Run the automatic lab grader

Click here to run the autograder.

The autograder is a program that uses a test harness to test your java lab. The autograder executes the following steps:

1. Download the test harness program to your computer.
2. Compile the test harness and your lab code.
3. Execute the test harness, which calls your code and tests it.
4. Gather the results and calculate a grade for your lab.
5. Send the results back to the server.

To run the autograder, you need to supply both of the following:

• the full path to the directory where your lab code resides, e.g., F:\CS27\lab2
• the full path to the directory containing the file tools.jar. The file tools.jar contains the java compiler. It is usually found in the lib subdirectory of the directory where you installed the jdk.

On the computers in the PCWest lab at SOU, the full path to the directory containing tools.jar is C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0_09\lib

You will also be asked for:

• your course number
• lab number
• userID

Your userID is the same ID you use to log into the SOU network.

You supply all information after you click to run the autograder.

Hints:

• In your java source code, please write all outputs that the autograder expects to see using

System.out.print()

Write all other outputs, including input prompts for the user to:

System.err.print()

• Do NOT use

"\n"

in the parameter you pass to println(). The autograder does not handle it correctly.

• Do NOT call

System.exit()

It kills your program and the autograder as well, so the autograder is unable to report your results to the server.

• The autograder does not work on the wireless network SOU-OpenNet. The autograder uses FTP to transfer files, but FTP is not supported on SOU-OpenNet. Borrow a wired connection and the autograder should work fine.
  
  
• The 'Output Log' window shows inputs, outputs, and expected results for each individual test. Use this window to help debug differences between your code and what the autograder is expecting.
  
  
• The test harness, PUT.java, will be downloaded into the directory where your lab code resides. This program will compile and run in JGrasp. You must click the 'Run Arguments' checkbox under JGrasp's 'build' menu and type a file name, e.g., t, into the 'Run Arguments' text box that appears just above the code window before clicking the run icon.
  
  
• You can run the test harness on only the portions of the lab you have completed by looking for calls to a method named test near the bottom of PUT.java. Comment out the calls to the parts of the lab you do not yet have written, recompile, type t in the Run Arguments text box, and click JGrasp's run icon to run the modified test harness.
  
  
• If the autograder reported that it submitted your lab and said "All DONE", your code and test results have been submitted, and I will eventually post your grade. If you are unable to get the autograder to work for you, please email me a screenshot of your autograder run, at the point it failed, and your code, so we can work out the problem.

Troubleshooting:

“Unsupported JRE version” error:

Occasionally computers on the SOU network give an “Unsupported JRE version” error, and java web start (javaws) is unable to start the autograder. The error will look something like this:

You can solve this problem by doing the following:

1. Close All autograder windows, including any windows (javaws windows)

2. Delete:

C:\Documents Settings\<User Name>\Application Data\Sun

F:\Windows NT 5.1 Workstation Profile\Application Data\Sun

3. Start the autograder again.

Running the autograder on a mac OS X: (Many thanks to Andrew Krug for the following hints.)

Step 1 - Install the XCode set of tools that came on your Mac OS X Tiger CD.

(Hint: You can customize the install to just install JAVA Development tools if file size is a concern.)

Step 2 - Browse to the /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0/Classes/classes.jar file.

Step 3 - Drag classes.jar onto the desktop. This will make a copy. Rename classes.jar to tools.jar.

Step 4 - Drag tools.jar back into /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0/Classes/

Step 5 - A message box will pop up that states. "This folder can not be modified." There will be two buttons. "Okay" and Authenticate. Select the Authenticate option. Authenticate with your admin user name and password and it will copy your new tools.jar file into the Classes directory.

Step 6 - Run the autograder.

Step 7 - Point the autograder at your files using the Unix path system. If you are just using your Home Directory the path will look something like /Users/YourName/Documents/CS257 (Hint: Remember Unix is cases sensitive)

Step 8 - Point to the new tools.jar file you just created by pasting in /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/1.5.0/Classes/ you have the option to leave off tools.jar or append it. The autograder will automatically look for tools.jar in whatever director you point it at.

Step 9 - Run the autograder like normal.

Notes on other issues.

If you are using a network drive or a pen drive.

Mac OS X creates a number of hidden files in the directory with _classroom.java or _put.java. The autograder will tell you these are illegal characters. You can either delete these files via the command line or you can you use an application called Tinker Tool. A free download from http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerTool.html it will allow you to turn off creation of these files as well as many other features in OS X.

Best of luck to you. Please contact Pete Nordquist with questions or comments about the autograder. If you get exceptions that you do not understand, please copy the entire output log into an email message and send it to me. Thank you.

The autograder is licensed under the GNU GPL.
Click here for source code (in zip format) for the autograder.
Click here for a sample test harness.