CSI 3317 -- Announcements

CSI 3317 -- Fall 2006

NOTE: the most recent announcements are on top of this page

23/10/06: Marks for the project are ready. I still need to enter some changes due to remarking requests.

20/12/06: The two best projects are (they both get 1st place):

1) Group 3: Edward Lam, Erek Barsczewski, and Waseem Maolah
2) Group 6: Prashanthi Nadarajah, Hwa Young Kim, and Ding Cai

16/12/06: A sample exam. Note that there are no multiple choice questions in this year's exam.

Note: the two projects were too close to call, though Group 6 had a small advance.

07/12/06: Here are the bookings for your demo.

_ 2006-12-08 STE 2060 12:00 - 15:00 FRIDAY
_ 2006-12-11 STE 2060 12:00 - 15:00 MONDAY
_ 2006-12-13 STE 2060 12:00 - 15:00 WEDNESDAY
_ 2006-12-15 STE 2060 12:00 - 15:00 FRIDAY On each one of these days, the TA will receive in average 4 presentations .

1) Students will present their demo to the TA for 25 minutes. The TA will have 10 minutes to ask them questions.
2) The TA will rank the projects progressively and at the end get the complete ranking.
3) Students will submit a CD with the following items on it:
3.1 ER diagram, SQL script, any java code written
3.2 Any PhP, HTML, CGI ... code written
3.3 A 1-page readme file briefly explaining what is on the CD
4) The TA will the items gathered in (3) to fine tune the ranking obtained in (2).
5) The TA will give 100/100 to the best project and decrease the marks by one for each of the running projects until the last project. Should a project not run, the TA will mark the content of the CD for at most 50%.

To reserve your spot, send a message to Guichong (jli136@site.uottawa.ca), and not to me.

04/12/06: Chapters and Secctions to read for the exam:

Chap 2: Sections 2.1--2.6;
Chap 3: Sections 3.1--3.5, and 3.7;
Chap 4: Sections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.2;
Chap 5: Sections 5.1--5.5, and 5.7;
Chap 8: Sections 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4.7 (trends in the table given there), and 8.5;
Chap 9: Sections 9.1, 9.2 (No formulas to learn, learn principles), 9.3--9.7;
Chap 10: 10.1--10.6, and 10.8.2;
Chap 12: 12.1--12.6
Chap 14: Sections 14.4.1--3;
Chap 16: Sections 16.1--16.4, 16.6--16.7;
Chap 17: Sections 17.1 (no 17.1.1), 17.2 (No latches and convoys), 17.3, 17.4.

04/12/06: Since our exam is one of the latest ones, I extend the due date for A2 by 2 more days. So the new due date for A2 is next Thursday, DEc 7.

As for the project due date, I will arrange things with the TA so that he can reserve 4 different days spread between next Friday and the Friday next week to accomodate everyone. I will announce those days/times by Wednesday. So anyone who is ready to present will indicate when (s)he wants to do so.

23/11/06: For those who could not attend yesterday's tutorial, there is a 2nd tutorial today between 1PM and 2PM in STE0131.

20/11/06: Mohamed Mansour will give you a one hour tutorial on his handson experience in writing web-based database applications partly acquired in a past CSI3317 class and extensive practice.

The tutorial will be held on wednesday, nov. 22 in STE 0131, 4-5PM.

Make sure that each group delegates at least one representative to ask question you may have. Off course, those group that do not need the tutorial can skip it.

18/11/06:

Assignment 2. To be done in groups of 2. This is the last assignment in this course.
We do the course evaluation on next tuesday. So please try to attend as they are important.
From next week on, I will progressively post hints for the final exam.
As soon as I get an appropriate location for the beginning of the week, I schedule a small tutorial (given by a forer student) on how to put all the pieces together to have a running DB application.

13/11/06: For the project, the VERY first thing to do is to read the appropriate sections of chapters 6 and 7. Then read the runing example in the book (The Internet Book Shop example presented in Chapters 2-7), particularly in Chapter 7.

07/11/06:

Here is the sample TERM PROJECT for which I am giving you a solution. As I said in class, I need a representative for each group to get a copy of this solution: you should bring a USB key or a CD to get the copy.
I still have several copies of the midterm exams; please come and pick up yours.
I have copies of Deliverable 1 of the project.
Again, marks can be viewed only in my office during office hours, or when you pick up your test or assignment copies.

