this week
This week I learned about the different ways to handle exceptions in C++, specifically by reference, addresses, or value. I learned that you should always pass by reference so you won’t have to worry about explicitly managing the memory. I also learned about implicit type casting for classes, which I did not know about, and also learned the new explicit keyword. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend class on Friday so I wasn’t able to hear about UML diagrams being explained in person, but I did review it a little by myself.
The quizzes this week were definitely easier because I felt the difficulty and amount of problems for the time given to take it was more balanced. Plus being able to collaborate with your friends always means you can pool together your ideas and fill in gaps of understanding.
The programming challenge this week definitely allowed me to realize that I need to be more thorough when writing the details so I don’t miss any edge cases, and also the usage of the long long type to be able to store very, very large values. Having done Project #1 beforehand, the problem statement was definitely easier to understand.
As for the paper this week, while I have heard and participated in the concept of pair programming before (as required in CS439, Operating Systems), reading the paper allowed me to understand new perspectives and also the effectiveness. It also taught me some pitfalls to avoid and practices to pick up as programmers.
I was also introduced to Project #2 and the problem statement, which made a lot of sense. Having the votes being re-ranked as candidates dropped out seems like a much fairer system than just throwing them away.