From b49fbfe2f3438f6d59af36de416cf9b7f33723ab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: parth Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2011 05:20:46 +0530 Subject: Changed README.txt to README.rst --- README.rst | 241 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ README.txt | 241 ------------------------------------------------------------- 2 files changed, 241 insertions(+), 241 deletions(-) create mode 100644 README.rst delete mode 100644 README.txt diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..75d3061 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.rst @@ -0,0 +1,241 @@ +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. :) + +Pre-Requisite +============= + + 1. Install MySql Server + + 2. Install Python MySql support + + 3. Install Apache Server for deployment + +Configure MySql server +---------------------- + + 1. Create a database named `online_test` + + 2. Add a user named `online_test_user` and give access to it on the database `online_test` + + 3. Create a file named `local.py` in folder `testapp` and insert `DATABASE_PASSWORD = 'yourpassword'` + + +Production Deployment +===================== + +To install/deploy this app follow the steps below: + + 1. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. + + 2. run python bootstrap.py + + 3. run ./bin/buildout -c production.cfg + + 4. run ./bin/django syncdb + [ enter password etc.] + + run ./bin/django migrate exam + + 5. 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. + + 4. 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. + + 5. 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/ + + 6. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin + + 7. 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. + + 8. Now ask users to login at: + + http://host:port/exam + + And you should be all set. + + 9. 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. + + 10. 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. + + 11. You may dump the results and user data using the results2csv and + dump_user_data commands. + +Development Settings +==================== + +To install/deploy this app follow the steps below: + + 1. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. + + 2. run python bootstrap.py + + 3. run ./bin/buildout -c buildout.cfg + + 4. run ./bin/django syncdb + [ enter password etc.] + + run ./bin/django migrate exam + + 5. 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. + + 4. 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. + + 5. Now, run:: + + $ ./bin/django runserver : + + 6. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin + + 7. 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. + + 8. Now ask users to login at: + + http://host:port/exam + + And you should be all set. + + 9. 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. + + 10. 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. + + 11. 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. + +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) \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 75d3061..0000000 --- a/README.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,241 +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. :) - -Pre-Requisite -============= - - 1. Install MySql Server - - 2. Install Python MySql support - - 3. Install Apache Server for deployment - -Configure MySql server ----------------------- - - 1. Create a database named `online_test` - - 2. Add a user named `online_test_user` and give access to it on the database `online_test` - - 3. Create a file named `local.py` in folder `testapp` and insert `DATABASE_PASSWORD = 'yourpassword'` - - -Production Deployment -===================== - -To install/deploy this app follow the steps below: - - 1. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. - - 2. run python bootstrap.py - - 3. run ./bin/buildout -c production.cfg - - 4. run ./bin/django syncdb - [ enter password etc.] - - run ./bin/django migrate exam - - 5. 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. - - 4. 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. - - 5. 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/ - - 6. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin - - 7. 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. - - 8. Now ask users to login at: - - http://host:port/exam - - And you should be all set. - - 9. 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. - - 10. 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. - - 11. You may dump the results and user data using the results2csv and - dump_user_data commands. - -Development Settings -==================== - -To install/deploy this app follow the steps below: - - 1. Clone this repository and cd to the cloned repo. - - 2. run python bootstrap.py - - 3. run ./bin/buildout -c buildout.cfg - - 4. run ./bin/django syncdb - [ enter password etc.] - - run ./bin/django migrate exam - - 5. 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. - - 4. 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. - - 5. Now, run:: - - $ ./bin/django runserver : - - 6. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin - - 7. 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. - - 8. Now ask users to login at: - - http://host:port/exam - - And you should be all set. - - 9. 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. - - 10. 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. - - 11. 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. - -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) \ No newline at end of file -- cgit