diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'README.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 304 |
1 files changed, 304 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae48595 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,304 @@ +Vimarsh +======== +[](https://travis-ci.org/ankitjavalkar/online_test) + +#### Introduction + +This project provides an "exam" app that lets users take an online +programming quiz. + +#### Features + + * Define fairly complicated programming problems and have users + solve the problem. + * Immediate verification of code solution. + * Supports pretty much arbitrary coding questions in Python, C, C++ and + simple Bash and uses "test cases" to test the implementations of the students. + * Supports simple multiple choice questions and File uploads. + * Since it runs on your Python, you could technically test any Python based library. + * Scales to over 500+ simultaneous users. + * Distributed under the BSD license. + +Quick Start +=========== + +#### Pre-Requisite + +1. Ensure [pip](https://pip.pypa.io/en/latest/installing.html) is installed + +#### Installation + +1. Install the vimarsh app + ```pip install vimarsh``` + +1. In the terminal run ```vimarsh create_demo <projectname> [destination-path]``` + - <projectname> is the name of the django project and [destination-path] is the path where the django project will be installed + - If [destination-path] is not provided, the project is initialised in the current directory + +1. The script does the following; + 1. Creates a new django project called <projectname> + 1. Creates a new demo database + 1. Creates a two users test moderator and a test examinee + 1. Loads demo questions + 1. Loads demo quiz + +1. Run ```vimarsh run_demo``` + +1. In a new terminal run ```code_server``` + +1. Open your browser and run http://localhost:8000/exam + +1. Login with as a teacher to edit the quiz or as a student to take the quiz + Credentials: + - Student - Username: student | Password: student + - Teacher - Username: teacher | Password: teacher + +Production Deployment +====================== + +#### Pre-Requisite + + 1. Install MySql Server + + 1. Install Python MySql support + + 1. Install Apache Server for deployment + +#### Configure MySql server + + 1. Create a database named ``online_test`` by following the steps below + + 1. $> mysql -u root -p + + 1. mysql> create database online_test + + 1. Add a user named ```online_test_user``` and give access to it on the database ```online_test``` by following the steps below + + 1. mysql> grant usage on online_test.* to online_test_user@localhost identified by 'mysecretpassword'; + + 1. mysql> grant all privileges on online_test.* to online_test_user@localhost; + + 1. Create a file named `local.py` in folder `testapp` and insert `DATABASE_PASSWORD = 'mysecretpassword'` + +To deploy this app follow the steps below: + + 1. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. + ```git clone https://github.com/FOSSEE/online_test.git``` + + 1. Run: + + django syncdb + + 1. Run: + + django migrate exam + + 1. Add questions by editing the "docs/sample_questions.py" or any other file in the same format and then run the following: + + django load_exam docs/sample_questions.py + + Note that you can supply multiple Python files as arguments and all of + those will be added to the database. + + 1. First run the python server provided. This ensures that the code is executed in a safe environment. Do this like so: + + $ sudo python testapp/exam/code_server.py + + Put this in the background once it has started since this will not + return back the prompt. It is important that the server be running + *before* students start attempting the exam. Using sudo is + necessary since the server is run as the user "nobody". This runs + on the ports configured in the settings.py file in the variable + "SERVER_PORTS". The "SERVER_TIMEOUT" also can be changed there. + This is the maximum time allowed to execute the submitted code. + Note that this will likely spawn multiple processes as "nobody" + depending on the number of server ports specified. + + 1. The ```bin/django.wsgi``` script should make it + easy to deploy this using mod_wsgi. You will need to add a line of the form: + + WSGIScriptAlias / "/var/www/online_test/bin/django.wsgi" + + to your apache.conf. For more details see the Django docs here: + + https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.3/howto/deployment/modwsgi/ + + 1. Go to http://desired_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin + + 1. Login with your credentials and look at the questions and modify if + needed. Create a new Quiz, set the date and duration or + activate/deactivate the quiz. + + 1. Now ask users to login at: + + http://host:port/exam + + And you should be all set. + + 1. Note that the directory "output" will contain directories, one for each + user. Users can potentially write output into these that can be used + for checking later. + + 1. As admin user you can visit http://host/exam/monitor to view + results and user data interactively. You could also "grade" the + papers manually if needed. + + 1. You may dump the results and user data using the results2csv and + dump_user_data commands. + + 1. The file docs/sample_questions.py is a template that you can use for your own questions. + + 1. Sometimes you might be in the situation where you are not hosted as + "host.org/exam/" but as "host.org/foo/exam/" for whatever reason. In + this case edit "settings.py" and set the "URL_ROOT" to the root you + have to serve at. In the above example for "host.org/foo/exam" set + URL_ROOT='/foo'. + +Development Settings +==================== + +To install this app follow the steps below: + + 1. