Category Archives: CS@Worcester

Week of September 11, 2023

This week, I reviewed chapter 8 from Learning Java by Building Android Games 3rd Edition by John Horton. This chapter reviews some of the principles of object-oriented programming, including encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. Interestingly, the principle of abstraction that was named alongside the previous three in the course syllabus is not reviewed in this chapter of the book. I chose to write about this resource because in the last Spring semester, I studied this book in order to create a functional mobile game in Android Studio for my final project in my Operating Systems course. I needed to apply my knowledge of arrays, for and while loops, and Java class design to complete this project. In addition, I needed to learn how to utilize the graphics libraries within Android Studio to visually represent the entities within the game and how they interacted with each other. While this book did help me tremendously in the later stages of the project, I wish I had found it earlier before I began coding. I had begun the project in BlueJ, and was coding a Java app meant to be run on a Windows or Mac system, not an Android mobile device as was the project specification. I completed a functioning version of the game with all the features I wanted to include that ran on my Windows PC, but I found it much more difficult than I anticipated to port the code I had written into Android Studio to produce a version of the game that would function on mobile devices. However, because I had applied the principles of encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism to my Java classes and functions, I was able to get the program to a partially functioning state on Android by the final due date. My first challenge in porting the project from PC to Android was addressing how to display the program on the device’s screen. Through this book, I found that constructing my Game class so it would extend Android’s Activity class would be the first step in displaying the desired output. I also applied the principle of inheritance to the Java classes I created to represent the in-game objects represented on screen. As many objects as I could manage inherited from a parent GameObject interface, which would be extended into more specific StaticGameObject and MovableGameObject subclasses, and then from those classes I extended them into specific types of objects like PlayerCharacter, Obstacle, and BonusItem. For my next software endeavor, I want to adhere to these principles more purposefully when coding, as I think that a lot of the challenges and headaches I experienced while creating this video game were self-inflicted.

If you want to try the game I made (I was so pressed for time by the end I never named it), here is a link to my Github repository. The project should be able to opened up and run from inside BlueJ or your Java IDE of choice.

Source: Learning Java by Building Android Games: Learn Java and Android from scratch by building five exciting games, 3rd Edition by John Horton

Github repository: https://github.com/MCummingsWSU/CS373-mobile-app-final-project

Screenshot of my game available at the Github link

From the blog CS@Worcester – Michael's Programming Blog by mikesprogrammingblog and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

First Post!

Hey there! My name is Jason, and I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. To kick off, this blog will showcase my assignments and projects from my CS-348 course.

From the blog CS@Worcester – KindlCoding by jkindl and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Iman’s Blog for CS-348

HI, I’m Iman Kondakciu, I am a Senior in computer science here at Worcester State University

From the blog CS@Worcester – Site Title by Iman Kondakciu and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Hello Hello~~

I have to say…the software development path is a little fun. This blog is meant to track my journey as I learn how to be a successful software engineer. I started my tech journey by taking an IT class in my junior year of high school and now I’m a junior studying Computer Science at my university. We all start somewhere. I’m now in a software process management class so lets see how this goes.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Live Laugh Code by Shamarah Ramirez and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

New Blog, who dis?

I’m huge into video games and anything that flexes my creative muscle, which is why I’m going into a focus of Software Design and Development for my Junior year. I’ll be taking CS 343 and 348 with Professor Wurst, and as a part of that course, I’ll be starting this blog!

I hope to utilize this blog throughout my career, but for now I’ll be using it to go over what I’ve been doing and learning in my courses!

I hope you enjoy taking this journey alongside me!

From the blog CS@Worcester – You're Telling Me A Shrimp Wrote This Code?! by tempurashrimple and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Welcome to TWTA!

Welcome to Tech. Worth Talking About (TWTA), a blog discussing exciting and impactful tools and innovations in the technology world, as well as some ideas on how to implement them in real situations to solve problems. Stay tuned for these posts and more!

From the blog CS@Worcester – Tech. Worth Talking About by jelbirt and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Introduction:

To all who read this, welcome, my name is Andrew and as of writing this I’m currently a junior in college studying Computer Science. The goal of this brief first post is to inform you all of where I am currently with my studies, and additionally to create a timeline as to how I’ve got to where I am today.

