Pharm Chem 204 is intended to introduce students not merely to the coding of computer programs but to the overall principles of good program design and software engineering, using the Python® programming language for illustration.Lectures emphasize object-oriented programming concepts and the design of algorithms and related data structures. Problem decomposition and principles of good program design are stressed throughout the course. Numerical algorithms are a relatively small part of the instruction, and mathematical sophistication is not required. Rather we promote the use of fundamental principles from computer science such as designing effective data structures for representing information and writing efficient code modules that are extensible, maintainable, and reusable. Although Python is utilized for providing examples and doing the homework assignments, the principles taught are readily applicable to other modern programming languages.
In this course you'll learn how to write simple programs using Python, a dynamic object-oriented programming language that can be used for many kinds of software development projects. It offers strong support for integration with other computer languages and tools, comes with extensive standard libraries, and the basic principles of the language can be learned in a few days. Many programmers new to Python report substantial productivity gains and feel the language encourages the development of higher quality, more maintainable code. Many computational biology applications have been developed in Python, so there's a wealth of available Python modules that you can just download and use for your own research needs.
At the end of the course students should:
- Master the principles of object-oriented programming and the interplay of algorithms and data structures in well-written modular code;
- Solve problems requiring the writing of well-documented programs in the Python language, including use of the logical constructs of that language;
- Demonstrate significant experience with the Python program development environment.
No explicit prerequisite course work is required, but students are expected to have a fundamental understanding of basic computer principles and previous experience using a personal computer.Students should have access to a personal computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) with sufficient administrative privileges so that a current version of Python can be installed on the system. You can download Python for free from www.python.org. Note that Macs running OS X come with Python already installed, so there's nothing additional needed in order to get started on a Mac. Students who do not have access to a personal computer on which they can install Python should read this section of the PC204 Frequently Asked Questions web page.
See course materials.