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. + ```git clone https://github.com/FOSSEE/online_test.git``` + + 1. Run: + + django syncdb + + Run: + + django migrate exam + + 1. Add questions by editing the "docs/sample_questions.py" or any other file in the same format and then run the following: + + django load_exam docs/sample_questions.py + + Note that you can supply multiple Python files as arguments and all of + those will be added to the database. + + 1. First run the python server provided. This ensures that the code is executed in a safe environment. Do this like so: + + $ sudo python testapp/code_server.py + + Put this in the background once it has started since this will not + return back the prompt. It is important that the server be running + *before* students start attempting the exam. Using sudo is + necessary since the server is run as the user "nobody". This runs + on the ports configured in the settings.py file in the variable + "SERVER_PORTS". The "SERVER_TIMEOUT" also can be changed there. + This is the maximum time allowed to execute the submitted code. + Note that this will likely spawn multiple processes as "nobody" + depending on the number of server ports specified. + + 1. Now, Run: + + $ django runserver <desired_ip>:<desired_port> + + 1. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin + + 1. Login with your credentials and look at the questions and modify if + needed. Create a new Quiz, set the date and duration or + activate/deactivate the quiz. + + 1. Now ask users to login at: + + http://host:port/exam + + And you should be all set. + + 1. Note that the directory "output" will contain directories, one for each + user. Users can potentially write output into these that can be used + for checking later. + + 1. As admin user you can visit http://host/exam/monitor to view + results and user data interactively. You could also "grade" the + papers manually if needed. + + 1. You may dump the results and user data using the results2csv and + dump_user_data commands. + + 1. The file docs/sample_questions.py is a template that you can use for your own questions. + + 1. Sometimes you might be in the situation where you are not hosted as + "host.org/exam/" but as "host.org/foo/exam/" for whatever reason. In + this case edit "settings.py" and set the "URL_ROOT" to the root you + have to serve at. In the above example for "host.org/foo/exam" set + URL_ROOT='/foo'. + +Additional commands available +============================== + +We provide several convenient commands for you to use: + + - load_exam : load questions and a quiz from a python file. See + docs/sample_questions.py + + - load_questions_xml : load questions from XML file, see + docs/sample_questions.xml use of this is deprecated in favor of + load_exam. + + - results2csv : Dump the quiz results into a CSV file for further + processing. + + - dump_user_data : Dump out relevalt user data for either all users or + specified users. + +For more information on these do this: + + $ ./manage.py help [command] + +where [command] is one of the above. + + +Inspiration +=========== + +At FOSSEE, Nishanth had implemented a nice django based app to +test for multiple-choice questions. I was inspired by a +programming contest that I saw at PyCon APAC 2011. Chris Boesch, who +administered the contest, used a nice web application +[Singpath](http://singpath.com) that he had built on top of GAE that +basically checked your Python code, live. This made it fun and interesting. + +I wanted an implementation that was not tied to GAE and decided to write +one myself and the result is the "exam" app. The idea being that I can +use this to test students programming skills and not have to worry about +grading their answers myself and I can do so on my machines. + + +Contact +======= + +For further information and support you can contact + +* Forum Link +* Email Address + +License +======= + +This is distributed under the terms of the BSD license. Copyright +information is at the bottom of this file. + +Authors +======= + +Main author: Prabhu Ramachandran + +I gratefully acknowledge help from the following: + + - Nishanth Amuluru originally from FOSSEE who wrote bulk of the + login/registration code. He wrote an initial first cut of a quiz app + which supported only simple questions which provided motivation for + this app. The current codebase does not share too much from his + implementation although there are plenty of similarities. + + - Harish Badrinath (FOSSEE) -- who provided a first cut of the bash + related scripts. + + - Srikant Patnaik and Thomas Stephen Lee, who helped deploy and test + the code. + + +Copyright (c) 2011 Prabhu Ramachandran and FOSSEE (fossee.in) |