deadlines by extending a short grace period (typically 48 hours) beyond the deadline where late submissions are accepted without penalty. Read more about the late policy.
  • While we strongly encourage you complete Assignment 0 by the deadline so that you are able to start on the first programming assignment without delay (Assignment 1 will be released Friday), if you need extra time, you may submit up through Sunday 11:59pm with no penalty.

Welcome to CS106B! In this assignment, you will first install the Qt tools and CS106-specific package and then work through compiling, running, and debugging a sample program. This confirms you and your development environment are ready for the awesome adventures to come this quarter!

Step 1) Install Qt Creator

You will first need to install Qt Creator, the development environment that we use in CS106B. Follow the instructions in the Qt Installation Guide for your operating system.

If you run into an install snag, don't panic! The course staff will hold a Qt Creator install help session 7PM – 9PM PDT on Thursday, September 23 in the basement of the Huang building. You can also ask for help with a post to the Ed forum or by coming to office hours.

Step 2) Download starter project

We will configure a starter project with the files needed for each assignment and post it in the form of a ZIP archive. The starter project for Assignment 0 contains the files for the NameHash program.

Download the starter code archive and extract all. Double-click the NameHash.pro file to open the project in Qt Creator and configure to use the default kit.

Step 3) Hash your name

In Qt Creator, build and run the NameHash program. When prompted, enter your preferred first and last names. The program will compute the hash code for your name. The hash code is like a unique “fingerprint”. Write down the hash code for your name; you'll need it when you submit your work.

At this point, you don't need to deeply understand what the code is doing, just consider it a teaser for ideas we will explore together later in the quarter.

Step 4) Practice with debugger

Knowing your debugger is a key component in your programming tool belt. Our colleague Keith Schwarz wrote a wonderful tutorial to introduce students to the Qt debugger. The tutorial guides you through using the debugger to inspect the NameHash program.

Open the debugger tutorial and follow along step-by-step. At some point, you'll be asked to remember a special value. Write this special value down; you'll need it when you submit.

Step 5) Read course policies (Syllabus and Honor Code)

Please read the handouts on the website that detail the course policies for the syllabus and Honor Code. We want to ensure that you know what to expect from us and what we will expect from you. If you have any questions or concerns about the course policies, make a post on Ed or via private email to clarify or resolve issues before choosing to enroll.

Step 6) Submit

Once you've finished everything, fill out this form:

Enter the numbers from Steps 3 and 4, confirm that you understand the course policies, and submit the form. Congrats and welcome to CS106B!