Final Project
The climax of this course is its final project. The final project is your opportunity to take your knowledge of programming out for a spin and develop your very own piece of software. So long as your project draws upon this course's lessons, the nature of your project is entirely up to you, albeit subject to the staff's approval. You may implement your project in any language(s) as long as the staff approve. You are welcome to utilize infrastructure other than cs50.net, provided the staff ultimately has access to any hardware and software that your project requires.
All that we ask is that you build something of interest to you, that you make something useful, that you solve an actual problem, or, best yet, that you somehow impact campus. Strive to create something that outlives this course.
This semester will conclude with the first-ever "CS 50 Fair," a campus-wide exhibition of final projects.
For inspiration, check out the course's gallery. Also peruse the Crimson articles below, just a few of the ways in which software has impacted campus and the world beyond over the years.
Student Helps Design Programs For Space Shuttle Computers. "While most students use computers to play 'dungeons' or to finish Nat Sci 110 projects, Winthrop House's Mike A. Halem '81 used them to help launch the space shuttle Columbia."
Sophomore Designs Computer Project. "Cambridge school children may soon add computer programming to their repertoire of reading, writing, and arithmetic, because of the efforts of Philip N. Klein '84. Klein, an Applied Mathematics concentrator and Leverett House resident, is designing a computer curriculum for local schools that uses a special programming language developed for children."
Eliot House Seniors Prepare Software for Small Campaigns. "Frank McNamara Jr. '69 did not come close to unseating House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. (D-Mass.) in November's congressional elections, but two Harvard undergraduates are hoping that a computer innovation they developed for the abortive campaign will have a much brighter future. McNamara's Campus Coordinator Dan A. Frahm '83 and his partner Jon L. Mosle '83 have designed a computer program called CAMPAIGN which may revolutionize small campaigns by allowing candidates to keep more accurate staff records."
High Tech Hits the Football Field. "The next time you're unable to log into the computer system you could be making a sacrifice for the University. Instead of the computer running your final project, it might be running a Dartmouth or Yale tailback or fullback through the one, two or three hole, analyzing each play in an effort to give Harvard's gridders the edge each fall Saturday."
First-Years Will Vote Via Internet. "For the first time ever, first-year students will be able to vote via the Internet in next week's Undergraduate Council general elections. Electronic voting is gradually being phased in to help increase voter turnout and the speed and accuracy with which votes are counted, according to Eric M. Silberstein '98, a member of the council's election commission."
Student Creates Harvard 'Net Chat Line. "Harvard may not have a 24-hour student center, but Daniel M. Hoffer '98 has created a virtual one—The CrimSim CHATeau. The graphical chat server enables users at Harvard to have live Internet Chat sessions from their computers."
Webcrawler Wins HSA Entrepreneurial Contest. "Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) last night awarded Michael W. Itagaki '97 the $5,000 grand prize in the First Annual HSA Let's Grow Entrepreneurial Contest. . . . According to Itagaki, Ereap is a Webcrawler designed to 'help businesses decrease the amount of unsolicited email they send,' Itagaki said. 'Email could be a powerful marketing tool if it's used responsibly.'"
Shuttleboy to the rescue. "The computer sciences concentrator . . . who did not even begin programming until he took Computer Sciences 50, 'Introduction to Computer Science I' during his sophomore year, says the inspiration for Shuttleboy came from a friend wrote a short program a few years ago that displayed the Quad shuttle schedule."
Harvard Computer Society Launches Free On-line Matchmaking Program. "Just in time for Valentine's Day, students will now be able to find their dream date on-line. Members of the Harvard Computer Society (HCS) launched a seasonal run of Datamatch, a computerized matchmaker program, yesterday afternoon."
Sexy Shuttlegirl Aids Quadlings. "Thanks to the efforts of a pair of Pforzheimer House roommates, Quad dwellers now have one less reason not to go to class in the morning. ShuttleGirl, an Internet-based computer program that parses Harvard's shuttle schedule, went online Sunday night."
Hundreds Register for New Facebook Website. "When Mark E. Zuckerberg '06 grew impatient with the creation of an official universal Harvard facebook, he decided to take matters into his own hands. After about a week of coding, Zuckerberg launched thefacebook.com last Wednesday afternoon. The website combines elements of a standard House face book with extensive profile features that allow students to search for others in their courses, social organizations and Houses."
Grads Create File Sharing Program. "Just one week after its deployment, nearly 127 million computer users have downloaded a new file-sharing program developed by three Harvard alumni while they were undergraduates."
Hundreds Flock to Download Wirehog. "Wirehog, a new breed of file-sharing program spawned by the creator of thefacebook.com, made its official debut on the Harvard and Stanford campuses yesterday with hundreds of students signing up to use the service."
Your Newest Buddy: Shuttleboybot. "In addition to chatting with friends and checking away messages, students can now find shuttle times by instant messaging the screenname 'shuttleboybot.'"
HUDS Menus Now More Accessible. "Are you interested in knowing what the dining halls will be serving tomorrow—but too lazy to check page 4 of this newspaper or the Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) web site? An anonymous user of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) has come to the rescue."
