Computer Science

~ Mrs. Taricco

Computer science follows the AP Computer Science curriculum with learning the Java programming language. However, we also do many additional projects independent of the AP course which allows us to learn other programming languages such as HTML and CSS. In the end, we learn to write effective programs, develop new applications that benefit society, and design effective interfaces between the computer and humans. Scroll down to read about some projects and assignments I have completed through this course.

The Line Art Graphic

The Line Art Graphic uses Java Applet to create a picture for the program. The goal was to create a rectangle with many lines that look curved (on the last page of the PDF). All of the lines are straight lines, but the illusion of so many lines close together makes the lines look curved.

It would be tedious to draw each line individually, which is why I used iteration loops to draw the lines automatically. This program forced me to plan out the logic before coding. Especially with longer, more complex coding projects, I learned important coding problem-solving techniques.

Sieve of Eratosthenes

The Sieve of Eratosthenes is an algorithm for finding all prime numbers up to a specific limit. It does so by iteratively marking composite multiples of primes. Two methods were created, one that creates a static array of primes, and one that displays the primes in a four-digit format. Below is a simple simulation of the Java code. Enter a number and press the button to see the Sieve of Eratosthenes in action!

Problem and Target Audience

Major life transitions can be challenging for many groups of people such as young adults trying to live on their own, new immigrant families, and older adults trying to live independently. Current real estate websites only provide housing options based on minimal criteria such as location, budget, bedroom, and bathroom needs. However, no product effectively provides housing options based on other criteria such as proximity to public transportation, schools, shopping centers, and more.

Our Solution

The proposed application would be able to filter homes based on criteria that the user views as significant. The user would be able to select their desired zip code and whether specific places such as hospitals, or grocery stores are important to them. Additionally, a resource page would include multiple modules to teach first-time buyers important financial terms and definitions. This application hopes to increase financial literacy and increase confidence before purchasing a new home.

Initial Brainstorming

After analyzing the current market, it was clear that major real estate platforms lack advanced search filters that can help users not just learn about the house, but also the community of the house. Current products such as Zillow and Redfin provide up-to-date listings and access to real estate agents but do not provide information on the community of the house.

Additionally, many real estate websites lack robust decision-making tools to help users determine which home best meets their needs. We found that there is no feature on current real estate websites that allows users to create decision matrixes based on their most important criteria to decide which house to buy.

Minimum Viable Product

The proposed application attempts to increase personalization during the home-finding process. When developing Hackstreet, Palak, Matthew, and I made sure to keep our market analysis in mind when deciding vital features for our app. The application can display and filter homes based on criteria that the user defines as significant in buying a home. The user can select their desired zip code and distances to specific places such as hospitals, grocery stores, or other infrastructures that are important to them. The user can learn more information about each house such as nearest school ratings, walk score, public transportation availability, and more by selecting each house. Additionally, the web application includes a resource page that holds multiple modules to teach first-time buyers important financial terms and definitions. Buying a home is a significant financial undertaking, and users must be confident and informed before closing a deal. After favoriting multiple houses, the user can enter weights for each criterion, and the application will sort and provide a list of the objectively best houses for the user and their needs. Ultimately, this application hopes to increase financial literacy and buyer confidence before purchasing a new home.