IITM BS Modern Application Development II (BSCS2006): Syllabus and Tips

Modern Application Development II (BSCS2006), or MAD II, is a 4 credit diploma level course in the IITM BS in Data Science. It is part of the Diploma in Programming. You need Modern Application Development I (BSCS2003) completed before you can register. MAD II moves the frontend to JavaScript and Vue, and adds API design, login with tokens, background jobs, caching and performance.

The course page lists the same two instructors as MAD I: Thejesh G N, Software Consultant with the IITM BS Degree, and Prof. Nitin Chandrachoodan of the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras.

What you learn

• Weeks 1 to 3: JavaScript and the browser. Two weeks of JavaScript, from basics to advanced features, then an introduction to web frontends.
• Weeks 4 to 7: Vue. An introduction to VueJS, connecting Vue to APIs, advanced Vue, and advanced state management for larger apps.
• Weeks 8 to 10: the backend grows up. Authentication and how to design APIs well. Then jobs that run in the background, and how separate services talk to each other through messages and webhooks.
• Weeks 11 and 12: speed and the project. Performance, then a final week listed as "Project".

The course page lists the goals: build interactive frontends with Vue, connect them to backend APIs, follow good API and login design, run backend jobs in the background, add caching, and measure performance.

How it is assessed

The course page lists the standard pattern: 12 weeks of coursework, weekly online assignments, 2 in-person invigilated quizzes and 1 in-person invigilated end term exam. The graded app is a separate 2 credit course, the MAD II project (BSCS2006P), which has MAD II as its corequisite.

Where it counts

• Diploma in Programming. MAD II is one of its 6 theory courses. See the Diploma in Programming.
• Re-entry. The handbook lists MAD II and PDSA as the final exams for a student who exited with the Diploma in Programming and rejoins at the Diploma in Data Science level. See re-entry after exit.
• Electronic Systems students. The ES handbook lists MAD II (CS2006, 4 credits) as an open elective and as the third course of the ES Minor in Application Development.
• Degree level. The Application Development Lab (BSCS4010) needs the full Diploma in Programming.

Mismatch between sources. The DS course page lists MAD I as a prerequisite of MAD II. The ES handbook's table lists MAD I (CS2003) as a corequisite instead, with no prerequisite. DS students should follow the course page. ES students should confirm with support before planning both in one term.

Who finds it hard

MAD II can feel like a new course rather than a sequel. If you only wrote Python so far, JavaScript's way of handling events and waiting for data takes getting used to. Vue adds its own ideas: components, reactive data and shared state. Weeks 8 to 10 are hard to picture until you run them yourself, because background jobs and messages happen outside the page you are looking at.

How to prepare

1. Start JavaScript before the term. Variables, functions, arrays, objects and how the browser runs a script. Two weeks of course time is not much for a new language.
2. Reuse your MAD I backend. Put a small Vue page in front of an API you already built. Seeing your own data appear is the fastest way to understand weeks 4 and 5.
3. Draw the login flow. On paper, trace how a user logs in, gets a token, and sends it with each request. Mark where it is checked. Do this before week 8.
4. Run a background job end to end once. Trigger a slow task from the app, let it finish in the background, and show the result later. One working example makes the idea clear.
5. Measure before you speed up. In week 11, time a slow page first, then add caching, then time it again. Write both numbers down.

What to take before or after

Take Modern Application Development I (BSCS2003) first. Plan MAD II and its project together, since the project needs MAD II as a corequisite and the MAD I project as a prerequisite. For project scope and common mistakes across both apps, read MAD 1 and MAD 2 projects. At the degree level, the Application Development Lab (BSCS4010) is the next hands-on step.

Common questions

Can I take MAD I and MAD II in the same term?

Not as a DS student. The DS course page lists MAD I as a prerequisite, so it must be completed first. The ES handbook shows it as a corequisite, which is why ES students should confirm with support.

Do I need to learn Vue before the course?

No. Vue starts in week 4 and gets four weeks. Learning basic JavaScript early is more useful, because weeks 1 and 2 move quickly.

Is MAD II only about the frontend?

No. About half the weeks are on the frontend. The rest cover API design, authentication, background jobs, messaging, webhooks and performance.