Lab Station 1: Programming

LS1 deals with programming. Due to the complexity of this topic it is divided into four parts:

LS1J: Exercises regarding object oriented programming in the language Java
LS1P: Exercises in Prolog as an example of logic programming
LS1S: Exercises in this station deal with the functional language Scheme
LS1C: Exercises dealing with the imperative programming paradigm, which is exemplified by the C programming language.

Why these four?

Java has been chosen for a number of reasons:

Java provides the possibility of developing software which may be used on the Internet.
Java may be interpreted on every platform.
Java is becoming more and more popular.
Java is closely related to other often used languages like C++, Visual Basic and Delphi/Pascal.

Prolog is a very typical example of the logical computer languages, making it very suitable for teaching.

Scheme is a dialect of the language Lisp. We chose Scheme because it is commonly used in the field of artificial intelligence. The lab tool itself is written in Scheme and, therefore, provides a good example of the applicability of this programming language.

C has been selected to teach the imperative programming paradigm due to it's popularity.

Exercises of this station are solved by typing and sending in program code, which is processed instantly. The virtual tutor generates a response which helps the student to find possible errors and correct them until he is able to present a proper solution.