Computer Science APEA 15-100, Summer 2009
Homework 17-20 (Term Project)
Due:  Fri 7-Aug-2009 at 4:30pm (email copy only)
(no late submissions accepted).
Bonus: +1 point if submitted by Fri 7-Aug-2009 at 9:00am

Read these instructions first!

• Be sure to include your name, your Andrew ID, and your section clearly on the top of each file in your assignment.
   
• Also:  be sure to include a timesheet (in a file named "timesheet") indicating total time spent on the main non-bonus part of your project, and separately indicating total time (if any) spent on the bonus part of your project.
   
• And:  be sure to include a list of all the features (in a file named "features") of your program, so we do not inadvertently skip some of them when grading!
   
• What to submit
  • Create a submission directory like this:  "koz-hw17-20"  (replace "koz" with your andrew id)
  • Place all the files you are submitting in that directory, zip that directory, and submit the zipped directory
     
• How to submit
  • Send an email with the zipped submission directory as an attachment to your CA by the submission deadline.  Do not miss the deadline, even by one minute!  Email problems are not a valid excuse for late submissions.
  • It is recommended that you "cc" yourself in that email, too, just to confirm that you properly sent the email.
     
• Note:
  • Improper submissions will be penalized up to 10 points and may be rejected.
  • Late submissions will be rejected.

Term Project
Design and implement a complete Java program of your choice (subject to approval).  The program need not be graphical (though most students seem to prefer that option).  The program may be an arcade game, but it may not be a continuation of your hw11 project.  Variety is the spice of life, so choose something different, something interesting, something fun!

Keep a timesheet recording the time you spend writing your program.  While there is no specific time requirement, it is expected that most students will require 10-15 hours to achieve an A or B on this project.
 

• Grading Criteria
  Term Projects will be graded on this basis:
  • 10%:  Problem choice
    Your problem should be interesting and achievable, yet reasonably challenging for a nearly-intermediate programmer such as yourself.  For full credit, your problem should be interesting enough that other people would be likely to actually use your completed program for some purpose (perhaps for recreation, perhaps as a tool in solving a problem, perhaps otherwise).  For example, if you are writing a paint program, then it would be most interesting if you included at least one compelling feature that is not found in typical free paint programs such as Microsoft Paint, as then there is a reason for real people to actually use your program even when they have ready access to professional-grade alternatives.
     
  • 25%:  Completeness
    You should solve your problem completely, in that your program should be entirely usable at least in some regard.  For example, if you were making a text adventure, it would be essential that there be a cohesive story line, with a way to win (and an interesting way, at that, with numerous steps requiring at least some problem-solving), and numerous ways to lose.  This is far more important than adding more and more verbs/actions, or more floral writing, or more and more clever responses to unlikely inputs.  All that may be interesting, but it is secondary to the critical task of writing a complete, cohesive product.  This is not to say that your program must be complete in all regards.  Given the tight time constraints of this term project, you will not be able to write a polished product.  But it must stand on its own nonetheless.
    
    Also:  your program must reflect the sort of effort that would typically require 10-15 hours from most students.  Programs that are "complete", but which do not reflect this amount of effort, will lose significant points in this category.
     
  • 25%:  Correctness
    Your program must compile, it must run, it must perform obvious and interesting tasks when it runs, it must solve the problem that you set out to solve, and it must do so without any obvious bugs.
     
  • 25%:  User Interface
    Your program should have a well-designed, visually-pleasing user interface.  Controls should be well-thought-out, intuitive, and easy-to-use.  Game flow should be smooth and enjoyable.  For full credit, there should be some kind of help screen available to explain the purpose of the game and nature of the keyboard and mouse controls.  If you are designing a program that does not have a user interface to which these rules apply, be sure to get an explicit waiver from the instructor for this section.
     
  • 14%:  Style
    Your program should be well-written, using top-down design, well-named variables, proper indenting, reasonable commenting, etc.
     
  • 1%:  Presentation
    Students will give a short (2-to-3-minute) presentation of their project to everyone else in the class on Friday.  Grading criteria on this portion will be minimal, and everyone is expected to receive the full 1/1 point so long as they actually do present their work, so do not fret about your presentation.  Have fun with it!  Also, when viewing other presentations, students are encouraged to offer constructive suggestions or ideas.

  Note:  projects that are substantially incomplete, or that do not compile, or that do not run, or that run but do not perform any obvious and interesting tasks, will not receive a grade higher than 50/100 (though an even lower grade may be given, depending on how incomplete the project is) regardless of the previous computation. 
   

• Bonus
  Once the basic criteria listed above are satisfied, students may be awarded bonus for their additional efforts.  There are two ways to obtain such bonus:
   
  • Informal bonus:  here, bonus will be awarded to projects that are especially clever, attractive, interesting, fun, compelling, or otherwise bonus-worthy (whatever we take that to mean).  In general, students may receive up to 10 points of bonus in this manner.  These points are largely reserved for genuinely exceptional work.
     
  • Formal bonus:  students may also explicitly submit bonus project requests.  To do so, the non-bonus portion of the project must be largely or entirely completed.  In fact, it is preferred that students actually submit their projects and have them preliminarily graded before commencing a formal bonus project.  The point is that students should not work on bonus projects unless and until they are done with their non-bonus projects.  At that point, subject to instructor approval, students may undertake interesting extensions of their projects, or even entirely new projects.  There is no 10-point cap on these projects, with actual points determined on a case-by-case basis.
    Note:  formal bonus requests must be submitted no later than the start of the final exam -- Thursday at 9am -- and preferably sooner!

Carpe diem!