CSE 333 Systems Programming

Systems Programming is the exploration of the composition and interface of systems in computing looking through the lens of operating systems, networking, and C/C++ languages. Through peeling levels of abstraction, students will view practices of low-level data representation (e.g. C, C++); explicit memory management; interacting with operating-system services; and cache-aware programming.

• CSE351 (The Hardware/Software Interface): CSE 351 provides students with rudimentary knowledge of C programming; the ability to write, run, and debug programs; familiarity with Linux and the use of Linux compilation, editing, and debugging tools; a solid mental model of the relationship between high-level code (C) and assembly-level compiled code.
• CSE 143 (Intro Programming II): CSE 143 is not a direct prerequisite (CSE 351 prerequisite), but some of its topics are beneficial to review for CSE 333. This includes classes, inheritance, good style practices, and simple data structures such as linked lists, trees, hash tables, and queues. Further knowledge of Java and these data structures is not required, but could be helpful!

Course Learning objectives are the goals that are set out for you to accomplish in this course:

• Understand system theory of how a system interacts with its environment and controlling its input and output (feedback loops, input and output, deterioration, computation)
• Unravel layers of abstraction found within systems
• Describe multiple systems throughout the computing space (e.g. HTTP, Operating Systems, Threading, and Makefiles)
• Interpret and build an efficient workflow for programming in larger sized code bases
• Debug substantial C/C++ programs using debugging tools (GDB and Valgrind)

Textbooks

There are no strictly required texts for this course. Most people will find it useful to have both a C and a C++ reference; suggestions are given below. The C++ Primer is strongly recommended as C++ is a big, complex language and it is hard to understand how it all fits together from just Google and Stack Overflow snippets and folklore.

Strongly Recommended:

C++ Primer (5th Edition), Lippman, Lajoie & Moo. ISBN 0-321-71411-3.

Suggested:

• C Programming Language (2nd Edition), Kernighan & Ritchie. ISBN 0-13-110362-8.
  • The definitive book on C from the people who created it. You will want to use an online reference for information about the latest libraries, but every serious programmer should study this book.
• Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective (3rd Edition), Bryant & O'Hallaron, ISBN 0-13-409266-X.
  • Useful review of CSE 351 and background for many additional topics covered more extensively in CSE333.
• Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs (3rd Edition), Scott Meyers. ISBN 0321334879.
• Effective Modern C++: 42 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of C++11 and C++14, Scott Meyers. ISBN 1491903996.

Proposed Topic List

• C Programming and idioms (Memory Management, cstdio, error handling, and structs)
• System Management Tools (Makefiles, Header Guards, GDB, and Valgrind)
• System Interfacing with Operating Systems (POSIX)
• C++ Programming and idioms (namespaces, templates, STL, smart pointers)
• C++ Classes and Inheritance (Classes, operator overloading, OOP)
• Network Programming and Protocols (POSIX, HTTP)
• Concurrency (pthreads)