Off-campus ETSU users: To download "Campus Only" theses, please use the following link to log in to our proxy server with your ETSU username and password.

Non-ETSU users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis through interlibrary loan.

Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Computer and Information Science

Date of Award

8-2001

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Phillip E. Pfeiffer IV

Committee Members

M. Gene Bailey, Martin L. Barrett

Abstract

The coding of network applications requires a mastery of communication APIs. One important set of communication APIs, socket APIs, are commonly used for coding C++ network applications. Socket APIs, unfortunately, are difficult to master, due to their procedural nature and inherent complexity. PISCES (Platform Independent Socket ClassES), is a C++ socket library that provides a simplified cross-platform interface to BSD-style socket APIs.

This thesis analyzes the use of the PISCES library as a teaching tool. The PISCES library was refactored, then used as a basis for a series of introductory undergraduate assignments on network programming. Survey results show that the PISCES-based assignments were effective for introducing novice programmers to socket programming. The comparison of PISCES's series of assignments with those of NetCp and Toll's proposals, provide the inherent simplicity and safety involved in using PISCES's series assignments.

Document Type

Thesis - restricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Share

COinS