290089 PS Programming in Geoinformatics (2024W)

This class will introduce students to conceptual modeling and programming, focusing on spatial and geographic data and modeling domain problems in (human and physical) geography, transportation studies, urban studies, and so forth. Prior programming knowledge is *not* required, but the class is moving at a rapid pace, starting from the very basics, such as variables and control structures, to more advanced topics, including graphical user interfaces, animations, user interaction, basic data structures, cellular automata, and spatial analytics more broadly. The class will focus on object-oriented modeling and programming using Java, but most materials will generalize to modern programming languages, be they C++ or Python.

While this is a hands-on, coding-intensive class, its ultimate aim is to help students understand the path from a concrete domain problem to its computational implementation, e.g., from understanding the spread of disease to the data structures, models, methods, graphical interfaces, and so forth, to simulate this spread on a computer.

A (short) theoretical block will be followed by in-class programming in small and learn teams and the discussion of results. This class, while very rewarding and of crucial relevance for most students' future careers, will be work-intensive.

Class content by example:

1. Data Types, Operators, and Control Statements
2. Classes, Objects, and Methods
3. Variables, Classes, Methods, and their Scope
4. Inheritance and Polymorphism
5. Interfaces and Encapsulation
6. Complexity in Modeling
7. Graphical User Interfaces
8. Model-View-Controller
9. Basic Input/Output and Networking
10. Exception Handling