Week 11 Class 20 Tue Nov 04 Posted: Nov 04
Announcements
Exercise 43: Project 3 Feedback 1
The feedback for this exercise (and your first commit to Project 3: Code Analysis TDD) is in Brightspace.
Just a clarification: if you receive a 10 / 10 on this exercise, it does not mean you get 100% on that part of the project. It means that you followed the procedure. See the feedback (in the Grades) if I noticed any other issues.
Also, further exercises for the progressive due dates will not provide feedback on the commit messages, content of the commit, etc. Only on the number of test cases, which should equate to the number of rules implemented.
If I pointed out issues in the Brightspace feedback, you can fix those in separate commits, using the commit message that starts with "Fix".
General Comments:
formatAnalysisXML()). Use of find(), or substring checking is not part of the test case. Do not make your test case have more complexity (i.e., number of conditions) than your implementationunit.addAttribute(), for every unique attribute.Think before every commit:
Class
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Nov 05
The article How to Write a Git Commit Message has guidance on commit messages in general and Git projects specifically. Especially note the 7 rules. As the writeup mentions, these ideas are not new.
A message with only a subject line is adequate for our projects. The rules that only concern the subject are:
Make sure to use these guidelines as you implement any projects or exercises.
If you haven't completed Exercise 42: Team Mock Clock, do so before completing this one. Notes from this are due at the end of class.
After that, answer the following questions. Use a couple of sentences (at least) for each of them.
main direct testingdip Using DIP (Dependency Inversion Principle)mock Using a mock objectmain direct testingdip Using DIP (Dependency Inversion Principle)mock Using a mock objectmain), dip, and mock is the best answer. There can be multiple answers:These questions can be answered after class and are due by 3 pm on Wednesday, Nov 5. Upload a new document with these answers added to your notes for today.
Week 10 Class 19 Thu Oct 30 Posted: Oct 30
Announcements
Use the git command line
git are not stablegit often have unintuitive semanticsgit can get you into troublegit are limited in functionalitygit are limitedgit command line is stable and powerfulgit command line when you have a problemYou are Computer Science students, many of which will become Software Engineers. Learn your tools. git is your tool. Features in IDEs will come and go.
Class
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Fri Oct 31
The following exercise demonstrates different approaches for testing a Session class. The Session class manages activities over a period of time and then generates a report that includes the session's duration. The session details are not included here, only the reported session length.
Each approach is on a different branch:
main - Session testing without DIP (Dependency Inversion Principle)dip - Session testing with DIPmock - Session testing with DIP using mock objectsTo see what branch you are on, use the git command:
To switch to another branch, e.g., dip, use the git command:
To see what files are on that branch, use the bash command:
Spend a minute switching among the various branches. Use the git branch to verify what branch you are on. If you look at the files on each branch, you will see common files and files that only exist on an individual branch. All necessary files already exist in each branch, so no files are added during the exercise.
main: Session Testing without DIPtime command:
Record the timing of three runs of the test program, and note the median value. From the time command, use the real time. Compare the timings to others on your team.dip: Session Testing with DIPdip. Make sure you are on the correct branch.std::chrono real-time clock, all clock duties have moved to the class Clock. This implies:
Clock dependency must be set up when the Session is createdTwoSecondClock.
Build and run the existing test Session2SecondTest. Record the timing of three runs of the test program, and note the median value. Compare the timings to others on your team.mock: Session Testing with Mock Objectsmock. Make sure you are on the correct branch.To implement the project below, follow the TDD process. The Brightspace course page has an invitation link to create the GitHub Classroom repository.
Create your repository (via GitHub classroom) and implement each one of the Rules separately with a single pass through the TDD workflow (red, green, refactor). Each rule (and error message) is implemented in a single commit.
Due Dates
The purpose of many class exercises and projects in this class is to practice good workflows of actual, real, 40-hours-a-week software development. Due to time limitations, each part of a project cannot be very long. Treating this as a "race" at the last minute is not part of SE or any good workflow. It tends to produce less-than-optimum software in both external quality, i.e., bugs, and internal quality, i.e., poor design.
