Introduction and tip for programming

This assignment will be more challenging than the other workbook exercise. Partly it's because the first exercise was simply to show you exactly what you need to do create and run a working VBA program, partly because this exercise is give you some actual practice writing a program that requires more than just following a bunch of steps or looking up the answer in the notes. In that way it's similar to the full assignment coming up you must think through your solution, albeit the solution for this exercise is far less complex, but it will help you prepare for writing the larger and more complex program needed for the next assignment. And it will provide you with a more realistic idea of what programming is like than the first exercise. Actual programmers don't just follow a sequence of prescribed steps or "look up an answer somewhere" when creating a computer program. Instead it requires that they understand basic programming concepts (e.g. getting user input, displaying output, using variables, branching etc.) and figuring out how to apply those concepts with the program that they must create. In a way it's analogous to creative writing. You first learn the grammar of the language. Next you study the elements associated with good writing style. Then you must determine how to apply what you have learned in order to tell a good story well - there isn't an exact sequence of steps you can apply for every situation nor can you simply lookup parts of your story someplace. Also, similar to creative writing, one gets better by 'doing'.

In the case of programming the doing means writing programs (from scratch) on your own. Examples of practice problems include: the ones listed in the course workbook, example problems covered in tutorial and lecture, suggested problems that may be described in lecture. If you have time then you can even try writing the example problems from lecture and tutorial on your own. Don't just look at the final solution! You will get more out of this process if you write a program from scratch. That program should implements the same features as the example we covered. You should do this without looking at the solution because that's just copying an answer. However you can look at the course notes and other examples to remind you of how things work in VBA.

Description

Here is a [starting document] to ensure that you at least start with the type of Word document that can contain a macro. (It doesn't contain any VBA instructions). The document is provided so you start with a Word document that can contain a macro (docm), whether or not you use it is entirely up to you. If you are unsure of what is required in the creation of a VBA program then you should refer the extra notes that you should have been taking while I covered the material to the first set of VBA lecture notes.

Below is one important reminder image of how you should save your macros (in this case the name of the Word document to contain the VBA macro is called "starting document" but your program (and the Word document that contains it) must be called "exercise4VBA").

Because your macros will be included in the document, when it comes time to submit your work you can just upload the macro-enabled document. Double check that your VBA macro really is in the Word document that you upload! It is up to you to do the check, don't rely on us to do it for you.  If you want to be extra safe (and I highly recommend that you do this) you can copy paste your VBA program into a regular Word document and submit that extra Word document as well the macro-enabled document. Alternatively you can just copy-paste your VBA program from the Visual Basic editor into the exercise4VBA Word document.

It  would be a good idea to check your submission by downloading what you uploaded into D2L and actually open that document, ideally on a different computer that the one you used to write your VBA program (to help ensure that you aren't looking at a local file on the first computer which you used to write the program). As was the case with the assignments do not use other compression utilities (such as zip), otherwise your submission may not be marked.

Requirements for this exercise

Similar to the assignment everyone starts out with a grade point of zero for this exercise. As you implement the features listed below your grade will increase.

Write a VBA program called "exercise4VBA". Again: that should also be the name of your Word document as well.

To help you test your program there are 4 Word documents. Download these to folder that contains the VBA program that you are creating for this exercise. In addition to testing your program with these documents you should test your solution with test cases in other Word documents that you have made yourself to check any other cases that you might think are relevant.

• 'case1A_has_typo_zero_shapes' (at least one spelling mistake and no inline shapes)
•  'case1B_has_typo_3_shapes' (at least one spelling mistake and multiple inline shapes)
• 'case2_no_typos_1_shape' (no spelling mistakes and a single inline shape)
•  'case3_no_typos_3_shapes' (no spelling mistakes and multiple inline shapes)

You don't need to submit these 4 Word documents. The marker will have access to these documents to test your submission and may perform additional tests with other documents. But you should test your program on your own with these files because the program you need to submit will have to handle the required cases properly.

Program features and grading.

• The following two popup messages will always appear: This is regardless of the number of typographical mistakes and inline shapes that reside in the document. The  counts will carried out via the 'ActiveDocument' object.
  • The program will count and display using a MsgBox (0.5 GPA) the number of typo graphical errors. The message must take the form <"Num typos: "> <Actual # typographical mistakes>.
  • 
  • Count and display using a MsgBox the number of 'InlineShapes' which is (0.5 GPA) in the document. The message must take the form <"Num inline shapes: "> <# of inline shapes>.
  • 
• To make an open Word document active you can click on it.
  • For instance, in order to test your program with the document for Case 1A you would open the document 'case1A_has_typo_zero_shapes' (or click on the window containing document if it is already open). Then without clicking on any other Word documents (not even the one containing your VBA program) you would go into the VB editor and run your program. Because the last Word document that you clicked on was case1A_has_typo_zero_shapes then that is the Word document where the count of spelling mistakes and number of inline images would be performed. [Video showing how to make the Case 1A document the active one] Notice in the video how I don't run the program by clicking on the Word document containing the VBA program but instead I click on the play icon in the Visual basic editor. If I ran the program by clicking on the VBA macro enabled document then the macro enabled document would be the active one and not the desired file 'case1A_has_typo_zero_shapes'.
• Required cases: The content of the popups will vary depending upon the number of typographical mistakes and the inline shapes in the test document.
  • After getting the counts the program will display one of 3 MsgBox popups depending upon the following conditions. You need to use IF structures in order to ensure that the correct message appears under the correct condition.
    • Condition 1 (1.0 GPA): The currently active Word document has one or more spelling mistakes (as counted by your VBA program) the popup message will take the form <"Num typos: "> <Actual # typographical mistakes> <", Num inline shapes: not counted">. As you can see the number of inline shapes will have no bearing on whether or not this popup appear i.e. the number of inline shapes is irrelevant if there any typographical errors in the document.
    • 
    • Condition 2 (1.0 GPA): The currently active Word document has no spelling mistakes (as counted by your VBA program) and there are less than 3 inline shapes the popup message will take the form <"Num typos: "> <Actual # typographical mistakes> <", Num inline shapes: too low">. 
    • 
    • Condition 3 (1.0 GPA): The currently active Word document has no spelling mistakes (as counted by your VBA program) and there are at least 3 inline shapes the popup message will take the form <"Num typos: "> <# typographical mistakes> <", Num inline shapes: "> <# of inline shapes>. 
    • 

