alphonso

My thesis is in 2 years time, so I've got time to spare, but I don't wanna slack off by not doing anything, so this summer I plan to: a) Master HTML, b) master C++ and c) Learn about Flash MX 2004. Can anyone suggest a good thesis topic that I can work on using any or all of these programs mentioned above? Or should I learn more programs?

DaWei

Yeah, right.

__________________
Abstraction doesn't make it impossible to write bad code; it makes it possible to write superior code.
Contributor's Corner: Grumpy on C++ Exceptions DaWei on Pointers

nnxion

ROFLMAO. Well at least he's funny. :p

BTW: The c was from a list like 'a' 'b' and 'c', not the C programming language.

@OP: I suggest your thesis project will be about things you have learned, or where you see there could be improvement in whatever you have been busy with the last couple of years. Solve some deficit in your thesis, that will help you to an interesting thesis and help others by fixing/describing whatever deficit you solved.

__________________
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."
-- Socrates

Booooze

Try doing HTML now. It's incredibly easy (like seriously... it is). Then start c++ in the summer. Or, if you have time, start c++ now, that is if you have time to really sit down and do it. Flash can be easy and very fun if you can draw (that's my opinion :p) ... I can't draw (that's a fact). But for someone who is truly interested in it, it wouldn't take too long to get decent with it. But if you want to do actionscript with flash, it would be easy if you knew the basics of c++ (loops, conditional statements etc.). As for a final project, I can't think of anything. You could create a cool program, then make a flash/html website to promote and download it :p (but I've never done a thesis project for comp sci before, so I wouldn't know what the requirments are.)

peace_of_mind

You won't be mastering C++ and C this summer, or most likely by the next couple of summers. "Mastery" is an overused term and probably not really what you meant to begin with...

My suggestion is to acheive as much of these goals as you can acheive this summer and see what projects/topics interest you. You know once you really get into it there will be things you want to try and/or explore. Just dive in and see what direction your interests take.

__________________
Amateurs built the ark
Professionals built the Titanic

jaeusm

Your thesis should dictate the tools you use, not vice versa. Also, you can use C++ for nearly anything.

As for mastering C++ in a summer, there's no chance of that happening -- unless, by "mastering", you meant "learn the syntax".

alphonso

Glad to see people think I'm funny. Anyways, as for mastering c++, I meant to say completing this book I have. It provides tips and tricks in c language, then lets you move on to c++ and c# "painlessly", according to the author, but I know you can't master a language by reading one book about it. I have a manual on HTML, so I can finish that manual in no time this summer. I have yet to buy a good book about flash. I can't draw well using pen and paper, but maybe on mouse and screen I can...hopefully then I can say I have some artistic side.

Anyway, back to the thesis. My friend who did well on his thesis made a decrypting/encrypting program, because he said the username-password method can easily be cracked. At first I didn't believe him but when he said he faired well with the adjudicators, I thought I can make my own programs like that. That's where I was really motivated with my course, knowing that encrypting/decrypting programs can be done by a single student.

nnxion

You can read a *lebenty jillion books about it and still not master it, even the people that wrote those books, and designed the language don't claim they master the language.


* Copyrighted by DaWei.
Yes writing encrypting/decrypting programs is possible by one person. Almost everything can be done by one person, it just takes them longer or the product will be less complete. What you want to do is search for problems you can solve and/or describe. Like jaeusm said "Your thesis should dictate the tools you use, not vice versa."

__________________
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."
-- Socrates