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diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst deleted file mode 100644 index 3472dfc..0000000 --- a/README.rst +++ /dev/null @@ -1,271 +0,0 @@ -Introduction -============ - -This app provides an "exam" app that lets users take an online -programming quiz. Currently only Python and simple Bash scripts can be -tested. At FOSSEE, Nishanth had implemented a nice django based app to -test for multiple-choice questions. However, 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 that he had built -on top of GAE that basically checked your Python code, live. This made -it fun and interesting. Their application can be seen at -http://singpath.com - -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. - -You can define fairly complicated programming problems and have users -solve the problem and the solution is checked immediately. The system -supports pretty much arbitrary Python and uses "test cases" to test the -implementations of the students. It also supports simple bash scripts --- see the sample questions in "docs/". In addition it supports simple -multiple choice questions. Since it runs on your Python, you could -technically test any Python based library. It is distributed under the -BSD license. - -It can use a lot more work but the basics work and the app scales to -over 500+ simultaneous users. :) - - -Production Deployment -===================== - -Pre-Requisite -------------- - - #. Install MySql Server - - #. Install Python MySql support - - #. Install Apache Server for deployment - -Configure MySql server ----------------------- - - #. Create a database named ``online_test`` by following the steps below - - #. $> mysql -u root -p - - #. mysql> create database online_test - - #. Add a user named ``online_test_user`` and give access to it on the database ``online_test`` by following the steps below - - #. mysql> grant usage on online_test.* to online_test_user@localhost identified by 'mysecretpassword'; - - #. mysql> grant all privileges on online_test.* to online_test_user@localhost; - - #. Create a file named `local.py` in folder `testapp` and insert `DATABASE_PASSWORD = 'mysecretpassword'` - -To deploy this app follow the steps below: - - #. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. - - #. run:: - - python bootstrap.py - - #. run:: - - ./bin/buildout -c production.cfg - - #. run:: - - ./bin/django syncdb - - run:: - - ./bin/django migrate exam - - #. Add questions by editing the "docs/sample_questions.py" or any other file in the same format and then run the following:: - - ./bin/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. - - #. 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. - - #. 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/ - - #. Go to http://desired_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin - - #. 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. - - #. Now ask users to login at: - - http://host:port/exam - - And you should be all set. - - #. 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. - - #. 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. - - #. You may dump the results and user data using the results2csv and - dump_user_data commands. - - #. The file docs/sample_questions.py is a template that you can use for your own questions. - - #. 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: - - #. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. - - #. run:: - - python bootstrap.py - - #. run:: - - ./bin/buildout -c buildout.cfg - - #. run:: - - ./bin/django syncdb - - run:: - - ./bin/django migrate exam - - #. Add questions by editing the "docs/sample_questions.py" or any other file in the same format and then run the following:: - - ./bin/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. - - #. 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. - - #. Now, run:: - - $ ./bin/django runserver <desired_ip>:<desired_port> - - #. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin - - #. 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. - - #. Now ask users to login at: - - http://host:port/exam - - And you should be all set. - - #. 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. - - #. 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. - - #. You may dump the results and user data using the results2csv and - dump_user_data commands. - - #. The file docs/sample_questions.py is a template that you can use for your own questions. - - #. 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. - -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) |