Project 3 Clarifications

Last Updated 2013-11-26

• Where should the input file be placed? - Do not worry about us being able to find the input file, assume that the user will give the correct path to locate the file or will put the file in the right place so only the name of the file is needed - do NOT hard code anything into your PROGRAM that say looks in a particular directory.

Below here Updated 2013-11-25

• Use of String and other methods to parse input or print output - In project 2 we did not want you to use String methods because we wanted you to implement comparison yourself. In this project it is fine to use String methods.
• Matching the output format exactly - It slows down our grading considerably when students deviate from the output we ask for - using different text, adding extra lines, reporting output in a different order, etc. To make our life easier (and make us happier while grading your project) please match the format shown in the project writeup. Note that while David posted some results on the GoPost, these were just given in a concise format, they were NOT shown in the format we are asking for.

Below here Updated 2013-11-09

• What To Turn in For Phase A - For phase A please turn in ALL files needed to run your version 1 and version 2. Please submit any extra java files you may have created for testing or otherwise. Phase A turn-in will be graded pimarily on correctness. You will be resubmitting you "final" version of version 1 and version 2 with phase B.

• What To Turn in For Phase B - For phase B please turn in ALL files needed to run versions 1-5. Please submit any extra java files you may have created for testing or otherwise. We will be re-examining your version 1 and 2 code that you submit with phase B, so this is your opportunity to fix any bugs, improve the style of that code, etc. You DO need to submit testing code with phase B. You do NOT need to submit timing code with phase B - you will submit this on Thurs with your writeup - not to be graded, just to help us understand how you did your timing if there are any questions. You DO need to submit any above and beyond items with phase B.
• Cutoffs - Strictly speaking, for functional correctness (which is the main thing we are looking for in phase-A turn-in) it will be fine to NOT have a cutoff at this point. For phase B turn-in, you should put in a cutoff. Note that question 6 in the writeup asks you to perform timing experiments involving different cutoffs.
• Invalid User Inputs - The point of specifying that "Any illegal input (i.e., not 4 integers on one line) indicates the user is done and the program should end." is to avoid specifying (and you having to implement) a complex spec of what to do when they user enters X. It will be fine if you want to be more forgiving and give the user feedback on what was wrong (e.g. "query not in valid range") and another chance then this will also be o.k. Although please do be sure that it IS easy to actually QUIT the program (say by typing a q). Similarly, you do not need to do anything other than what the code you are given does for an ill-formed input file.