This lab is not closely related to The Most Complex Machine , and it does not use any applets. Covers the basics of the xTurtle programming language, including loops, if statements, variables, and built-in turtle graphics commands. Investigates how preconditions and postconditions can be used to help develop working programs that perform complex tasks. Also introduces the idea of subroutines. Continues with subroutines in general and recursive subroutines in particular.
Recursion is used to produce nifty pictures.
Sorting and the Analysis of Algorithms . Uses the xSortLab applet to investigate several different algorithms for sorting lists of numbers. Shows how multiprocessing can be used to divide a large problem into several subtasks that can be executed in parallel. Some examples of communication between parallel processes are also given. Shows how hierarchical, geometric models are used in computer graphics.