Craig Persiko's Links for Students

Here are some links to software and information I recommend for my students. Please e-mail me if you have others you think I should add to the list.

Sources of Information and Help

• assist.org: a website with up-to date info on which CCSF courses transfer to 4-year colleges in California.
• Homepage for the ACRC Computer Lab which includes the schedule and skill list for the tutors that work there.

  Python Information

• Google Colaboratory is a free web-based Python environment using Jupyter notebooks. That's what I use for my CS 110A class.
• Replit.com is a good web-based IDE (Integrated Development Environment):
  • Replit.com for Python programs with a text (console) interface
  • Replit.com for Python Turtle graphics programs with a graphical display
• You can install Python on your own computer by downloading it from: https://www.python.org/
• Python is already installed for you on hills.ccsf.edu, the CCSF Linux server where all CS students have an account. It only works for programs with a text (console) interface. You can access hills from any computer that is connected to the Internet.
• Python Tutor: goes step-by-step through code to help you understand it.
• Python Beginners guide
• Python for Non-Programmers: I highly recommend digging through this page if you are a total novice to programming and want more documentation
• Python Documentation

  C++ Information

• For an easy way to get started with compiling and running programs, use repl.it
• If you want a full-feature IDE (Integrated Development Environment), Eclipse is an excellent, free, open-source IDE for C++ and other languages. It even helps you complete the commands you're typing, similar to Microsoft's Visual Studio.NET. Eclipse is already installed in the ACRC and Linux labs
• Here are directions to install g++ on Windows.
• Bloodshed.net offers Dev C++, a free C++ compiler you can download, and their site has lots of other good resources too.
• Code::Blocks is an open source, cross platform, free C, C++ and Fortran IDE
• Another free C++ compiler for the PC is at openwatcom.org
• CPlusPlus.com is a web site with some good reference information on C++

  Java Installation

• For an easy web-based Java development environment, I recommend replit.com. You need to create an account to use it, but the free "Starter" account is all you need for CS 111B.
• To install a Java Development environment on your computer, use Oracle's Standard Edition (SE) Java Development Kit: Java SE 16. It can be downloaded from Oracle from here, free of charge. (Click on "JDK Download".)
• Mac users may find that Java is already installed - try running javac at the command line.
• If you want a full-feature IDE (Integrated Development Environment), Eclipse is an excellent, free, open-source IDE for Java and other languages.
• Another IDE which is more simple to use, and good for learning, is jGrasp, which you can download for free
• All of the above compilers are already installed on the CCSF Linux systems (Hills and the Linux desktop machines), as well as the Windows systems in the ACRC.

  Java Documentation and Help

• Java Tutor allows you to step through an entire program, both forward and backward, and see the stack frames and variables at each step.
• Technical Documentation for Java Standard Edition - complete documentation of the Java language, including links to the following sections:
• The Java Tutorials - Have step-by-step instructions for how to write Java programs.
• API Specification for Java Standard Edition 16. The API is the standard class library of built-in Java classes to help you develop your programs. This site documents exactly how to use the API.

  Resources on writing your own HTML (Web pages)

• Getting Started with HTML - by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
• W3Schools is a great resource for learning HTML and XML
• HTML Goodies
• HTML Code Tutorial
• HTML Kit is a free HTML editor a student recommended. He said, "I find it very user-friendly, especially for beginners."

Terminal Emulators / SSH / Telnet (to connect to servers such as hills.ccsf.edu)

• SSH Secure Shell Windows client (Non-commercial version) - a feature-rich widows application that even has its own Secure FTP companion. The above link is to download it directly from the CCSF Software Archives.
• PuTTY - a free terminal emulator that supports both Telnet and SSH, color-codes its display, and allows you to scroll the display. SSH is more secure than Telnet, so use it if you can.
• Fugu - a free terminal emulator for the Macintosh, which supports SSH for greater security.

Text Editors for Writing Code

Instead of using nano to write your programs, you may find it easier to use a text editor on your PC to write the code, then to use an FTP program to transfer the source code to hills, where you can compile and run it.
• Sublime is an excellent, professional-level text editor for programmers.
• TextPad - an excellent shareware editor; it's the one I use for everything. It's great for writing HTML, and even includes a spell checker.
• UltraEdit - An editor for Mac or Linux. I've never used this, but a friend recommended it. It has FTP support.
• NoteTab is a good, simple HTML editor
• EditPlus: an "Internet-ready" text editor

• You can use any FTP / SFTP client program, but I recommend the one by the makers of SSH client. The SSH FTP client is included with the terminal emulator installation. It's the first link under "Terminal Emulators / Telnet" above.
• WinSCP is a free, easy to use Secure FTP program
• Mac users: Fetch is an FTP program that's free for educational use
• Another one for Mac users: Fugu has an FTP program and SSH, free of charge

Compression Utilities (ZIP format)

• IZArc is a free zip-compatible compression program for Windows
• CAM UnZip is another one recommended by a student.
• WinZip

Miscellaneous

• Stack Overflow is a great place for programmers to get answers to questions.
• Study Tips for Computer Science students
• Planet Source Code - code samples and tutorials in lots of languages
• DZone has lots of good developer resources
• CodeAcademy Learn to code interactively, for free.
• SkillShare Project-Based Classes, Anytime, Anywhere.
• Teach Yourself Programming advice from Peter Norvig
• Code.org hosts the Hour of Code
• The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) offers student memberships

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Last updated: 8/5/21 10:30am