Homework Submission and Grading Policies

Submission

Generally you will be required to submit homeworks by uploading them to Tamarin. However, I may occasionally ask you to submit an assignment by email instead.

Uploading: You will submit most assignments by uploading your .java source code to Tamarin, the automated grader for this course.

Tamarin requires that your filename have the following format: [your UH username, with the first letter capitalized] + [A##, where ## is the two-digit assignment number] + [.java]. Thus, if I were going to submit Assignment 2, my filename would need to be ZtomaszeA02.java (Occasionally, you might submit other types of files--such as .txt--instead of .java.)

Tamarin also requires a password, which you should have sent to me as part of Assignment 0a.

If for some reason the entire Tamarin site is down or inaccessible, email me your assignment instead (following the rules below for emailing) and I will upload the file for you when things are working again. On the other hand, if you just get an error message while uploading, read the message. If it's complaining about something you can't fix, then email me the error along with your assignment. Tamarin error codes in the 400s are (usually) due to things you can fix on your end--incorrect file names, mistyped passwords, etc.

Emailing: Email your homework to ztomasze@hawaii.edu. Send me the source code only (not the compiled .class files). Attach the .java files to the email. I prefer that you do not zip them.

In the subject line of the email, be sure to list the assignment number. Your subject line should look something like this: Assignment 2.

Optional added protections: send from your hawaii.edu account, also paste the code into the body of the email, and CC yourself to be sure the message goes through the system correctly.

Late Policy

Homeworks are due by 12:00pm (noon), uhunix time, on the date due (usually Tuesday).

You may submit a homework up to 48 hours after the due date for partial credit. Late assignment scores will be reduced by 1 point. (Note that, since most assignments are worth about 5 points, you will get less than a B on most late work. While this is better than a 0, don't make a habit of being late.)

Resubmission: You may resubmit an uploaded homework until the final cut-off date (2 days after it is due). However, each resubmission will incur a cumulative -0.2 point penalty.

Emergency points: You start the semester with 1 emergency point. You can earn additional emergency points by coming to lab. I will randomly take attendance, granting 0.5 points each time you are present. At the end of the semester, each unspent emergency point will give you +1 point extra credit.

You may spend an emergency point to submit an assignment after its final cut-off date, up until the final exam for your section. This happens automatically: just submit your assignment and it will be marked as very late. As soon as you have a whole emergency point available, I will deduct it for you and record the late grade. (Note that, while Tamarin will take very late submissions, it will not take very late resubmissions.)

Emergency points are meant to grant you some flexibility during the term for unexpected events, such as computer trouble, illness, family issues, hangover, etc. Use them wisely!

Questions

You should do your best to debug your own code. However, if you're still stuck after half an hour of working on it, you can email me about it. Include the error message or other output you are getting, as well as the source code containing the bug.

So that I do not mistake your email for a submission, please put the word "question" or "help" in the subject line so I'll be sure to read it right away.

Development Platform

The official version of Java for this course (ie, the one used by Tamarin to do the grading) is currently 1.5.0_16.

You may use the IDE of your choice when writing your code. I will show you how to use Notepad and the command line to begin with; later in the term, we may cover other options.

No Collaboration

Unless stated otherwise, you are expected to write your own code for each assignment. See Examples of Cheating for more information.

If you plagiarize code from the web or another student, you will receive an F for the course. If you collaborate too closely, you will be warned and forced to split the grade for that assignment. A second collaboration offense will result in an F for the course.

Lab Attendance

Regular lab attendance is expected, and I will assume that you have seen the material I present in lab. Attendance also earns you emergency points/extra credit (see above).