Modula-2 projects for an operation-systems course: racing sorts and multiple windows

A Modula-2-based project series is presented. This three-project sequence is suitable for an undergraduate course in operating systems or systems programming, and embodies the three important principles of concurrent programming, algorithm animation, and code modification. Heavy use is made of the Modula-2 module; much of the code in the projects is given away to the students, who must then adapt it for the purpose. The project series requires the animation of several sort algorithms, which are invoked as independent tasks under Modula-2 and display their state in different screen windows. These projects do not require special hardware and can be run using a “dumb terminal” 24 x 80 screen.