Computer Science 15-110, Fall 2010
Homework 11-13 (Term Project)
Due: Wed 1-Dec-2010 at 10pm (no late submissions accepted)

This project is optionally collaborative with at most one other student who must also be currently enrolled in 15-110.  Collaborative teams must be declared (via an online poll sent to the course mailing list) no later than Tue 9-Nov at 10pm.

Also:  you may use any materials whatsoever, including source code, designs, images, text, sounds, or anything else, from any sources you may discover.  You just need to very clearly cite each such use, so it is very clear what is yours and what is not, and in the latter case where the materials came from.  And while you may include external materials, you will be graded solely on your original contributions.

Also:  submit your project as a single zip file via Autolab.

Term Project

Your task is to design and implement a program of your choosing.  You must program in Python unless your chosen task essentially requires another language for some compelling reason (in this case you must also obtain instructor permission to pursue such a non-Python project).  It may be graphical, text-based, or even file-based.  It may be a game, or a math or science application, or a baseball statistics package, or a productivity application (think Word or Excel, only very "lite" versions), or a shell script, or anything else you choose.  This is a wide open assignment, and you are expected to be creative in your approach to it.

Also:  you may use any materials, including any Python libraries (like VPython for 3d graphics, or PyGame for richer 2d game support, or PyMedia for multimedia, or NumPy and SciPy for scientific computing, etc, etc, etc).  You should understand that using such materials requires that you train yourself on their use (presumably through online materials).  CA's and instructors will try to assist as we can, but you should expect less direct support if you use libraries that we did not cover in class..

In fact, you may use anything (any code, any graphics, any sounds, anything at all) so long as you very clearly cite precisely where it came from and, if possible, who created it.  You will only be graded on the portions of your project that you created entirely on your own, but you are welcome to use other materials as appropriate.  Again, just be certain to make it abundantly clear what is yours and what is not.

Note:  you may reuse code you have previously written for this course or otherwise, but you must cite yourself in this case and such code will not count towards your project grade (it is the same as using code from any other source).  All your code for this project must be original code written by you explicitly for this project.

You have three weeks with no other assignments to finish this assignment.  You are expected to invest at least 15 total hours into this project in this time, and it is further expected that your project will clearly reflect the quantity and quality of design and craftsmanship that goes along with that much time on this task.  Naturally, some of you will exceed the 15-hour bar, but this is a minimum expectation for passing the term project.

What to submit

1. The Project Zip File
   Submit a single zip file named termProject.zip containing all the files described below.  If you are working on a team, the student whose andrewId comes first alphabetically should submit the team's zip file.  The other student should submit a zip file that contains exactly one text file, partner.txt, which includes the name and andrewId of your partner who submitted your entire project.
    
2. Project Source Files and Support Files
   Include all your project's .py files, along with all other files (.jpg, .midi, etc) that are required to build and run your project.
    
3. Project Readme File
   Also, include a file named readme.txt that explains at a high level what your project is and how it should be installed and run.  If you use any 3rd party libraries, be sure to either include the library in your submission (preferred), or if this is impossible, to include very clear instructions on where and how to download and install the library.
    
4. Design Documents
   In your top-level project directory, include a directory named "design", and in that directory place all your design documents.  At a minimum, this must include a paragraph or two describing the problem you are solving and the general approach your code takes to solve it.  After reading this, another programmer (or a CA!) should be able to make sense out of the module or modules you designed and the most important functions they contain.  Also, you should discuss your user interface (assuming you have one, as most of you will), explaining not just what your program looks like but why it does so.  For example, many of you started your projects by studying similar programs on the web -- you should list those here and explain what was good and bad about those programs and how they influenced your design.  You should also include any other supporting design documents you might have, such as storyboards or any other materials you made in the course of designing your project.
    
5. A timesheet
   In your top-level project directory, include a file named "timesheet.txt".  In this file, keep track of the time you spend on the project.  There is no specific time requirement, and more time will not necessarily equate to a higher grade.  Again, though, it is expected that you should invest at least 15 hours to obtain a satisfactory grade.

