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Back to Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: Nand to Tetris Part II (project-centered course)

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: Nand to Tetris Part II (project-centered course) by Hebrew University of Jerusalem

4.9
stars
501 ratings

About the Course

In this project-centered course you will build a modern software hierarchy, designed to enable the translation and execution of object-based, high-level languages on a bare-bone computer hardware platform. In particular, you will implement a virtual machine and a compiler for a simple, Java-like programming language, and you will develop a basic operating system that closes gaps between the high-level language and the underlying hardware platform. In the process, you will gain a deep, hands-on understanding of numerous topics in applied computer science, e.g. stack processing, parsing, code generation, and classical algorithms and data structures for memory management, vector graphics, input-output handling, and various other topics that lie at the very core of every modern computer system. This is a self-contained course: all the knowledge necessary to succeed in the course and build the various systems will be given as part of the learning experience. The only prerequisite is knowledge of programming at the level acquired in introduction to computer science courses. All the software tools and materials that are necessary to complete the course will be supplied freely after you enrol in the course. This course is accompanied by the textbook "The Elements of Computing Systems" (Nisan and Schocken, MIT Press). While not required for taking the course, the book provides a convenient coverage of all the course topics. The book is available in either hardcopy or ebook form, and MIT Press is offering a 30% discount off the cover price by using the discount code MNTT30 at https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/elements-computing-systems. The course consists of six modules, each comprising a series of video lectures, and a project. You will need about 2-3 hours to watch each module's lectures, and about 15 hours to complete each one of the six projects. The course can be completed in six weeks, but you are welcome to take it at your own pace. You can watch a TED talk about this course by Googling "nand2tetris TED talk". *About Project-Centered Courses: Project-centered courses are designed to help you complete a personally meaningful real-world project, with your instructor and a community of learners with similar goals providing guidance and suggestions along the way. By actively applying new concepts as you learn, you’ll master the course content more efficiently; you’ll also get a head start on using the skills you gain to make positive changes in your life and career. When you complete the course, you’ll have a finished project that you’ll be proud to use and share....

Top reviews

MS

Jan 14, 2018

This is by far one of the best online-courses I have completed. Thumbs up, it was well worth my time and it will definitely help me on my never-ending journey of becoming a better software developer.

RB

Sep 2, 2018

I'm a 13 year old 8th Grader from California. I loved this course and learned a lot! Thank you Mr.Schocken for putting together such a wonderful course! It was a thrill to finish the course finally!

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26 - 50 of 153 Reviews for Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: Nand to Tetris Part II (project-centered course)

By Maryan H

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Feb 11, 2021

What a great way to learn from ground up.

It's the only course I know that takes you on the journey from CPU binary instructions all the way to compiler and OS.

Massive.

By Ola M

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Oct 25, 2020

I do not know to be honest, but this course is definitely not for beginners. I liked the lecture also it took lot of time to understand , but the project was very difficult and I spent a lot of time in trying. I will complete another part of the course to be able to better define my opinion.

By Eric E

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Mar 25, 2021

The difficulty design of coursework is unreasonable, and the difficulty span is large, which is unacceptable

By Vaibhav S

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Jul 20, 2022

First of all, I want to thank Professor Noam Nissan and Professor Shimon Schocken for making such a brilliant course. There is a lot of effort put into making this course.

This is a very informative course for learning how a computer functions internally. It helped me as I am not from a computer science background, as it contains everything that one needs to know and prevented me from wandering on the internet.

For someone starting on this course, I have a few suggestions-

Before starting the course, please ensure you have a decent knowledge of any programming language. Even though the course is for beginners don't think you are going to complete it like other beginners courses. It will take a lot more effort. Also, prepare yourself to devote a lot of time to it. The last 3 assignments took me about 10 days each to complete apart from watching the videos.

And remember if you want to become a better developer this course will help a ton.

Finally, thank you again Professor Noam Nissan and professor Shimon Schocken for this outstanding course, I am waiting for Nand to Tetris part 3.

