CPSC 231: Assignment 3 (Problem decomposition using functions)

Computer Science I for majors by James Tam

CPSC 231: Assignment 3

Due at 4 PM. For assignment due dates see the main schedule on the course webpage.

New Concepts to be applied for the assignment

Decomposing a problem into functions (includes concepts such as parameters, return values, local variables/scope)

Description:

Implement the functionality for the previous assignment using functions. One way of decomposing your program is to implement the process of instructions for a room as a function or functions. Because there are six rooms that will mean that your program will consist of at least 7 functions (1 per room plus a starting function). You may be able to subdivide your program using an alternate approach to writing 1 function per room but your program must follow good design principles for using functions.

This program includes everything needed for the program to perform the actions specified in the previous assignment (e.g. display menus, get user input, verify user input etc.) but adds three additional rooms. While the player can still play the first part of this program (the A2 code can still be interacted with) your solution must set the two locks in a state such that the inner door is unlocked (silver lock = right, gold lock = left). This will speed up your testing and the TA marking.

All instructions must be enclosed within the body of a function. The exceptions could include: import statements (not really needed for this assignment), the creation of global constants and the call to the initial start or main function. You will be penalized heavily if functions are not used or improperly used. A solution for the previous assignment will be posted in one of the [display cases] on the 7th floor of ICT (right in front the three elevators) after the A2 due date if you didn't fully complete the assignment. It's recommended that you don't take the entire solution and just include it in your program. Instead you should just use the solution to help you understand how to produce your own solution. You can find sample outputs of my solution to this assignment under: /home/231/assignments/assignment3/outputs

Part I:

Your first part of this program is identical to the previous assignment except your solution will be implemented into separate functions. Once the player passes through the locked door into Part II there is no way to return the original three rooms in Part I

Part II:

Living room contents: a pot of soil, stairs going up, a dark entranceway, a ball of a string

Viewing the pot of soil: 1) Default state when viewed, it looks dry 2) After it's been fertilized by the mouse (from the bedroom), when the player views the pot again a vine will grow that takes the player to paradise (game won and the program ends).

Stairs going up: takes the player to the attic.

Dark entranceway: takes the player into the bedroom.

Ball of string: the player can pick up this object. There is only one ball of string, once it has been picked up the string should not appear again in this room.

Attic contents: a tiny hole in the floor, an unlimited supply of cheese, stairs going down.

Hole: 1) player can pick up some cheese and try to drop it down the hole, the game indicates that the cheese is too big 2) If the player has the string then a new option is provided to drop the string down the hole. When this occurs the string should be removed from the player's inventory (the string doesn't reappear anywhere in the game, nor does the option to drop the string down the hole appear in this room).

Cheese: player can pick some up, the supply is unlimited so repeatedly picking up the cheese won't diminish the supply (or change the room description). However the game should track that the player is carrying cheese (this will allow the player to feed the mouse the cheese in the bedroom).

Stairs going down: takes the player back down to the living room.

Bedroom contents: a tomcat which is intently watching a mouse hole (default), mouse (after the cat leaves).

Tomcat: when the player isn't carrying the string no interaction is displayed. When the player is carrying the string then there is a option to play with the cat using the string whereby the cat looks briefly at the player and then goes back to watching the mouse hole (the motion isn't enough to distract the cat).

Mouse: after the player drops the string down the hole from the attic the large motion distracts the cat sufficiently enough to leave the room. The mouse then comes out of it's hole. Only if the player is carrying some cheese will the game display an option to feed the cheese to the mouse. When this occurs the mouse will leave the room and fertilize the pot of soil. (The vine will grow and the player will only win the game when the soil is viewed again from the living room). After fertilizing the soil the mouse will return to the room so there is the possibility of the player repeatedly feeding the mouse. If the player hasn't picked up any cheese (or if the last piece of cheese was already fed to the mouse) then the room description should show that the mouse is in the room but there is no option to interact with it.

Dark entranceway: takes the player into the living room.

As was the case with the previous assignment each room will provide a description of the contents, display a menu of options (which varies depending upon the actions of the player), get and error check the player's selection as long as the player remains in the room. (In the case of the bedroom the menu may stop displaying after the player has won the game).

In addition to grading on whether the above functionality was correctly implemented TAs will also look at style and documentation.

Documentation (synopsis from the intro to programming notes)

Contact information (name and student ID)
Header documentation: summarize functionality of program
Documentation for each function: list the program functionality implemented in the function (in this assignment it's the room features). Also each function should specify the type and number of arguments as well as the return type or types for the function. (In the case of a tuple describe the type of each element of the tuple e.g. (int, string, Boolean). Also any program preconditions (or assumptions about the arguments) should be documented (e.g. integer arguments are greater than zero, string arguments never consist of empty strings).
Program limitations (if applicable)

Style (synopsis from the intro to programming notes)

Good naming conventions
The use of named constants as appropriate
Clear expressions (mathematical, Boolean)
Appropriate use of whitespace (not too much or too little)
Of course if a student implements an extreme case of inefficient code (e.g. multiple loops or branches are used when one will do) then penalties may be applied but this is generally rare
Functions are one screen in length (normal screen resolution say ~30 lines max of code, excludes whitespace and documentation)
Functions implement one well defined task (e.g. processLivingRoomCommands() vs. processlivingRoomRunIntroductionRunConclusion())
Code in one function is not duplicated in another function (not in the notes but this is just common sense that you don't write two functions where there's overlapping code - the overlap should likely be take out of both functions and moved to another separate function). In this assignment there may appear to be some overlap (e.g. each room displays a menu of options but the specific options displayed will not be identical).
No global variables (unless you have a compelling reason that you have justified to the course instructor).
As mentioned your program should consist of at least 7 functions including the starting function.

