Topic: getting into AP Comp. Sci.
started by: Spydir Web
I talked to the Comp. Sci. teacher and he said I gotta show him some program I've done to get in his class. I really have no problem with that because it makes sense, but I don't know what he wants to see. I mean, I dunno if he wants to see some really basic stuff that can just output some dinky math or something, or if he wants to see some text editor or something (a friend in Comp Sci IV told me for his final project he made something like a cross of vi and pico for DOS.)
Also, the few things I've done are mostly in PHP/Perl, or for Linux. The PHP/Perl I can show him on my webpage, but I'm pretty sure they only have Windows stuff at school.
And... I probably won't do this, but do you think it would be ethically wrong if I took some GPL'ed programs, edited them together, and just said in the source code who actually made it (comments deep, deep in the code so it'd be harder for him to see it)? I'll probably just use that PHP weblog I was talking about in the thread or this calculator I've been working on, but I might not be able to work out the kinks in them before the registration forms have to be turned in.
So yeah... anyone who can help please do. I'd really like to be able to actually get in the class. If not, I'm pretty sure I'm getting in Network Admin. but I think that's a Novell certification and not Cisco 
... (I got a little love for Cisco cuz my friend's dad works there and he's getting a job there)
edit - I'm stupid.
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Spydir Web - < http://netsyndrome.net/spydirweb/ >
Net Syndrome - < http://www.netsyndrome.net/ >
Sometimes you're the dog, sometimes you're the hydrant...
This message has been edited by Spydir Web on March 27, 2001 at 03:41 PM
Go to a local university website and check the Comp Sci page and look for the intro to programming courses. If you're lucky you might be able to see some of their homework/projects. Try and complete one of their assignments that involve some basic GUI and some basic programming techniques to take input and output some results. Show him/her the URL you took the project from.
Possibly something that has principles like recursion to search through a small database.
That should show you're prepared to do some homework and avoid doubt as to whether you've copied any other 'GPL' stuff. University credit is one of the main reasons for AP classes too, right? So if you can do their stuff, it looks good for you.
For instance, in my first year I think we had to do small Java program that would take input regarding cargo payload weight and szes and ask which 1 of 4 space shuttles you wanted the load to go in. It just had to store current loads and space, display remaining loads and space and do the math to see if you could fit the requested payload in. It was just a text based proggy. Real easy to program, but it shows you grasp some of the principles.
Give him your best program. If it's not good enough, you won't get into the class. If it is, you will, and everything will have worked out the way it should.