By Anders P

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May 19, 2020

From Nand to Tetris part II is an incredibly valuable learning experience giving you the knowledge of all software layers, starting with assembly code all the way to high level code - essential for any professional application developer. Be aware, the work load of part II, in relation to part I, is massive. In my own experience, you'll need three times the time you used to complete part I. My three main suggestions for improving this course are; firstly, to shorten the video lecture, as subjects are repeated somewhat throughout the individual videos, secondly, decrease the weekly projects' scope - they are too massive risking to loose the student along the way, thirdly, provide more information from a single source on how to complete projects - information is currently spread throughout video lectures making it difficult to synthesise, while the information provided is too ambiguous. Having said this, my initial recommendation holds - And I wish you a pleasant experience with it!

By silvercodeify

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Jan 5, 2022

My journey started with a game I bought a few months ago. In this game I had to construct some logic gates. I had no idea about these things and started searching the internet for information on the subject. First I landed on nandgames, an online logic gate creation game. And then I found this course. And this course is by far the best I have ever taken.

Building a computer from scratch with all the software and services, seeing all the beauty of the thoughts and ideas behind the machines and algorithms is a real eye opener. There is a lot of hard work to be done in this course, but at the end you have a very good idea of how computers work.

Many thanks to Simon and Noam for offering this course to anyone interested. Thank you for the expert presentation and all the tools and goodies you have created for Nand2Tetris. If there is a third part, I will get it immediately.

By Alejandro C

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Oct 31, 2022

This course is for the avid programmers that want to understand compilers and languages and how they interact with a computer (preumable the one you build in Part 1 of the course).

Projects on this course are more challenging and more time consuming, but also more rewarding as you can see first hand how your code is working together at all levels in the computer. You can write a program and then compile it to VM code with your compiler and then translating it to ASM code with your translator and then executing it in a computer you built.

At the end is facinating to understand how a very complicated network of NAND gates is doing all the work.

I enjoy this course very much and learn several topics along the way. It was fun!

By Fei G

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Oct 12, 2021

A remarkable journey! This course covers a great deal of content, but the projects are well-paced and organized so I never lost the momentum.

The videos are very good company of the book as they give additional information about how to implement the modules.

The official website is also useful: http://nand2tetris-questions-and-answers-forum.52.s1.nabble.com/

I was really amazed and inspired by the Cool Stuff on the nand2tetris website. It shows how a simple language can do great things. But I also feel ignoring operator precedence is the most pitiful thing. Maybe it facilitates the implementation but that makes writing buggy Jack programs a lot easier.

Thank you Noam and Shimon.

By Zachary M

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Oct 9, 2022

An absolute blast and an interesting and challenging experience. I would highly recommend this course to any programmer at any skill level. The entire course is eye opening and perspective changing in terms of one's methodological approach to object-oriented programming and modern computer architecture. 16 bit or 64 bit, the understanding of the underlying principles you gain from this course can be invaluable. Also, I grew to really love Shimon Schocken’s lectures and personality. This is one of those things I’m glad to have accomplished but find myself sad to be done with.

By Saad U

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Jul 3, 2023

One of the best learning experiences of my life. I am pleased to see people like Shimon and Noam working that hard for people like us. I am really humbled realizing that they are really the geniuses. Their intellect really shows up as we progress in the course and that really motivates me learn more and try hard.

For someone starting this course I have a few words to tell you: IT IS REALLY HARD but you will thank yourself and the instructors after completing this course.

By Hugo F F L

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Oct 4, 2022

While beginners might feel challenged by this course, it does invite one to excel their own understanding towards computers and it's intricate abstractions in an all and all, very comprehensible route. the Modularity found here (where each chapter brings a taste for what each level/area holds) makes up for a very unique and truly worthwhile journey. Any computer enthusiasts out there need this to understand the Black Box abstractions behind a computer.

By Christopher J L

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Feb 15, 2021

This is a fantastic course. It gives an in depth dive into computer science via an awesome case study - build your own computer! The pace is good for a user with intermediate experience with software. If you are a beginner with little experience, this course will be hard. The lecturers are very passionate and engaged and it makes for a wonderful learning experience. I would highly recommend doing both part 1 and part 2 of the Nand to Tetris course.

