CPSC 217: Mini-Assignment 4a

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

How to do determine 'how you did' on an assignment?

Program functionality (implementing working program features)

• Test your program: Because the assignment description (along with required features) is posted ahead of time if you test your program thoroughly before submitting the final version then you should get a pretty clear idea of "how you will do".

Non -functional assignment requirements (style and documentation).

You should still practice applying good style in your solution as well as writing documentation. Unlike the full assignments, for mini-assignments you will be just graded on program functionality for the mini-assignments.

• Naming conventions: You should employ good naming conventions for identifiers (variables and constants).
• Documentation: contact information (your name, student identification number and tutorial number). This should be specified in the header of the program (very top in the form of Python documentation). In addition your documentation should specify:
  • What does the program do.
  • What are it's limitations e.g. the program doesn't perform type checking (crashes when non-numeric information is entered)
  • The version number of the program (dates are acceptable)
• Named constants should be used as appropriate.
• The program code should have appropriate white space (specified in the "Intro to programming lecture") and alignment (specified throughout the lecture notes)
• Finally your program should follow the 5 rules of thumb for designing software (Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics) which were included at the notes on 'Repetition' e.g. prompts to the user to enter the required information should be clear to the user as to what is required, good error messages should be provided for erroneous input etc.

Marking and grading

• What to submit: Submitted programs must run on the computer science network (i.e. the computer rooms were your tutorials are conducted) running Python 3.x. If you choose to install Python on your own computer then it is your responsibility to ensure that your program will run properly on the computer science network. Options for doing this remotely were detailed in the [getting started as a computer science student help link]. It's up to you if you wish use the graphical program builder other than IDLE (or another development environment rather than a simple text editor) to write/run your programs but if you do you submit your program in the form of text ".py" file or files. 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 and your work won't be graded.).
• 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 (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 with 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 mini-assignments.  Similar to many mini-assignments the grading is simple and doesn't require a separate spreadsheet. Instead you can look in D2L  under Assessments->Dropbox and then clicking on the appropriate assignment link.
• Questions or concerns about grades after they have been released: Assignments will be marked by your tutorial instructor (the "Teaching Assistant" or "TA") for your tutorial section. 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.  For more detailed information as to what constitutes academic misconduct (i.e., cheating) for this course please read the following [link].

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). If don't check and there were problems with the submission then you should not expect that you can "learn your lesson" and simply resubmit.

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. However only the latest file submitted is the one 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).

Late submissions for full 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)..

General use of pre-created Python libraries:

Unless otherwise told you are to write the code yourself and not use any pre-created functions (or methods). For most assignments 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 functions/methods that you are allowed to use and still get credit in an assignment submission. If it's not listed then you should assume that you won't be able use the function and still be awarded credit.