For Logic Problem, A Technical Solution. "When Harvard students are confronted with a problem, they go above and beyond to solve it—even if it's just a game. Several students have recently been struggling with sudoku number puzzles, so senior Inna I. Zakharevich '06 wrote a computer program that solves them instead."
Houses Compete in Bid For 'Risk' Supremacy. "Currier armies attacked Cabot territory, while Eliot conquered part of neighboring Kirkland as open warfare broke out among Harvard College's 12 residential Houses in a quest for campus-wide supremacy. Such inter-House belligerence began yesterday during the first round of online Risk, a Harvard adaptation of the board game of world domination."
Sophomore Designs Computer Project. "Cambridge school children may soon add computer programming to their repertoire of reading, writing, and arithmetic, because of the efforts of Philip N. Klein '84. Klein, an Applied Mathematics concentrator and Leverett House resident, is designing a computer curriculum for local schools that uses a special programming language developed for children."
Eliot House Seniors Prepare Software for Small Campaigns. "Frank McNamara Jr. '69 did not come close to unseating House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. (D-Mass.) in November's congressional elections, but two Harvard undergraduates are hoping that a computer innovation they developed for the abortive campaign will have a much brighter future. McNamara's Campus Coordinator Dan A. Frahm '83 and his partner Jon L. Mosle '83 have designed a computer program called CAMPAIGN which may revolutionize small campaigns by allowing candidates to keep more accurate staff records."
High Tech Hits the Football Field. "The next time you're unable to log into the computer system you could be making a sacrifice for the University. Instead of the computer running your final project, it might be running a Dartmouth or Yale tailback or fullback through the one, two or three hole, analyzing each play in an effort to give Harvard's gridders the edge each fall Saturday."
First-Years Will Vote Via Internet. "For the first time ever, first-year students will be able to vote via the Internet in next week's Undergraduate Council general elections. Electronic voting is gradually being phased in to help increase voter turnout and the speed and accuracy with which votes are counted, according to Eric M. Silberstein '98, a member of the council's election commission."
Student Creates Harvard 'Net Chat Line. "Harvard may not have a 24-hour student center, but Daniel M. Hoffer '98 has created a virtual one—The CrimSim CHATeau. The graphical chat server enables users at Harvard to have live Internet Chat sessions from their computers."
Webcrawler Wins HSA Entrepreneurial Contest. "Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) last night awarded Michael W. Itagaki '97 the $5,000 grand prize in the First Annual HSA Let's Grow Entrepreneurial Contest. . . . According to Itagaki, Ereap is a Webcrawler designed to 'help businesses decrease the amount of unsolicited email they send,' Itagaki said. 'Email could be a powerful marketing tool if it's used responsibly.'"
Shuttleboy to the rescue. "The computer sciences concentrator . . . who did not even begin programming until he took Computer Sciences 50, 'Introduction to Computer Science I' during his sophomore year, says the inspiration for Shuttleboy came from a friend wrote a short program a few years ago that displayed the Quad shuttle schedule."
Harvard Computer Society Launches Free On-line Matchmaking Program. "Just in time for Valentine's Day, students will now be able to find their dream date on-line. Members of the Harvard Computer Society (HCS) launched a seasonal run of Datamatch, a computerized matchmaker program, yesterday afternoon."
Sexy Shuttlegirl Aids Quadlings. "Thanks to the efforts of a pair of Pforzheimer House roommates, Quad dwellers now have one less reason not to go to class in the morning. ShuttleGirl, an Internet-based computer program that parses Harvard's shuttle schedule, went online Sunday night."
Hundreds Register for New Facebook Website. "When Mark E. Zuckerberg '06 grew impatient with the creation of an official universal Harvard facebook, he decided to take matters into his own hands. After about a week of coding, Zuckerberg launched thefacebook.com last Wednesday afternoon. The website combines elements of a standard House face book with extensive profile features that allow students to search for others in their courses, social organizations and Houses."
Grads Create File Sharing Program. "Just one week after its deployment, nearly 127 million computer users have downloaded a new file-sharing program developed by three Harvard alumni while they were undergraduates."
Hundreds Flock to Download Wirehog. "Wirehog, a new breed of file-sharing program spawned by the creator of thefacebook.com, made its official debut on the Harvard and Stanford campuses yesterday with hundreds of students signing up to use the service."
Your Newest Buddy: Shuttleboybot. "In addition to chatting with friends and checking away messages, students can now find shuttle times by instant messaging the screenname 'shuttleboybot.'"
HUDS Menus Now More Accessible. "Are you interested in knowing what the dining halls will be serving tomorrow—but too lazy to check page 4 of this newspaper or the Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) web site? An anonymous user of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) has come to the rescue."
For Logic Problem, A Technical Solution. "When Harvard students are confronted with a problem, they go above and beyond to solve it—even if it's just a game. Several students have recently been struggling with sudoku number puzzles, so senior Inna I. Zakharevich '06 wrote a computer program that solves them instead."
Houses Compete in Bid For 'Risk' Supremacy. "Currier armies attacked Cabot territory, while Eliot conquered part of neighboring Kirkland as open warfare broke out among Harvard College's 12 residential Houses in a quest for campus-wide supremacy. Such inter-House belligerence began yesterday during the first round of online Risk, a Harvard adaptation of the board game of world domination."
