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INFM 718N - Web-Enabled Databases
Spring 2006 - Section 0101
Course Description

Catalog Description

Basic methods and tools for developing dynamic, database-driven web sites. Acquiring, installing and running web servers, database servers, and connectability applications. Developing web interfaces, and application-layer components. Prerequisite: INFM 603 or equivalent.

Extended Description

Contemporary web applications go beyond plain HTML pages, providing interfaces to dynamic databases, and adding several other key functionalities to web sites. These functionalities enrich the user experience, and facilitate porting of many information tasks to the web environment. INFM 718N Database-driven Web Applications will introduce tools and methods for developing database driven web sites. The course will introduce initial steps of building a dynamic web site, such as installing and maintaining a web server and a database server, as well as developing web interfaces and client- and server-side applications that provide the functionality of the web site. The basic framework will involve a three-tier development paradigm: Web interface component, application component and database component. Prequisite skills are described in a separate page.

Goals

After completing this course the student will be able to:

Approach

The course will draw on a mixture of readings, lectures, hands-on exercises in class and as homework, mailing list discussions between classes, and a term project. We will meet weekly in the Office of Information Technology (OIT) Teaching Theater. Web-enabled database facilities using PHP and MySQL are available for teams and each individual student on otal.umd.edu. In order to use this sevice, you should activate your Glue account before the first class session. The course mailing list, infm718n-0101-spr06 (at) coursemail.umd.edu, is available for use by all participants in the class.

Schedule

Section Days Time (P.M.) Classroom
0101 Thursdays 6:00-8:45 CSS 1410

We will meet once a week in the OIT Teaching Theater (CSS 1410). A syllabus that summarizes what we will cover each week and gives a preview of the homework assignments and a reading list showing the reading for each week can be found on the class web page. All lectures will be videotaped and placed outside my office (HBK 4121G). Students are welcome to borrow these tapes overnight -- if you take one for longer than that, please leave a note letting other students know that you have it. RealVideo recordings of each class will also be made available through the syllabus Web page.

I am always happy to meet with students before or after classs, during breaks, and at any other mutually convenient time by appointment. The teaching assistant is also happy to meet with students by appointment. Students wishing to discuss accommodations for unusual circumstances should also come see me, and should do so at the earliest possible time. Email is the best way to reach me to set up an appointment, and it is also a good way to get a quick answer to a simple question. The phone is not nearly as good because I move between several offices and labs in a typical day and phone tag is not very efficient, but we can easily schedule a phone call by email if you like.

Instructional Staff

Instructor Teaching Assistant Technology Assistant
Name Doug Oard Patricia Verdines Chris Shrout
Email oard (at) umd.edu pverdines (at) yahoo.com cshrout (at) umd.edu
Office HBK 4121G HBK 4111B N/A
Office Phone (301)405-7590 N/A N/A

Course Materials

The required text is Ullman, L. (2005) PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites, 2nd Edition, Peachpit Press (ISBN: 0-321-33657-7), which should cost around $20. Readings will be assigned from that text. Additional required readings are also be assigned on the course Web page. Most of these readings are Web-accessible; in other cases a hardcopy will be provided.

The class web site at http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~oard/teaching/690/fall05/ contains the most recent copies of all material produced for this course. This course description (which contains a number of useful links), the syllabus, lecture notes and homework solutions can be found there.

Computers are available for student use in HBK 2105 (inside the Paul Wasserman Library) whenever the Paul Wasserman Library is open. Computers are also available 24 hours a day in several campus the Open Workstation Labs.

Grading

Course grades will be assigned based on homework, individual and group work on a term project, and participation. Scores on each component will be combined to produce a single overall score for each student as follows:

Component Percentage Computation
Homework 10% 5% each
Project Team 40% Same for all members
Team Management 20% For one assigned role
Project Implementation 20% For assigned role(s)
Participation 10% In class and mailing list
Scores for each course requirement will be assigned on a 100 point scale (with 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, etc. No curve will be used when assigning final grades.

Homework is due to the TA by email before the start of class. There will be 2 assignments. Credit for partial work will be given. Homework grades should always be discussed with the TA first, but I will be happy to discuss them with you after you have done that if your concern is not resolved. Students may work together on the assignments, but all of the material that is turned in for grading must be produced individually. For example, students may form study groups and work out solutions together on a whiteboard, but it would not be permissible for one student to create a computer file containing the answers and then for other students to copy that file and submit it as their own work. The goal of this policy is to encourage the use of homework as a learning aid. A concentration on grades to the exclusion of learning when working on the homework can be counterproductive, since each exam is worth at least as much as all of the homework assignments together.

There will be no exams. For the term project, 3-4 person teams will design and implement a Web-enabled database application. Team work is required.

Doug Oard