Homework 1 (Song) FAQ

Q: What are some good resources I can look at to help me on this assignment?
A: The book chapter, lecture programs/slides, and section handout are always good places to look. In particular, you may want to look at the following examples:
  • Chapter 1 case study: DrawFigures
  • Lecture program Figures.java
  • Section handout 1, Problem 7 (StarFigures)
Q: Will my solution get 10 / 10 points? Is it written in the style you want? Are my methods okay? Will I get marked off for this method?
A: These are inappropriate questions. We call this "pre-grading." The TA won't look over your entire program for mistakes or tell you exactly what things you will get marked off for. We'll grade you on the guidelines in the homework document, and we can help you with specific issues but cannot evaluate your entire program.
Q: The assignment writeup says your sample solution has X methods and Y lines. I don't have exactly that many. What have I done wrong? Will I be marked off?
A: You don't have to exactly match our counts. They are just there as a sanity check. If your numbers are WAY off from ours, you may be solving the problem in the wrong way.
Q: How do I fix the redundancy between lines that are very similar, but not identical, such as the "On the XXX day of Xmas, my true love gave to me" lines?
A: You do not need to remove such redundancy, because it is not easy to do yet with the tools we have learned. Just treat the lines as though they are different and handle them that way.
Q: Is this a suitable creative verse?
A: The grading is pretty lenient on the creative verse. If it meets the criteria in the assignment spec, it should get full credit, even if it is not particularly creative or exciting.