WAESO Tasks for Spring 1997 (3/5/97)

GRANT TITLE: Rapid Applications Development with Visual Programming Languages

1. Each of you should select two of the following languages and install them on Dactyl in the Dino lab:
   1. Delphi = Annabella
   2. Borland C++ Builder = Lisa
   3. Optima++ = Kathy
   4. Visual Age C++ = Annabella
   5. PowerBuilder = Lisa
   6. Visual Basic = ???
   7. Salsa = Kathy

2. Each of you should select two of the following projects (pick one easy one and one challenging one) and implement on each of the six languages. Take notes as you try each language so that you can later write a comparative study. [These projects are described on my website]
   • Lab 1 from CS305 (easy) = Lisa
   • Lab 7 from CS305 (challenging) = Kathy
   • Lab 9 from CS305 (easy) = Annabella
   • Lab 1 from CS450 (easy) = Kathy
   • Lab 7 from CS450 (challenging) = Lisa
   • Project 2 from CS350 (hard) = Annabella

3. Write a collective report that a) briefly describes the installation of the software identifying any problems and b) compare the six languages in terms of features, ease of use, robustness, quality of the program produced (you may want to time the compile and execution times), etc. I would like to submit a professional research paper from the four of us based on the results of your analysis. I might also want to develop a web document describing your results.

4. I want a report each week from you on what you are doing. Feel free to stop by if you have any problems. You are each receiving $1000 so I would estimate that you should spend no more than 100 hours between now and the end of the Spring Semester. Make sure that you budget enough time at the end to do the report.