Course Management System

Contents

What Is CMS?

CMS is the Course Management System, a web-based software system designed by Cornell faculty and undergraduates for managing the administration of large courses.  We will use CMS to submit assignments, download assignments, view grades and comments, and submit regrades for assignments.  General CMS help and documentation can be found at http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Projects/CMS/userdocs/.

How Do I Access CMS?

Click on http://cms2.csuglab.cornell.edu/ to login.  You will see a link for CS211. If you do not see a link for CS211, do not panic!  You might not be entered into CMS yet.  Registering for a course does not automatically enter you into CMS.  We enter student information from the most recent CS211 classlists we receive from the registrar, but occasionally for one reason or another students are missed because the registrar has not given us an updated list.  If this applies to you, please contact the course administrator as soon as possible to get entered into the system.

How Do I Submit Homework?

Read all the instructions below before attempting the submission:

1. Are you following the homework policies specified in the Course Info and the Code of Academic Integrity?
2. Review the submission format requirements below.  You may lose many points for not following these specifications!
3. Ensure that you are submitting the correct files.  Submit exactly the files that are asked for, no more and no fewer.  Clear your workspace, create a new folder, insert all files, inspect them, compile them, and run them. In the past, students have lost credit for accidentally submitting an older version of their work.  Don't let this happen to you!  Never under any circumstances make a change, even a trivial one, then submit files without recompiling and testing.  You would be surprised at how many times students have been burned by this.
4. Go to the CMS website http://cms2.csuglab.cornell.edu/ .
5. Log on using your Cornell NetID and password.  If you use Bear Access, you can avoid this step.  Students who do bizarre or illegal things with local networks may be denied access. If your home access fails, use a public lab.
6. Select CS211 under Courses.
7. If you are not working with a partner:
• Click on the submit button to upload (submit) the file(s).
• For each requested file, click Browse... to locate your file.  It does not matter if your file name is different from the requested file name. During upload, your file name will be converted to our requested file name.
• Click upload.
8. If you work with a partner:
• Click the groups button to register your group before submitting files.
• Enter your partner's NetID.
• Click Invite.
• Now your partner must login to CMS and accept your invitation.
• Either partner can submit the files as described in the instructions for a single person above.

You can find detailed instructions by clicking Help (near top right corner of screen) in CMS.

Format Requirements

Where, When, and How to Submit

• We will accept homework properly submitted through CMS only.
• We will not accept any unofficial excuse for not submitting work on time on CMS.  For cases of illness, death, and other serious matters, consult the Course Info page for policies.
• Consequently, you must gauge your time appropriately. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your work! If necessary, you can re-upload any files during the submission period. The latest file will be graded. Don't wait until the deadline when traffic is congested and slows to a crawl.

Group Submission

• Both partners must be credited on all submitted files (see below).
• Register a (different) group for each homework.
• Group registration must take place before file submission.
• If you work with a partner, you must submit your project as a group.
• To register your group, one partner logs on to CMS and invites the partner by typing the other partner's netID. The other partner confirms the group anytime after the invitation has been made. This means you can form your group even if you are never physically in the same lab at the same time.

File Size

• Each requested file has a size limit that is much bigger than a typical, correct file.
• If CMS reports that your file is too big, the usual reason is that you submitted a file in an incorrect format.
• Once CMS accepts an uploaded file, it will display the time of upload and the size of the uploaded file. The file size is one way for you to check that you submitted the file that you intended to submit.

What Files to Include

• You must include all programs and solution write-ups. This means that you include every file with a .java extension along with other work we might have assigned.
• You must submit code that compiles, even if you have trouble getting it to run properly. We will be recompiling all of your code and running it.
• All files must have an extension that relates to its contents. For example, Java=.java; MATLAB=.m; Text=.txt; PDF=.pdf; Zip=.zip.
• For Java programs, do not include package declarations for non-API files/classes, like import cs1.Keyboard; and package cs1;.
• Do not include extraneous files: .class files, files that your IDE produces, or any other file that does not pertain to the assignment. You may include a readme.txt file, as explained below.
• You may include a brief readme.txt if there special features or issues about your code that you need to communicate to the grading staff.
• Filenames: Unless specified, write each Java class in a separate file. The name of the class must match the name of the file. If you are instructed to write multiple classes in the same file, only one class can be public (usually the Main Class, the class that contains main).
• When instructed to zip files together, you must use a format that WinZip will understand on Windows XP.

Java Compilers and IDEs

Although we occasionally advocate certain IDEs, like Dr. Java and Eclipse, your code must always be able to run at the command line with the required version of Java. Refer to Course Info's "Java Help & Software" link for information about the required version Java and how to use the command line.

Why? Various IDEs occasionally exhibit different behaviors, and yes, sometimes have bugs. Generally, you shouldn't have to worry. But once in awhile something does pop up. Be safe: check your code at the command line!

Commenting/Style/Discussion

• Style counts! Follow the good style conventions for code elements, layout, and commenting. For advice on Java style, investigate these resources:
• David Gries; alternative versions: [1] [2]
• Sun's Coding Convention
• an informed opinion (and links to others)
• another informed opinion
• Do not include extraneous text in your programs, like debugging statements and superfluous comments. Also, if you answer discussion questions inside a program, you must comment out the text, because we are running all of your code.
• Do not use "fancy" formatting in discussion questions. Use ASCII text format (see this link to learn about writing resumes, too).  If you absolutely must format your discussion answers, print your work to PostScript or PDF.
• Place a comment block at the top of each file that you have created. The block must give the assignment number, due date, and the name(s), NetID(s), and CUID(s) of the creator(s).  For example,
  
  

  /**********************************  * Assignment 0: Example format  * Date: 1/1/1111  *  * Tad Morose: tm0, 123456  * Slough Feg: sl0, 654321  **********************************/