Homework Submission Requirements

This document outlines the rules you should follow when submitting a homework assignment for grading. These rules will simplify the grader's job by standardizing the form and appearance of submissions. Any of these rules can be overridden by a particular assignment but, if the assignment doesn't say otherwise, follow each of them.

When you are asked to submit a set of files, you must submit them in two forms: electronically and hard copy.

• electronically:
  • Log in to the Computer Science electronic submission system using your CNS username and password.

  • Select CS I and the desired assignment.

  • Follow the instructions given to upload the required files and, if allowed for that assignment, any optional files.

• hard copy:

  • Print a hard copy of each file.

    Your print-out should fit on standard 8-1/2"x11" paper printed upright, with no line wrap.

    If you would like to save paper, you may print your files "2-up".

  • Assemble them in the order specified by the assignment.

    Yes, the order of the files matters.

  • Staple them.

    Paper clips, folded corners, and nothing at all are not acceptable.

  • Bring the hardcopy to your next class period.

    Electronic submissions will generally be due early on the morning of a class day. Unless told otherwise, you must submit your hardcopy at the beginning of our next class meeting.

Document each new text file and Java source code file with a header block that includes the file's name, your name, the name of the file's original creator (if not you), the date of last modification, and a comment that describes the file's contents.

Here's an example:

    //
    // FILE:     grayscale-experiment.txt
    // AUTHOR:   Eugene Wallingford
    // DATE:     09/05/06
    // COMMENT:  Descriptions of my experiments trying to find the
    //           most faithful grayscale version of the famed
    //           Eugene-on-the-Wheaties-box image.
    //

Your block need not look exactly like this, but it should contain the same information.

If you are modifying an existing Java source file, say from the text, that already has a header block, add to that block the same information about your changes as listed for new files. For example:

/**
 * A class that represents a picture.  This class inherits from 
 * SimplePicture and allows the student to add functionality to
 * the Picture class.  
 * 
 * Copyright Georgia Institute of Technology 2004-2005
 * @author Barbara Ericson ericson@cc.gatech.edu
 *
 * AUTHOR:   Eugene Wallingford
 * DATE:     09/05/06
 * COMMENT:  Added a method to draw a 2-pixel border at the outside
 *           of the image.
 */

I do not require you to follow a lot of specific style rules, but I do ask you to follow several basic guidelines to improve the readability of your code.

• Indent your code to indicate that one expression is subsidiary to another. This is essential when programming in any language, including Java. You may use Dr. Java's standard indentation of two characters per nesting, or use a standard of your own choosing.
  • You can apply the Dr. Java indentation standard to any set of lines using the Indent Lines option on the Edit menu.
  • Indent consistently. Adopt some convention that you like, and stick with them.

• Use names that say what they name. For example, numScores is a better name than n, and numberOfScores is better yet.
  • Java identifiers are case-sensitive, so your names can use embedded capital letters to indicate new words.
  • By convention, we use single-letter variable names within our programs in only one context: as index variables for arrays, especially when writing loops.
  • We also sometimes use single-letter variable names in our interactions, as trivial identifiers for objects we are experimenting with. But these names should rarely, if ever, survive into our programs.