15-131 – Great Practical Ideas in CS

Overview

Throughout your education as a Computer Scientist at Carnegie Mellon, you will take courses on programming, theoretical ideas, logic, systems, etc. As you progress, you will be expected to pick up the so-called “tools of the trade.” This course is intended to help you learn what you need to know in a friendly, low-stress, high-support way. We will discuss UNIX, LaTeX, debugging and many other essential tools.

For more information, you should checkout the syllabus.

How to use this site

This site is broken up into a number of Topics which are further broken up into Lessons. One topic in particular relates directly to the assignments in this class: Puzzle Packs. The PuzzlePack topic is where you can find links to the PuzzlePack we will be doing in class as well as the lessons that will be useful in for solving that PuzzlePack. These are linked below for your convenience.

In general, there are more lesson pages than there are PuzzlePacks. You only have to read those not directly linked from the PuzzlePack lessons if you’re interested. You will only be assessed on your knowledge of those that relate to solving the PuzzlePacks.

Schedule

Extratations

Throughout the semester, we’ll be holding extra workshops and talks outside of class, dubbed “extratations”, to explore topics that we don’t want to test you on but that you might find interesting.

• Location: WEH 6423, with some exceptions as marked
• Time: Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Command Booster Pack (9/5)

So you’ve completed the first PuzzlePack, but you’re still pretty lost regarding what this “terminal” thing is. To get you a little more familiar with the command line environment, we’ll introduce you to some helpful tips that make using the command line more enjoyable, and then dive into some examples of commands that help out a lot when you’re at the command line as well as some that are just plain cool.

Be sure to bring a laptop!

Emacs Fundamentals (9/12)

Does vim have you feeling down in the dumps? Try emacs! You can use Ctrl-v, Ctrl-x, Ctrl-c, and all that jazz, just as you’re used to! And no modes! We’ll go over all the knowledge you need to be productive, and how you can feel right at home in the world’s most advanced text editor.

Emacs Rocks (9/19)

You’ve learned about Emacs? Now learn more! Learn about the neat features and futuristic programming environment that lead some to call Emacs “the thermonuclear text editor”. Plus, learn the basics of customizing Emacs for your own needs!

All About tmux (9/26)

tmux, short for “terminal multiplexer”, is a tool for managing multiple persistent shell sessions while logged into a computer. What this means in practice is that tmux is good for a number of things, including being able to split your terminal screens and keep persistent shell sessions while logged into a remote server, even if your wifi cuts out or your computer loses power. Come learn about how you can rather simply integrate this awesome tool into your workflow!

Vim as an IDE (10/3)

This workshop is for you if…

• You use Vim, but only begrudgingly because someone in GPI, 15-122 or 15-150 told you to.
• You enjoy Vim, but feel like you’re not taping into it’s full potential.
• You use Emacs, but you don’t take advantage of any of it’s cool features, and would rather have a fully-configured editor than a glorified Notepad.
• You use Emacs quite well, but you’re interested in learning Vim for the lulz.
• You use Sublime, but don’t like having to scp files back and forth, or switch between Sublime and the terminal to compile and submit code.

In this fully-interactive workshop, you’ll take charge of converting Vim into your go-to power tool. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Introduction to the Technical Interview (Sunday, 10/11)

In this workshop, we’ll get you up to speed with what to expect at a technical interview, how to prepare, and do a little bit of practice.

Writing on the Command Line: LaTeX and Markdown (10/24)

Basically since elementary school, you’ve been taught that Microsoft Word is the One True Way™. In this talk, we’ll teach you how to transform the terminal into the ultimate writing tool. We’ll be covering LaTeX and Markdown, tools which let you create things from resumes, to beautiful Math and CS homeworks, to blogs, and beyond.

GDB and Debugging (Sunday, 11/8)

When trying to figure out why your C program isn’t quite working, there’s no more powerful tool than gdb. We’ll go over what gdb is, some demos of how it’s useful, and set you loose to solve some fun puzzles using it.

Vim as an IDE (11/14)

Missed out on or couldn’t finish the first Vim as an IDE talk? We’re holding a second! See the full description above.

Linux Installation Lab (11/21)

You’ll have a chance to install Linux on your personal machine (alongside whatever operating system you currently have) with lots of help nearby.

Click above for the required setup instructions.

Final Exam Review (12/5)

We’ll be covering some topics that should help you do better on the final exam. Feel free to come even if you plan on skipping the final (because you have enough attendance points!).