  • In terms of the output of the message box for the 3 conditions: the part between the quotes is what literally appears in the popup, the part that is italicized and not quoted will be a number that varies depending upon the number of spelling mistakes or the number of inline shapes in the document. You will only get credit for the above 3 popups if the messages appear under the correct conditions (described under each of the 3 conditions).

Documentation requirements

Although you won't be graded on documentation for exercises it still would be a good idea to include it so you don't miss it in the assignment. What's needed for assignments include: your full name as provided to the university (make sure it matches, don't include 'nicknames'), student identification number, tutorial number. Also you should clearly specify what features of the assignment that you completed or didn't complete. In order to get credit the documentation has to be clear and complete

Style requirements

Similar to documentation requirements you aren't graded for style for workbook exercises but it would be a good idea to still follow those requirements so you get in the habit of doing this.

1. Each level of code indenting is consistently 1 tab. Instructions in the sub-routine (between the 'sub' and 'end-sub' is 1 level, the body of IF or WHILE structures counts as another level of indenting. An IF within an IF or WHILE within a WHILE (or even  an IF within a WHILE or a WHILE within an IF) each count as another level.
2. Good naming conventions (e.g. variables, sub-routines, the name of Word document containing the VBA program and constants if applicable) are followed. Some examples of naming conventions are provided in [the VBA Part I notes].

Marking and grading

• Operating system specific issues: submissions must work on the machines a Windows computers. (For the remote learning semester since access to the lab computers is more challenging: the requirement is that your document works on any Windows computer). It's up to you to test and check this is the case. Non-functional submissions will receive only partial credit (if any at all). Although operating system issues are rare (non-existent?) if you implement your solution on another operating system it's a good idea to check your submission on a Windows computer. (See the administrative video lecture loaded into D2L for the week of Jan. 9 - 15 for suggestions as to how you can do this). Caution for Windows users: take care that you don't accidentally submit a shortcut to a file instead of the actual file. (Check the file name and compare the file size to your original file. Simply downloading the shortcut file as a test won't work because that shortcut will work on your computer but not on anyone else's machine).
• Late assignments or components of assignments: Extensions may be granted for reasonable cases by the course instructor with the receipt of the appropriate documentation (e.g., a statutory declaration with a commissioner of oaths). Location of the online form: [PDF file]. 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. The final cut off date after which full assignments will not be accepted is after the maximum progressive penalty (listed below) can be applied.
• Assignment extensions (must be requested before the assignment is due): may be granted for reasonable cases by the course instructor with the receipt of the appropriate documentation (e.g., a sworn declaration signed by a commissioner of oaths). 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, forgetting or mixing up due date etc. Tutorial instructors (TAs) will not be able to provide extension on their own and must receive permission from the course instructor first. If you request an extension from me let me know the name of your tutorial instructor and the tutorial number [link to : tutorial and TA information) because the markers won't accept late submissions without directly getting an email from me and I need to know who to contact. Also extensions need to be requested before the due date and not afterward.
• How you will be graded for assignments. Because most exercises are fairly simple a marking spreadsheet isn't required. Instead you can find your grade point in the D2L Dropbox and read any comments that the Teaching assistant may have entered.
• Questions or concerns about grades have been released: Assignments will be marked by your tutorial instructor (the "Teaching Assistant" or "TA") for your tutorial section (instructor information listed here as well). 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 but please indicate in your email that you first contacted your TA before going into your concerns.

Collaboration:

Assignments must reflect individual work; group work is not allowed in this class nor can you copy the work of others. Some "do nots" for your solution: don't publically post it, don't email it out, don't show it to other students, don't get help with your assignment from a tutor (if you have hired one).  For more detailed information as to what constitutes academic misconduct (i.e., cheating) for this course please read the following [link].

Submitting your work:

D2L configuration for this course

• Do not use compression utilities (such as zip) or archiving utilities (such as tar) otherwise your submission may not be marked. The space savings in D2L is not worth the extra time required by the marker to process each submission.
• How often can you submit: Multiple submissions are allowed for this assignment: You can (and really should) submit work as many times as you wish before the due date. Due dates are strict, only what is in D2L by the deadline is what will be marked. Other methods of verifying that your work was completed on time (e.g. checking timestamps, emailed files etc.) will NOT be accepted. However only the latest versions of each individual document are the ones that will be marked, everything else will be ignored (because it is not fair to your marker to sort through multiple versions of your files). In the case of A1 the marker will just look at the latest version of: Calgary and the merged letter that the marker can 'click through'.

Late submissions for assignments  when there is no extension granted: Make sure you give yourself enough time to complete the submission process so you don't get cut off by D2L's deadline (or your submission will be automatically flagged as late by D2L and it will be graded appropriately)..