CS5008 Learning Guide

An interactive, progressive learning platform for Northeastern's CS5008 course: Data Structures, Algorithms, and Their Applications within Computer Systems.

🌐 Live Demo

Visit the live site: cs5008.shehral.com

An interactive learning platform featuring 15 weekly modules, 2 foundational deep-dives, study tools, and a progressive unlock system to guide you from C fundamentals to building a complete compiler.

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✨ Features

• 📚 15-Week Curriculum – From C fundamentals to building a complete compiler
• 🧠 2 Foundation Deep Dives – Memory & Pointers, Data Structures modules
• 🔐 Two-Tier Unlock System – Student module passwords + TA-only implementation hints
• 📝 Interactive Quizzes – Self-check questions with immediate feedback
• 📊 Progress Tracking – Resume where you left off (saved locally)
• 🌙 Dark/Light Mode – OLED-optimized dark theme by default
• 🔍 Full-Text Search – Find topics instantly (Cmd/Ctrl + K)
• 🎴 Study Tools – Flashcards (73 cards), Quick Reference, Practice Problems (17+)
• 📹 Rich Media – Intro video, course infographic, comprehensive PDF guide

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🚀 Quick Start

View the Live Site

Simply visit: cs5008.shehral.com

Local Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/shehral/cs5008-guide.git
cd cs5008-guide

# Start local server
python3 -m http.server 8000
# Open http://localhost:8000

Note: Must use a local server (not file://) for password prompts to work properly.

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🛠️ Tech Stack

• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+), HTML5, CSS3
• Design: Custom design system with dark/light themes
• Hosting: GitHub Pages with custom domain (cs5008.shehral.com)
• Storage: LocalStorage for progress tracking & unlock state
• Deployment: GitHub Actions (auto-deploy on push to main)
• No build step: Pure static site, runs anywhere

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📁 Project Structure

cs5008-guide/
├── index.html                 # Landing page with video/PDF + module grid
├── LICENSE
├── README.md
├── CNAME
│
├── assets/                    # All media and data files
│   ├── images/
│   │   └── course_infographic.png
│   ├── videos/
│   │   └── How_Code_Becomes_a_Program.mp4
│   ├── pdfs/
│   │   └── From_Abstraction_to_Architecture.pdf
│   └── data/
│       └── flashcards.csv
│
├── content/                   # 17 module pages (15 weeks + 2 foundations)
│   ├── week-01-overview.html
│   ├── week-02-intro-c.html
│   ├── week-03-cpu.html
│   ├── week-04-assembly.html
│   ├── week-05-lexer.html
│   ├── week-06-parser.html
│   ├── week-07-expressions.html
│   ├── week-08-variables.html
│   ├── week-09-functions.html
│   ├── week-10-builtins.html
│   ├── week-11-review.html
│   ├── week-12-control-flow.html
│   ├── week-13-types.html
│   ├── week-14-arrays.html
│   ├── week-15-advanced.html
│   ├── memory-pointers.html   # Foundation module
│   └── data-structures.html   # Foundation module
│
├── study-tools/               # Study aids and supplementary resources
│   ├── flashcards.html        # Flashcard study mode (73 cards)
│   ├── practice.html          # Practice problems (17+ problems)
│   └── reference.html         # Quick reference tables & diagrams
│
├── css/
│   └── styles.css             # Design system + theme + TA content styling
│
└── js/
    ├── modules-data.js        # Module definitions + passwords
    ├── unlock.js              # Two-tier unlock system
    ├── progress.js            # Progress tracking (localStorage)
    ├── search.js              # Full-text search
    ├── quiz.js                # Quiz component
    └── app.js                 # Main application logic

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🔐 Module Unlock Status

Note: These are demo/development passwords shown for reference. For production use in an actual course, update passwords in js/modules-data.js before each semester.

Week	Topic	Status	Demo Password
1	Course Overview	✅ Unlocked	—
2	C Basics	✅ Unlocked	—
-	Memory & Pointers	✅ Unlocked	—
-	Data Structures	✅ Unlocked	—
3	CPU Architecture	🔒 Locked	Week3
4	Assembly	✅ Unlocked	—
5	Lexer	🔒 Locked	Week5
6	Parser	✅ Unlocked	—
7	Expressions	🔒 Locked	Week7
8	Variables	✅ Unlocked	—
9	Functions	🔒 Locked	Week9
10	Builtins	✅ Unlocked	—
11	Midterm Review	🔒 Locked	Week11
12	Control Flow	✅ Unlocked	—
13	Types	🔒 Locked	Week13
14	Arrays	✅ Unlocked	—
15	Strings (EC)	🔒 Locked	Advanced

TA-Only Implementation Code Passwords

Use these codes in the "🔐 TA Code Access" section on the main page to unlock implementation hints:

Week	Content	TA Code
5	Lexer Implementation	Lexer2025
6	Parser Implementation	Parser2025
7	Expression Parsing	Stack2025
8	Symbol Table	Vars2025
9	Function Calls	Funcs2025
10	print_int Assembly	Builtin2025
12	Control Flow Codegen	Flow2025
13	Type Checker	Types2025
14	Array Codegen	Arrays2025
15	String Lexing	Strings2025

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🚀 Deployment

The site is automatically deployed to GitHub Pages via GitHub Actions on every push to main.

• Live URL: cs5008.shehral.com
• Custom Domain: Configured via CNAME record pointing to shehral.github.io
• HTTPS: Automatic SSL certificate from GitHub (auto-renews)
• Deploy Time: ~1-2 minutes per update

To deploy changes:

git add .
git commit -m "Description of changes"
git push

GitHub Actions will automatically build and deploy the site.

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🎨 Customization

Updating Passwords for Next Semester

Edit /js/modules-data.js:

// Module passwords (students)
{
  id: 'week-05',
  password: 'NewPassword2026',  // Change this
}

// TA passwords
const TA_PASSWORDS = {
  'Lexer2026': ['week-05-code'],  // Update year
  // ...
};

Updating Theme Colors

Edit /css/styles.css:

:root {
  --accent-purple: #7c3aed;  /* Primary accent */
  --accent-cyan: #06b6d4;    /* Secondary accent */
  --accent-green: #10b981;   /* Success/completed */
}

Adding New Content

1. Create a new HTML file in /content/ following the existing template structure
2. Add module entry to MODULES array in /js/modules-data.js
3. Update passwords if the module should be locked
4. Add TA-only content sections if implementation hints are needed
5. Commit and push – GitHub Actions deploys automatically

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes following the existing code style
4. Test locally with python3 -m http.server 8000
5. Commit with descriptive messages
6. Push and open a Pull Request

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📝 License

MIT License – Free to use and modify for educational purposes.

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🙏 Credits

Developed by Ali Shehral – MSCS Align Student, Northeastern University

With AI pair programming assistance from Claude (Anthropic) and Gemini (Google DeepMind)

Based on the course content by Dr. Lothar D Narins

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Fall 2025 Edition