Algorithm, part I (and soon, part II)

Introduction

• This repository of mine (Phan Hong Thuc), is to record my learning progress about algorithms, specifically, from the course Algorithm, part I and Algorithm, part II (soon, hope so) on Coursera.

• This repository is not meant to be a complete/perfect solution for the course (or for others to reference/consult), but rather a collection of my notes, code implementations, and exercises that I find useful during my learning journey.

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio Code with "Extension Pack for Java" installed
• JDK 8 or higher (with proper JAVA_HOME set in your system environment)
• Git (for cloning the repository)

Quick Start

1. Clone this repository here: git clone https://github.com/Thuk7749/coursera-algorithm.git
2. Open the project in Visual Studio Code code coursera-algorithm
3. Ensure Java extension recognizes the project structure
4. Try running a simple example: cd part-one/01_hello-world; .\run_local.bat (if you are using Windows PowerShell) or cd part-one/01_hello-world && run_local.bat (if you are using Windows Command Prompt).

Repository Structure

coursera-algorithm/
├── .vscode/
│   ├── launch.json*
│   └── settings.json
├── class*/
│   └── ...
├── part-one/
│   ├── run_all.bat
│   ├── 00_topic-template/
│   │   ├── test/
│   │   |   └── MainTemplateTest.java
|   |   ├── MainTemplate.java
|   |   ├── run_local.bat
│   ├── 01_hello-world/
|   |   ├── test/
│   │   |   └── HelloWorldTest.java
│   │   ├── HelloWorld.java
│   │   └── run_local.bat
│   └── ...
├── slides/
├── .gitignore
├── README.md

(The file/folder marked with * should be generated while working with Visual Studio Code, and be ignored by Git)

• The .vscode directory contains configuration files for Visual Studio Code, including launch.json for debugging configurations (you should create it yourself) and settings.json for Java project settings.

• The class directory is where the compiled .class files are stored (if you compile the .java files), used to be run with VS Code "Run | Debug" button or "Run and Debug" feature.

• The part-one directory contains the code for the first part of the course, organized into "topic folders" (e.g., 01_hello-world, 02_data-types, etc.). Each topic folder contains:

  • A test folder with test files (if applicable).
  • A .java file with the main code implementation.
  • A run_local.bat file to run the code easily.

• The slides directory contains the slides for the course.

Running the Code

• All the .java files here are in the default (unnamed) package (because the submit instructions on Coursera require this).

Method 1: VS Code Run Button (Simplest)

• Open any .java file with a main method
• Click the "Run" button above public static void main
• Limitation: Cannot pass command-line arguments easily

Method 2: VS Code Debug Configuration (Recommended for complex runs)

• Create/edit .vscode/launch.json with your specific configurations
• Use "Run and Debug" panel (Ctrl+Shift+D)
• Advantage: Full control over arguments and debugging

---

• Configuration example:

  {
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
      {
        "type": "java",
        "name": "Debug BCP Client",
        "request": "launch",
        "mainClass": "BCPClient",
        "projectName": "coursera-algorithm_4cc8b159", // Project name may vary
        "args": "part-one/06_mergesort/input8.txt"
      }
    ]
  }

Method 3: Batch Scripts (Most Flexible)

Using run_all.bat:

cd part-one
run_all.bat
# Follow prompts to select folder and file

• First, you'll select the "topic folder", then pick the .java file you want to run.
• The script will compile and run your chosen .java file. You can enter command-line arguments if needed.
• If a test file exists in the test subfolder with the same name as your .java file plus Test (for example, HelloWorldTest.java for HelloWorld.java), you can ask the script to also run those test cases automatically.

Using run_local.bat:

cd part-one/01_hello-world
run_local.bat
# Runs files in current directory

• This method makes it easier to include file names as command-line arguments, since you don't need to type the full file path.

Extension guide

To add a new topic folder

• Create a new folder in the part-* directory.
• Add the folder to the Java classpath, by add the folder name to the settings.json file in the .vscode folder, under the java.project.sourcePaths property.

To add a .jar file to the project

• Just place the .jar file in the part-* directory, under the lib folder (e.g., part-one/lib/your-library.jar).

Example settings.json file

{
  "java.project.referencedLibraries": ["part-*/lib/*.jar"],
  "java.project.sourcePaths": [
    "part-one/00_topic-template",
    "part-one/00_topic-template/test", // The test folder should be listed here, too
    "part-one/01_hello-world",
    "part-one/01_hello-world/test",
    "part-one/02_union-find",
    "part-one/02_union-find/test",
    "part-one/03_algorithm-analysis",
    "part-one/03_algorithm-analysis/test",
    "part-one/04_stack-and-queue",
    "part-one/04_stack-and-queue/test",
    "part-one/05_elementary-sorts",
    "part-one/05_elementary-sorts/test",
    "part-one/06_mergesort",
    "part-one/06_mergesort/test"
  ],
  "java.project.outputPath": "class"
}