01/11/06:
Midterm:

The marking scheme for the midterm.
Solutions ... Coming soon.
NOTE: I DO NOT POST MARKS ANY MORE AS OUR LAWYER FORBIDS US TO DO SO. Therefore, always come to the office hour times to take your exams and assignments copies.

Project deliverable 1:

The ER diagram of deliverable 1.
SQL script. Use this for the next step in the project. You may change the constraints if necessary, depending on the limitations of PostgreSQL. Of course there might be different, yet correct solutions.

25/10/06: Please submit your deliverable 1 both electronically and in hard copy by the due date. Email your script as a text document to Yonglin (Yren009@site.uottawa.ca) and submit the hard copy in the assignment box. As you must have experienced by now, and as indicated in class, practical systems only offer limited support for checks and assertions. Any possible check and constraint that cannot be implemented in Postgres should be very brievely mentioned (in the form of a comment in the SQL script -- notice that SQL allows comments like any other programming language).
Since the PDADMIN interface has evolved recently, some may still be having problems with it. What is required now is a script that would run on any of DB2, Oracle, MySQL, or PostgresSQL.

23/10/06:

Marks for Assignment 1 are ready.
We will return A1 copies today to students in SITE 5000J in the 5th floor of the SITE building at noon.
Marking scheme for A1.
I am in my office between 11AM and noon for eventual question regarding the course.

22/10/06/: Some of you noticed that the Relational Algebra and the SQL sections in the sample midterm that I gave you a few days ago did not match the given schema. I can't find in my archives the matching midterm. So take the following solutions for another old midterm to help you study the material: p1, p2, p3, p4, p5.

21/10/06/: Solutions for Assignment 1: p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8, p9, p10 (JPEG).

21/10/06: A copy of complete solutions for Assignment 1 is left outside of my office for you to make your own copy. So when you make a copy, BRING THE ORIGINAL BACK for others to make copies.
I will post scanned pages later today for you.
I am in SITE Monday at noon for any eventual questions.

19/10/06: Here are important announcements about the midterm:

For the exam, learn:

Chap 2: Sections 2.1--2.5;
Chap 3: Sections 3.1--3.5, and 3.7;
Chap 4: Sections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.2 (domain relational calculus ONLY for students that are CSI and MATH students);
Chap 5: Sections 5.1--5.5, and 5.7.

Break down of questions:

Concepts: 10%;
ER diagram: 30%;
Rel. model: 20%;
SQL Queries and constraints: 20%;
Rel. algebra and calculus: 20% (The rel. calc. will be short, and Management will only get algebra questions).

19/10/06: An old midterm exam with solutions: p1, p2, p3, p4, p5.

19/10/06/: As a preparation for the midterm, you may read the solutions for last year's Assignment 1 (except the trigger): p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8, p9, p10 (GIF).
Tomorrow, I will post solutions for this year's Assignment 1 that the TA is now marking. Note that exercises at the end of chapters are also a good preparation to the exam.

16/10/06: Tomorrow's course is cancelled. I am on the conference and did not find a replacement. Please do use the office hour on Friday. I will post several exercises to do as a preparation for the midterm.

13/10/06: The ER diagram of the question 1 of last year's assignment 1 that we solved today in class is posted here.

I will announce on monday whether the class on next tuesday must be cancelled or not. In case I cancel that class (due to a conference), I will hold an office hour on Friday between 11AM and 1PM.

11/10/06: New due dates for the course work: A1 (Tuesday Oct 17, at 6PM) and the first part of the project (Friday Oct 27 at 6PM).

On Tuesday next week, I will be away for a conference and will try to arrange a replacement if possible.

03/10/06: Midterm date: Oct 24, 2006 (in class).

02/10/06: TERM PROJECT.

25/09/06: Assignment 1. To be done in groups of 2.

19/09/06: Project groups. Please let me know of any possible error.

06/09/06: IMPORTANT MESSAGE: FIRST DAY OF CLASSES WILL BE TUESDAY SEPT. 12. This is necessary for synchronizing with the French section that starts only next week.

02/09/06:

I will do my best to make the lecture notes for each week available at the start of the week.
I strongly recommend you to buy the course text book. Exam questions will assume all the chapters and sections that we will cover in the book.
The course has no lab hours. Therefore the TAs assigned to the course will only mark the assignments.
Practical assignments and the course project will assume the knowledge of PostgreSQL, the most sophisticated open source DBMS available to date. I urge you to consult the appropriate web pages to get used to that system.