Principles of good design for functions (most of it is a synopsis from the decomposition notes)

Functions are one screen in length (normal screen resolution say ~30 lines max)
Functions implement one well defined task (e.g. processLivingRoomCommands() vs. processlivingRoomRunIntroductionRunConclusion())
Code in one function is not duplicated in another function (not in the notes but this is just common sense that you don't write two functions where there's overlapping code - the overlap should likely be take out of both functions and moved to another separate function). In this assignment there may appear to be some overlap (e.g. each room displays a menu of options but the specific options displayed will not be identical).
No global variables (unless you have a compelling reason that you have justified to a course instructor).
As mentioned your program should consist of at least 7 functions including the starting function.

D2L configuration:

Multiple submissions are possible for each assignment (may not apply for all assignments but I have the same configuration to be consistent(: You can and should submit many times before the due date. However, this means that TAs will only mark the latest versions of each file submitted via D2L. Even if the version of a document that you want marked has been uploaded into D2L if it isn't the latest version then you will only get marks for the latest version. (It's unfair to have the TAs check versions or to remark assignments simply because you didn't check that the latest version was the correct one).
Important! Multiple files can be submitted for each assignment. I am allowing you to submit multiple files for each assignment so don't archive/compress multiple files using a utility such as zip otherwise your work may not be graded.

Marking

Assignments will be marked by your tutorial instructor (the "Teaching Assistant" or "TA"). When you have questions about marking this is the first person that you should be directing your questions towards. If you still have question after you have talked to your TA, then you can talk to your course (lecture) instructor.
As well as being marked on whether "your program works" for full assignments you will also be marked on non-functional requirements such as style and documentation (this is not the case with mini-assignments). This assignment will include a separate [marking checklist] so you can tell ahead of time how marks will allocated. As well you can see how marks were and were not awarded after marking is done. Besides seeing your grade point in D2L you can also see the detailed feedback that your TA will enter for each student. You can access the grading sheet in D2L under Assessments->Dropbox and then clicking on the appropriate assignment link. If you still cannot find the grading sheet then here is a [help link]

Points to keep in mind:

Due time: All assignments are due at 4 PM on the due dates listed on the course web page. Late assignments or components of assignments will not be accepted for marking without approval for an extension beforehand. Alternate submission mechanisms (non exhaustive list of examples: email, uploads to cloud-based systems such as Google drive, time-stamps, TA memories) cannot be used as alternatives if you have forgotten to submit work or otherwise have not properly submitted into D2L. Only files submitted into D2L by the due date is what will be marked, everything else will be awarded no credit.
Extensions may be granted for reasonable cases by the course instructor with the receipt of the appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note). Typical examples of reasonable cases for an extension include: illness or a death in the family. Example cases where extensions will not be granted include situations that are typical of student life: having multiple due dates, work commitments etc. Tutorial instructors (TA's) will not be able to provide extension on their own and must receive permission from the course instructor first.
Method of submission: You are to submit your assignment using D2L [help link]. Make sure that you [check the contents of your submitted files] (e.g., is the file okay or was it corrupted, is it the correct version etc.). It's your responsibility to do this! (Make sure that you submit your assignment with enough time before it comes due for you to do a check).
Identifying information: All assignments should include contact information (full name, student ID number and tutorial section) at the very top of your program in the class where the 'main()' method resides (starting execution point). (Note other documentation is also required for most assignments). Not necessary graded for mini-assignments but still a good idea to do this.
Collaboration: Assignments must reflect individual work; group work is not allowed in this class nor can you copy the work of others. For more detailed information as to what constitutes academic misconduct (i.e., cheating) for this course please read the following [link].
Execution: programs must run on the computer science network running Python 3.x. If you write you code in the lab and work remotely using a remote login program such as Putty or SSH then you should be okay (assuming you don't login to a non-Linux computer). If you choose to install Python on your own computer then it is your responsibility to ensure that your program will run properly here. If it's not running in the lab computers using Python 3.x then it won't be awarded credit. It's not recommended that you use an IDE for writing your programs but if you use one then make sure that you submit your program in the form of text ".py" file or files.
Use of pre-created Python libraries: unless otherwise told you are to write the code yourself and not use any pre-created functions. For this assignment the usual acceptable functions include: print(), input() and the 'conversion' functions such as int(), float(), str(). Look at the particular assignment description for a list of other classes that you are allowed to use and still get credit in an assignment submission.