How will you be graded?

1. Well-Chosen Problem [10 pts]
   Projects should show a level of sophistication in keeping with your hard-won programming prowess.  They should be neither too simplistic nor too complex.  They should also be interesting, though we will take a broad view of this.
    
2. Design [15 pts]
   Your design should include well-chosen functions, data structures, and algorithms, explained in a clear design document as noted above.
    
3. Robust Operational Program [25 pts]
   Your program should work.  It should load and run with no exceptions.  It should not crash or hang, even in the face of undesired input.
    
4. User Interface [25 pts]
   To the extent that it is appropriate for your particular project, you should have a polished user interface.
     
5. Style [0 pts]
   Your code should abide by all the style guidelines we have discussed in this course.  It should also include complete (but concise) test functions where appropriate!  However, we will not assign points this semester based on style, even though we strongly encourage you to use good style throughout your code.
     
6. Effort [25 pts]
   Once again:  you are expected to invest at least 15 hours into this project, and it is further expected that your project will clearly reflect the quantity and quality of design and craftsmanship that goes along with that much time on this task.
    
7. Bonus [0 to 10+ pts]
   For extraordinary work, we may award bonus points.   Please discuss more ambitious bonus attempts with the instructor prior to investing too much time into them!

Additional Grading Issues:

• Mentor CA
  Each of you will be assigned a "Mentor CA" for your term project.   While every staff member is happy to help you at any time, it is expected that your Mentor CA will provide extra guidance during the course of your term project.  Also, your Mentor CA will be grading your term project.  You are encouraged to discuss your grade with your Mentor CA during the course of the term project, so you know where you stand and what additional work may be required to improve your grade.
   
• Weekly Progress Reports
  At least once weekly during the course of the project, you must send a progress report to your Mentor CA.  It should be formatted along the lines of your final submission (that is, with a design document, timesheet, etc), though it can be only partly completed.  These will be factored into your effort grade, as noted above.
  
  
• Double Credit
  As it is, this assignment is worth multiple hw's.  However, if you invest over 20 hours into the assignment, then the assignment weight will be doubled again, but only if this actually helps your grade (that is, only if your term project score exceeds your previous homework average).  You do not have to sign up for this option -- it will be automatically computed for anyone for which it applies.
   
• Receiving Your Grade
• Mentor Grade
  During the period after the term project due date up to the following Sunday night, each of you should meet with your Mentor CA for 15 minutes to present your term project and discuss your grade.  Collaborative teams should have a single such meeting.  Sign-ups for these time slots will be handled by email by each Mentor CA.  Note that 15 minutes is not much time, and we'll really need to stick to the schedule, so you should show up at least 5 minutes early, and you should bring your own computer and have your project running and ready for your presentation prior to meeting your Mentor CA!  Expect to spend no more than 5 minutes presenting, discussing your overall design and any clever features that you have created, leaving adequate time for your Mentor CA to ask questions!  Also, if you do not sign up for in-person grading, or you miss your reservation, then your project will be graded by your mentor CA without your presentation, and you will receive your numeric grade via email.  The mentor grade is for hw11-12, according to the rubric above, and will be the same for both members of a collaborative team.
  
  
• Instructor Grade
  In addition to meeting with your mentor CA, each student should meet with their instructor for an additional 10-minute meeting similar to the one described above.  As instructors need to meet with up to 200+ students, these meetings will occur during the period after the mentor grading sessions up to the course final exam.  You will have a few minutes to quickly present your project, but the focus of this meeting will be on your knowledge of your own submitted materials.  This, along with your mentor CA's input, will be the basis of your hw13 grade.  If you do not sign up for and attend in-person grading with your instructor, you will receive a 0 on hw13 regardless of your hw11-12 score.

This is meant to be educational but also good fun.  Enjoy (and work hard)!!!

Carpe diem!