COM1204 Object-Oriented Design - Summer 2003 -- List of Projects

Professor Futrelle

Information about how you'll choose your projects, do them and turn them in electronically is on this page.

Here is a list of projects, all drawn from "everyday life". Because we're all familiar with the project topics, that will remove some of the difficulties in understanding them. But don't be deceived. Things that seem very familiar and obvious can be quite difficult to deal with at the detailed level that program design and implementation demand. So the rule here, as it is in so many things is: Start Simply. Once you've figured out how to get started, stop and make it even simpler! The various items in the descriptions below are just suggestions. Your project should have some additional topics, but need not include all that I mention. If you have your own idea for a topic not on this list, check with me about using it.

Project #1. Corn

This is the example I mentioned in class. Corn has aspects of a plant and a food. The plant has an age, so giving it a time interval will cause it to grow or die, depending on its age. You can do things to corn, pick, eat, etc.

Project #2. Taxi driver

Lots of obvious opportunities here. The driver deals with passengers, his taxi, money, etc.

Project #3. Box to be shipped

You can put things in a box, address it, have it picked up or take it to an office (Fedex, UPS, etc.). It can be put in a truck or plane, taken somewhere, delivered, etc. You have to pay for the service and maybe even for the box.

Project #4. Magazine or newspaper

Magazines and other publications are written, printed, distributed, sold, read and recycled.

Project #5. DJ

You students know a lot more about DJs than I do. So design away!

Project #6. Movie

Two basic views of a movie are the making of it and its content (plot and characters and actors).

Project #7. Detective

Detectives go places and gather information and create reports about interesting things. Private and police detectives operate somewhat differently. Consider a real detective or a fictional one.

Project #8. Automobile

At the detailed level, they're complex mechanical devices. At a coarser level people put things in them, get in and drive places. They can also be cleaned, repaired and even damaged.

Project #9. Toaster oven

Toaster ovens are designed, manufactured, shipped, sold and used. You need to pick a small subset of this large set of possibilities.

Project #10. Creating a meal

Creating a birthday cake with decorations or preparing a full meal is a substantial undertaking. This has to be more than buying something and microwaving it!

Project #11. A trip

Requires planning, possibly getting tickets, preparing, going, stopping en route. Varies a lot depending on whether you're hiking, driving, going by air, etc.

Project #12. Creating a computer program

This is an odd topic, since you'll be using computer programs to model the design, creation, testing and use of a program. You have to control the level of detail. You might think in terms of the tasks of an IDE.

Project #13. Summer camp

Could be done from the point of view of the attendee or the people managing or working for the camp.

Project #14. Snowboarding or skiing

If you're ultra-cool, it might just mean wearing the right clothes and sitting by the fire or in the bar the whole time. But normally it involves equipment, slopes, runs, keeping warm, getting injured (hopefully not). You could alternatively model the management aspects of a ski resort.

Project #15. Shopping

Grocery shopping can involve lists, availability (on the shelf or not?), filling the cart, paying, unpacking, etc. Shopping for a pet or an apartment or whatever, all possibilities.

Project #16. Salesperson

A salesperson can work at the counter, in the aisles, in the field, wherever. Their goods can be coffee or shirts or hardware or cars or houses or insurance or services such as painting or car repair. They have goods or services to keep track of, customers, transactions, etc.

Project #17. Building things

Building things, like recipes, requires planning, getting components and materials, the building process, etc. You could build anything from a model monster to a deck for a house to our new Building H.

Project #18. Emotions

This is primarily non-physical. There are various emotions and they can be triggered by external events. There is memory so that the mention of events brings forth an emotion. There can be underlying causes, e.g., affective disorders. A person can express emotions by facial expressions, body language, statements.

Project #19. Talking

Two people talking exchange comments about one or more topics.

Project #20. Newsworthy event

There are countless newsworthy events, from the discovery of new drugs to international incidents, to concerts, you name it.

Project #21. Musical group

Groups have members, rehearsals, performances, tours, etc.

Project #22. Animal

Animals, from gnats to whales, have structure and activities. They have predators and prey. (For mosquitoes it's us, for herbivores such as a rabbit or cow, the "prey" is plants.) Animals also reproduce and have young that they may or may not take care of.

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