CS425/EE673 Jul-Dec 2006 Course Project

Project evaluation

We will have a project evaluation session, for about 10 minutes per group. This will be on 12 Nov (Sun). We have posted sign-up sheets in this regard outside CSE212 (look on the wooden board beside CSE211). There are separate sign-up sheets for CS and EE students. Please use the correct one when you sign-up!

During this evaluation session, you will have to show a demo of your project (show even if it is not fully working). We will also ask you questions to test your understanding of the code and its working. We will also evaluate the cleanliness of your coding, documentation, and commenting. We expect both members of the group to be present during this evaluation session.

The evaluation session will be conducted in the CC for EE students, and in CSE for CSE students. Be sure to test your code in these places beforehand!

During the evaluation session, be sure to arrive at least 10-15 minutes before-hand, and locate your instructor in the CC/CSE lab before your time-slot. You are responsible for locating us for your evaluation session, so please plan accordingly.

Submission guidelines

In addition to the evaluation session above, you have to submit your code and documentation. For this, please use the following guidelines. Read them carefully and follow them meticulously. Read this well in advance, and prepare your submission, not at the last minute.

Organizing your submission

• All relevant files should be under one directory. This directory should be named after the roll numbers of the two students. For example: "Y0123-Y9999".
• Within Y0123-Y9999, you should have a file called "README.txt" or "README.html" or "README.pdf" (only text, HTML, or PDF formats allowed for this). The following contents are required in the README file:
  • List of relevant files: Give the list of relevant files including all source files and configuration files which you have written. Of course you need not include things like stdio.h which someone else has provided for you. This list of files should ideally have all the relevant files/directories within your main Y0123-Y9999 directory. Specifically do not have any irrelevant, old, or temporary files which clutter the directory. Clean-up before submission.
  • Compilation instructions: How should one go about generating the executable from your source files? Give the actual set of commands which someone can cut-paste from the README in order to compile. Provide such instructions for each executable file you have to generate.
  • Configuration file(s): If your code uses any configuration file(s), describe the format of such file(s) clearly. Also include in the directory some example configuration files.
  • Running instructions: You may be generating more than one executable. Describe logically what each executable does. In addition, for each such executable file, how should one run it? What are the command line arguments (describe each argument)?
• You may create any number of sub-directories (multiple levels too if you want) within your main directory. The README file within the main directory should describe everything: all files/directories within any sub-directory too.
• Commenting:
  • Each source file should describe in the beginning, in a comment, what that source file contains logically.
  • Make sure to name variables, functions, file names with intuitive names wherever possible. In addition, provide a comment for each variable/function describing it logically. You need not do this for very trivial variables/functions; use your common sense judgment. The overall objective is that a third person should be able to easily understand what that variable/function does logically.
  • Please also comment sections of the code which will help in understanding the logical flow of the code. For example, comments for a loop can describe any non-obvious invariant involved.

How and when to submit

• In the final submission, you have to tar-gzip or zip the main directory (e.g. Y0123-Y9999) and submit a single file. Make sure to tar-gzip or zip from the parent directory of this directory, not from within this directory itself. The tar-gzip or zip file should also have the same name as the directory (Y0123-Y9999.tar.gz or Y0123-Y9999.tgz or Y0123-Y9999.zip in this case).
• Even though the evaluation is on 12 Nov, you have to submit the code as per the deadline mentioned earlier: 10 Nov 2006 (23:59:59). This is so that it is fair across all project groups.
• Please email the tar-gzipped or zip file to your instructor (Bhaskar for CSE students, Kameswari for EE students) with the subject line "CS425 project submission" or "EE673 project submission". We will be bringing this document on a USB memory stick, or via ftp, when we have the project evaluation session (12 Nov).
• If you make some mistake while emailing us, you can submit a newer version by emailing again. But make sure to say in your subject line that it is a resubmission. The best is to use a sequence number for your submission! But generally of course, we would discourage such multiple submissions. Submit once, and be careful and double check before you submit.
• Needless to say, please give only one submission per group. Coordinate with your project partner and make sure that there is no confusion as to who is submitting!

The real test

• Save your submission somewhere and look at it after say, a semester. Does your README help? Do your comments help in understanding what you did in the code? This is the real test! Of course, since we have to grade you much before that, we will look at your code, comments, and documentation as described above :-)