Section B, Spring 2004
Professor Larry Heimann

This page contains information on class projects for 67-250 this spring. If an item is not an active link, then the assignment has not been posted yet.

Experiment in Network Economics

This is an online experiment related to network externalities that we have discussed in class and read about in Information Rules. The experiment portion will run from Monday 2/9/04 at 9:00am to Tuesday 2/10/04 at 12:00pm. In addition, there is an online workbook which needs to be completed between 2/10/04 at 12:00pm and 2/13/04 at 12:00pm. Students can get a MS Word document with log-in instructions here.

HTML Project -- Due March 4, 2004

Students will create a small website providing users with information about computer viruses and worms. The site will consist of four HTML pages.

• The first page, called index.html, is the site's home page and contains an overview on computer viruses and worms-- explains what they are, the different types of viruses and worms (and what is the difference), how they spread, and the damage they cause to individuals and to businesses.
  
• The second page provides an informative summary of any major viruses that have occurred in the last six months. The name of each virus/worm, systems affected, how the threat was resolved and the damaged caused is minimal information needed for this section.
  
• The third page provides information and advice to users on how they can prevent damage from these threats. Links to major anti-virus sites should be included on this page.
  
• The final page contains a simple form for users to submit suggestions or information on other viruses and worms not covered by the site. The form should require users to provide their first and last name, their e-mail address, the name of the worm or virus, radio buttons to indicate whether it is a worm or a virus, and a brief description. As an optional field, users should have the opportunity to submit a URL for further information on the threat. The form will not be executed, but should have JavaScript validation to be sure that all required fields are completed and that the e-mail address and URL (if any) is a valid type.

Any images used in the site should be placed in a separate folder called images. The site must also use a style sheet and there must be at least three different style classes used on the site. The entire site needs to be zipped into a zip file called by your Andrew ID. (For example, if Professor Heimann were completing this project, his file would be called lheimann.zip) All zipped files must be submitted to the upload project site no later than 11pm on March 4, 2004. (Any files received after that time are subject to a 10 percent penalty per day.)

Grading will divided by technical excellence (all HTML is clean and readable, all JavaScript is executed without flaw, all pages, fields and style sheets are executed as specified, turn-in instructions followed flawlessly), informative value of the content (research is going into the site was thorough, the information is communicated in a clear and unambiguous fashion such that Professor H's mom could understand it), and elegance of the layout (all link labels are clear and unambiguous, images are appropriate and cleanly laid out, overall page structure is aesthetically pleasing). Given that many students are just beginning to learn HTML, the division of grading for this project will be technical excellence (40%), informative content (45%) and elegance of layout (15%).

Access Database Project -- Due April 15, 2004

Professor Heimann runs a series of chess camps at his house each summer. Each camp runs 3 hours a day during the course of one week (Monday - Friday). Because it is in his basement, there is a hard enrollment limit of 8 students per camp (there is literally no more room for more students), so that information does not need to be in the database. The typical cost of a week of chess camp is $89 per student. However, since it is not unusual for Prof. H to offer discounts to families with multiple siblings or families in financial need, there needs to be a paid-in-full field to indicate that the payment (if less than the set amount) is sufficient.

The “level” code is currently a number, but Prof. H’s rule says that 1 = beginner class, 2 = advanced beginners, 3 = intermediate, and 4 = advanced.

The project zip file contains a basic Entity-Relationship diagram that captures the essential features of the camp. For this assignment, students need to create a relational database in Microsoft Access that can be used to manage camp enrollments and payments. All essential tables must be set up, primary keys identified, relationships established and referential integrity enforced (no cascading updates or deletes), all data types must be properly set and input masks used for zip codes, phone numbers and dates and times. After the database is set up, the small number of records from the Excel spreadsheet should be added to the database. The zip file contains some camp records that a student might not have the expertise to create and others should be added by the student, but on no account should any entry in the database be obscene or offensive (see General IS Program Policies).

In addition, the following queries should be created and saved in the database. The first three queries are required, the last two are more advanced and optional. (Small bonus if you can get them to work but don't sweat it if you don't.) The table below gives students the names they should save the queries as and a description of the query.

 

Query Name	Query Description
list_of_all_camps	This query should list all the camps by curriculum title and list the camp's start date and start time. The list should be sorted by start date.
list_all_students_above_K-5	This query should list the first and last names of any students in the database who have a grade higher than 5th grade.
all_students_by_camp	This query should list the names, grades, and ratings (if any) of each student registered as well as the camp title they are enrolled in. The list should be sorted by camp title.
funds_due_by_student (optional query)	This query should list the names of any student who owes a balance on the camp fee as well as the amount owed. The listed should be sorted by student's last name.
registration_by_camp (optional query)	This query should list the camp titles and the number of students registered for each camp. The list should be sorted by camp title.

The database file should be named with your Andrew ID. (For example, if Professor Heimann were completing this project, his file would be called lheimann.mdb) Any file that doesn't use the sbumitting student's Andrew ID in its name will get an automatic 15% penalty. All zipped files must be submitted to the upload project site no later than 11pm on April 15, 2004. (Any files received after that time are subject to a 10 percent penalty per day.)

Instructors reserve the right to make modifications to materials in this syllabus during the term as circumstances warrant.

Please note: this site contains relevant information for the Spring 2004 semester only. The site is maintained by Professor H, so any questions or problems with these pages should be sent to lheimann@andrew.cmu.edu.