By victor312

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May 7, 2017

The grading interface could be better but the TA (Eytan) was highly responsive and patient, as well as informative. I think that the grading interface could be improved (output from the automatic grader), I'm not sure if this has been done already. But, this course is a real gem and definitely helps me understand the inner workings of computers, which is important for me as I come from a pure math background. Thank you!

By Daniel N

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Nov 12, 2020

This is by very very far the best (and most difficult) course I've ever taken- together with Nand to Tetris Part I. Part II requires much more effort and it took a long time for me but I cannot even begin to describe how fantastic of a journey it has been. It helped me in many different ways to become a better programmer. I'm very grateful for everyone who worked hard for this course to be available! Thanks so much!

By Steven G

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Jun 21, 2018

This is a brilliant and very challenging project oriented course. Even as a IT professional doing this course for fun the workload can be very demanding. Be prepared to work hard and for long hours to get through this course. But the tremendous feeling of accomplishment at the end makes it all worthwhile. I have not felt this way since my undergraduate days. Thank you for reigniting my passion.

By James T

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Jun 12, 2018

Absolutely phenomenal. One of the best and most instructive courses I've taken. This provided a much deeper understanding of computer internals than I'd previously had, and I'm shocked by how much ground was covered in this course. It took a lot of work, and while it is listed as 'beginner', I imagine it would be quite challenging to complete without having any experience programming.

By Vivek N

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Jul 7, 2017

By far the best MOOC I have taken - the focus on actual projects rather than simple quizzes keeps one continuously challenged.

The sense of accomplishment from building the entire stack of computing from ground up is really amazing.

The course instructors are great presenters and orators - there's no chance of getting bored - they bring great enthusiasm and passion into what they teach.

By Leonardo L R

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Sep 5, 2022

Along with Part I, this course fills all the knowledge gaps among the distinct computer science courses. It is a "must do" for everyone passionate with the inner workings of the computer and its systems. You can't believe the infra-structure behind the scenes that the authors invented (e.g. the Hack computer, the emulators, etc). It is a real gem. I can't wait for part III.

By Vinicius S

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Sep 1, 2021

This entire course honors what it claims. It has the ability to demystify computers and how they work. And that is great. The sense of accomplishment is enormous, a step forward for anyone studying in this field. It was a long, hard course, but it was worth it. I would like to thank Professors Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken and all the staff and fellow students. Thank you!

By Yechen H

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Apr 21, 2020

This is a great course to a great amount of knowledge about the compiler and programming language, and get some knowledge about the operating system.

I would definitely recommend to anyone in the tech area to take this course and wish I had the chance to take this course early in my career. It would have provided me with great knowledge and understanding.

By Akash Y

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May 31, 2020

Again a very good course. Even this course is a great one but I feel its not for beginners like Part1.Before opting for this course you should have a good knowledge of any programing language. Otherwise you will find it difficult to do some projects. But again the course shows you how the small pieces solve a big puzzle in efficient way.

By Xander L

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Mar 2, 2017

Absolutely superb. It's incredible how much ground is covered from start to finish, yet the design of the course, the languages and the computer itself are so elegantly conceived that the creators have achieved the seemingly impossible: to provide a deep understanding of every level of a modern computer system in 8 weeks. Thank you!

By clemera

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Jul 19, 2017

This course changed the way I think about programming and computers in many ways. Understanding and implementing the essential abstractions which make computers do their magic was one of the greatest learning experiences I ever had!

I'm thankful to the authors and they have all my respect for putting together such a great course!

By Sam S

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May 27, 2020

Excellent course. Very engaging projects and a big step up in difficulty / commitment from part 1. Anyone considering this course should likely have a basic knowledge of some programming language (Java, Python, whatever), as the compiler project will be a big challenge if you need to navigate a new language while completing it.

By Sijo X

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Jan 5, 2022

Best course aver done! the joy of building a general purpose computer from scratch. It was a tough journey for me but I enjoyed every bit of it. you will learn what happens inside the computer , how the compiler works. what role the OS do , and how we design a language. There is not better way to learn computer science.