CSc 8711. Databases and the Web
Spring 2009, Friday 10.00 to 12.30 PM, 400-Classroom South

Catalog Description: Application of database technology to access information on the World Wide Web. Topics include: Common Gateway Interface (CGI), HTML form processing, accessing databases from the Web, search engines, query languages for Web data, semi-structured data model, and XML.

Pre-requisite: CSc 4710/6710.
The pre-requisite is strictly enforced. Knowledge of Web Programming is also recommended (CSc 4370/6370).

Course Overview: This course has two main objectives:
  1. To introduce the student to technologies for Web application development involving a database back-end.
  2. To introduce the student to current research issues in databases and the Web including XML data models and languages, Semantic Web (RDF, RDFS, and OWL).
The student will work on several programming projects which illustrate the various concepts and techniques to access databases on the Web. The student will also review selected current articles in this field and present their reviews in the class.

Textbooks
  1. Oracle 10g Programming: A Primer by R. Sunderraman, Addison Wesley, 2008.
  2. A Semantic Web Primer, 2nd Edition by G. Antoniou and F. van Harmelen, MIT Press, 2008.
Grading Policy: The grading will be based on the following components:
  1. Programming Projects (60%) - 20% Penalty for late submission - STRICTLY ENFORCED. One Week grace period for late submission. Projects will not be accepted after the grace period and will receive a score of zero.
  2. Exam(s) (25%)
  3. Research Paper/Presentation (25%)
Policy on Academic Honesty: (Taken from Dr. Weeks Website). Students may work alone on assignments or in groups, but only within this section of the course. Students working in groups must turn in one assignment for the group and must state on that assignment the names of all the students in the group who contributed to that assignment; the grade for the assignment will be divided among the students in the group. For example, if 3 students in this section worked on an assignment that receives a grade of 18 (out of 25), then each of the three students will receive a a grade of 6 (out of 25). Students who turn in similar assignments without indicating that they collaborated, either within this section or outside of this section, will be assigned a grade of 0. Determination of collaboration will be made by the instructor. Students must work individually on quizzes and exams without any assistance from persons or things. Any student found to be cheating on an examination will receive a score of 0 for that exam. It is the student's responsibility to protect work from copying. No outside help is permitted. If a book or paper is used, it must be referenced and not copied. Plagiarized work is determined solely by the professor and is graded solely at the professor's discretion.

Last Date for Withdrawal Sunday, March 1, 2009.

Attendance Daily attendance is strongly encouraged. Any student missing a lesson is responsible for all material assigned or covered in class during his or her absence.

Other Disruptive classroom behavior will not be tolerated. See the student catalog for more information.

Class participation is strongly encouraged, please ask questions, make comments.

Disclaimer This syllabus represents a general plan for the course and deviations from this plan may be necessary during the duration of the course.