Designing Solutions Through Programming

Friday 30 April 2021 - Block 2
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Daily Note

Our plan for the day

  1. I will introduce interactive fiction to you
  2. You will play through this tutorial
  3. We are going to spend 20 minutes playing a famous text-based game instead of our normal current event Friday activity
  4. If you are intersted in a huge world of interactive fiction, please chekc out these sites: 
    1. Play interactive fiction
    2. want to write interactive fiction?
       
  1. We are going to spend the next two or three classes learning how forum works. Please understand comments work almot identically to forums. The link to the guide to understand forums is here
     
  2. Please watch these two videos and follow the instructions. It is important you very carefully follow instructions. The biggest mistake I've seen is using CaPiTaL letters, everything should be lower case. 
     
    1. Please click here for a video to create a forum
    2. Please click here for a video to create a table named threads
       
  3.  Please ensure you have installed all the files below. Installing a files means copying the file to visual studio code, saving the file, and then testing the file. 
     
    1. forum_create.php
    2. forum_create_process.php
    3. forum_index.php
    4. forum_new_thread_process.php
    5. forum_thread_view.php
    6. forum_view.php
    7. forum_view_no_threads.php
       
  4. After you have installed your forum, please test it. Test by creating a new forum. 

     
  5. If you want to learn more : If you have a page with a single item (only one item is shown on the page).  This code may be helpful. Since many of you have this construction, we will learn how this works. If not, please start working on your section C.

     
  6. It would be very smart to review these videos: 
     
    1. This video will help you understand databases and PHP
    2. This video will help you understand CONNECTING to a database
    3. This video will help you understand QUERY a database
    4. This video will help you understand PROCESS the result
       
  7. Please click here for our list of projects and success criteria

 

A little less comfortable

Content

Your plan should clear enough to be followed by someone else. Your plan should be realistic. Your plan should be detailed enough so it is very clear how your product will be developed. 

Process

As you are working, you should be strive to do your best work. You should work to create something high quality. Beware of working very quickly. You should follow your plan and constantly reflect how you are using your time. An important part of process is asking for help. Make sure you ask for help as soon as you think might need it. 

Product

Your product reflects your process. You should feel proud of your work! We get into this in section D, Evaluation, but at this point you should see a clear connection between your product and the problem you are solving. 

A little more comfortable

Content

Your plan should clear enough to be followed by someone else. Your plan should be realistic. Your plan should be detailed enough so it is very clear how your product will be developed. At a higher level, plans often include when a task will be completed. For example you might know a certain task will take 1.5 hours, but when exactly would you do this work? With this information, you can make very well designed plans.  This time works very well when you have multiple members.

Process

As you are working, you should be strive to do your best work. You should work to create something high quality. Beware of working very quickly. You should follow your plan and constantly reflect how you are using your time. An important part of process is asking for help. Make sure you ask for help as soon as you think might need it. At a higher level, we look for well-named variables, clean-code practices and clear logic in a program.

Product

Your product reflects your process. You should feel proud of your work! We get into this in section D, Evaluation, but at this point you should see a clear connection between your product and the problem you are solving. In a higher level, we see that you have followed your plan carefully, noted any reasons for change, and created a complex, interesting product. 

Our Big idea

The big idea for today is Design: Creating the Solution.

The essential questions for this topic are:

How do we plan and create a high-quality solution?

It takes time to explore and really understand a big idea. If you want to
learn more about design: creating the solution (which is connected to today's daily note), please click here .

We are learning this because as a designers must understand scientific and technical innovation. Designers use systems, models, methods, and processes to solve problems.



Reminders & routines:

IF (today ==  testing_day_for_me) {
     remember to go get tested!;
}

IF (this_block == first_block_day) {
     read_daily_bulletin;
}

IF (today == Friday) {
     current_event_activity();
}

As I am taking attendance:

  1. For students who are physically at ASW: Please check now: am I connected to the American School of Warsaw wireless network
  2. Please check now: is visual studio code working from my programming folder?

To remember: 

  1. If you want to see of everyone's project IDEAS please click this link
  2. All the files you need for this course can be found at this link. Please pay attention to the time the file was last updated. 
  3. You can access a web-based view of your database by clicking this link.
  4. Please be aware of course videos to help you understand our content.

If you want to meet with me: 

  1. I am free blocks 2,6 and 8
  2. Send an email to make an appointment
  3. Don't ask me in person! Always send an email
  4. Ask me a question on our discussion forum