My experience and interest in Computer Science started in an unlikely place, that being within my CADD classes during 2016. Although CADD is more accurately described as an Engineering class, it does carry many aspects and design processes similar to those in Computer Science. From this class I shifted my attention from Engineering to Computer Science. The next year I took my first introductory courses into CS. During this time I learned surface-level information on Java, HTML, and Big Data. As I approached my graduation, which we were the class of 2020, I made it my goal to take most if not all CS courses my high-school had to offer. These courses enriched my knowledge in both programming with Java and HTML, as well as covering concepts such as Cybersecurity and Big Data Analysis. From these introductory classes I worked my way up to AP-level classes, one of which proved to be very beneficial as I apply my knowledge from it to this day. Unfortunately some of these skills such as programming with HTML haven’t seen use since their respective class, however these skills do help to make me a well-rounded learner able to apply new concepts quickly. Overall my high-school years served as the catalyst for my pursuit in CS and offered me a small insight as to what I find interesting within this field of study.

With high-school complete I once again pivoted my studies towards Game/Interactive Media Design at Becker College, as it was something I was incredibly passionate about. To say Game Design is part of CS would be a very generous assumption, the best comparison I can make it that Game Design is ‘CS-adjacent’ as having skills from it will only prove beneficial. The knowledge I obtained from my year at Becker was minimal, but served two important roles during my studies. 1: Was to introduce me to a new coding language (which will be spoken about soon), and 2: Was to give me the tiniest push back into pursuing CS as my major. Something that I learned while pursuing Game Design was an introduction to Scrum and other collaborative methods. These skills are applicable in any team setting whether physical or remote, so it will be a valuable skill to have going into the future.

With the closure of Becker I transferred to Quinsigamond Community College where I redeclared my major to CS. From here I didn’t necessarily learn anything new (in regards to CS), however my 1.5 years at QCC gave me time to settle back into CS and further reinforce my pre-existing knowledge of the subject. This included getting my C++ skills up to par with my Java skills. Within the past year (2023) I’ve transferred to Worcester State University where I will be finishing my CS program in 2025 and achieve a Bachelors in Computer Science. As I’m writing this I just started my Fall Semester and already I’ve been exposed to different aspects of CS I’ve never had experience in. Whether it be managing databases or designing Computational Architecture all of these skills will broaden my horizons. With these new found skills, in conjunction with pre-existing knowledge, I will delve further into my studies in future hopes of applying these in the workforce.

Once again, welcome to my blog, I appreciate you reading through this and hearing my story. Thank you.

-AG

From the blog CS@Worcester – Computer Science Progression by ageorge4756 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Hello World!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Anairdo Duri.
I am a Computer Science student at Worcester State University.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the role of a computer science student is akin to that of an explorer in uncharted territory. As we embark on this thrilling journey through the realm of algorithms, data structures, programming languages, and cutting-edge innovations, we find ourselves at the crossroads of tradition and transformation. This blog is dedicated to the passionate and curious souls who have chosen to embrace the world of ones and zeros, where code is the universal language, and innovation knows no bounds.

Welcome to a space where the binary meets creativity, where logic converges with imagination, and where the pursuit of knowledge is as endless as the digital universe itself. Whether you’re a seasoned computer science enthusiast or just taking your first steps into this fascinating discipline, our goal is to be your trusted companion, providing insights, inspiration, and practical guidance as you navigate the exciting terrain of computer science.

Together, we’ll delve into the mysteries of machine learning, dissect the intricacies of software development, unravel the secrets of cybersecurity, and explore the diverse facets of computer science that shape our rapidly advancing world. Along the way, we’ll share stories, offer tips and tricks, and connect you with a community of like-minded learners who share your passion for all things tech.

So, fasten your seatbelts, dear reader, as we embark on a journey where algorithms are our maps, and innovation is our destination. Together, we’ll explore the digital frontier, unlocking the potential of the digital age, one line of code at a time.

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels.com

From the blog CS@Worcester – Anairdo's WSU Computer Science Blog by anairdoduri and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

LET’S GET STARTED

Welcome to my first blog post! My name is Andi Cuni and I am a senior completing my undergraduate CS degree. Starting my journey blogging with a background in computer science and software development, I am excited for this transition, and I plan to share everything that comes along my experiences to see if others relate as well!

September 12, 2023

From the blog CS@Worcester – A Day in the Life as a CS Blogger by andicuni and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Introduction to my blog

From the blog CS@Worcester – Dose Of Dev by msavice and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.