Alice 3 to Java: Learning Creative Programming through Storytelling and Gaming, 1st edition

Published by Pearson (February 23, 2017) © 2018

  • Wanda P Dann Carnegie Melon Unviersity
  • Don Slater Carnegie Mellon University
  • Laura Paoletti Carnegie Mellon University
  • Dave Culyba Carnegie Mellon University
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Title overview

For courses in Introductory Programming for Java and Alice.

Taking a computer programming course can be challenging, time-consuming, and downright frustrating, but there's a better way. Alice 3 to Java: Learning Creative Programming through Storytelling and Gaming introduces students to programming in a creative context that's more engaging and less complicated, while still covering all the essential concepts you'd expect to see in an introductory programming course. Students are invited to step into the world of creating 3D animations through chapters that present programming concepts with hands-on examples. Throughout the text, students create a short story or game centred on Lawrence Prenderghast's Haunted Circus, a story by Laura Paoletti. Students bring the story to life through projects and exercises using Alice, an animation tool similar to professional software used by studios like Pixar and DreamWorks. Later in the book, students may apply what they've learned in Alice to using Java, a professional, production-level programming course.

Table of contents

  • Prologue: Lawrence Prenderghast’s Haunted Circus
  • Episode 1. March 1, 1910: Larry
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Design
  • 3. Implementation in Alice
  • 4. Implement and Test
  • Episode 2. The Train Engine
  • 5. Procedures, do together, and Count Loops
  • Episode 3. The Tunnel
  • 6. Stepwise Refinement and Inheritance
  • 7. Implementation in Java
  • 8. Importing: Alice 3 to Java and Code
  • Episode 4. The Forest Cabin
  • 9. Code Reuse, Parameters, Data Types, Variables, and Arithmetic Expressions
  • 10. Java: Parameters, Data Types, Variables, Expressions, and Loop Control
  • Episode 5. The Ringmaster Coat
  • 11. Interactivity with Events, If/Else, Conditions, and Built-in Functions
  • Episode 6. March 1, 1910: Nicholas
  • 12. Custom Functions, While Loops, Random Values, Input, and a Game Algorithm
  • Episode 7. March 1, 1910: Esther
  • 13. Built-in Arrays, Poses, More Events, and Interactive Controls
  • Episode 8. March 1, 1910: Adelaide
  • 14. Custom Arrays and Functions
  • 15. Java: Custom Arrays and Sort
  • Episode 9. March 1, 1910: Gideon
  • 16. Event-Driven Programming and Advanced Game Controls
  • Epilogue
  • Epilogue Capstone Project
  • Index

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