Therefore, the project has progressive due dates regarding the number of rules implemented. Each failure to meet a due date will result in a 10-point reduction in your score out of 100. The following are due dates, not the day you have to work on them, unless you wait until the last day.
| No. | Due Date | Total Rules Implemented | Exercise Feedback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday, Nov 3 11:59:59 pm | 1 | 43 |
| Stop Wait until I provide feedback on your initial workflow by giving you a score for the corresponding exercise. If you don't see a comment, I have not examined your first commit. If you are waiting to continue, send me an email. | |||
| 2 | Wednesday, Nov 5 10:00:00 pm | 3 | |
| 3 | Thursday, Nov 6 10:00:00 pm | 4 | |
| 4 | Friday, Nov 7 10:00:00 pm | 5 | |
| 5 | Monday, Nov 10 10:00:00 pm | 7 | |
| 6 | Tuesday, Nov 11 10:00:00 pm | 8 | |
| 7 | Wednesday, Nov 12 10:00:00 pm | 9 | |
| 8 | Thursday, Nov 13 10:00:00 pm | 10 | |
| 9 | Friday, Nov 14 10:00:00 pm | 11 | |
| Monday, Nov 18 11:59:59 pm | All rules and all error messages |
Due dates are given for each step. No work will be accepted after the last due date.
All commits must appear in the repository on GitHub. Commits or code changes in GitHub Codespaces do not count.
The input for a source-code static analysis tool can come from multiple sources, including individual files, e.g., main.cpp, directories of source-code files, e.g., src/, source-code archives, e.g., project.tar.gz, file.zip, and standard input, i.e., stdin, e.g., std::cin. In addition, solitary files and source-code archives can include a URL, e.g., https://mlcollard.net/fragment.cpp
To perform the code analysis, the source code is wrapped in a single XML element with metadata about the source code, including filename, programming language, URL, hash, LOC (lines of code), and timestamp. For the source code:
the resulting XML is:
Note: Scroll to see all the attributes.
The attribute hash is of the source and is a SHA1 160-bit (20 bytes) represented in 40 hex characters, which is what Git uses. The xmlns:code="http://mlcollard.net/code" is not an attribute but an XML namespace declaration, handled automatically by XMLWrapper.
The general attribute rules are:
The attribute's variety of input sources and program options follows the Rules stated below.
Implement the following rules following a Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach. Write a test in CodeAnalysisTest.cpp, implement the minimal code necessary to get it working in CodeAnalysis.cpp, refactor/clean up the code to make it clear and logical, and then commit with an appropriate commit message.
All commits must result in a program that compiles and passes all tests. This means you must successfully compile and pass the test program before a commit. Any commit that does not build will result in a 0 for that step, and every commit will be checked.
The following rules are unordered. Do not refer to them by number.
std::cin) of non-archive source code, the disk filename is a single dash "-" and the entry filename is the literal string "data". In this case, you must use the option filename for the attribute filename.std::cin) of a source-code archive, the disk filename is a single dash "-". In this case, use the entry filename for the attribute filename.All error messages are written to standard error (i.e., std::cerr) on a separate output line, and the function should return an empty string.
The workflow for implementing one rule:
All implementation should result in code that is as clean and clear as possible. For this case:
std::string_view to std::string."", use the empty() method.The project is built and graded in a Docker container running srcml/codespaces, which is the same environment as GitHub Codespaces for this project. It is based on Ubuntu 24.04 and uses the GCC compiler.
On macOS, clang is the default compiler and the one you want to use in most cases. This should not cause a problem with this program. However, before you commit, I recommend ensuring your code can build and pass the tests with GCC and the default compiler, clang.
Add GCC via homebrew:
brew install gcc
The preset macos-gcc (in the file CMakePresets.json) provides settings to compile with GCC:
cmake .. --preset macos-gcc
This preset only appears in macOS and not in Linux or Windows.
To return to using clang:
cmake .. --fresh
Instead of flipping back and forth in the same build directory, use two build directories, one for clang and one for GCC. Be sure to build and test in both build directories before you commit. Note It might seem like a pain to have two build directories, but it is not uncommon in real software development and is a good skill to have.
Your score will depend on the following:
Week 10 Class 18 Tue Oct 28 Posted: Oct 28
Announcements
Class
Exercise 41: sortTDD
Code along in class (or later on) to the sortTDD example. The GitHub Classroom link is in Brightspace.
The TDD workflow for this code is:
Class example: sort-tdd-010
The goal is the simplest implementation that could work, not the silliest
There is a commit that you do not see:
Exercise 39: HFSD Chapter 8 Crossword Due Friday, Oct 31
Exercise 40: Team Code Coverage II
As with almost all Team exercises, you must upload your work by the end of class.
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Oct 29
Week 9 Class 17 Thu Oct 23 Posted: Oct 23
Announcements
Midterm I posted scores and the graded exam in Brightspace Assignments.
I am solely responsible for grading the midterm. If you have any inquiries, feel free to email or visit during my office hours. I do not respond to exam-related queries in the classroom right before or after class.
Note: In the Final Exam, failure to answer the question in the designated place (Questions 4-10) will result in a score of 0 for that question.
Midterm General notes:
Professional CMake: A Practical Guide by Craig Scott is the best book on CMake for developers. Besides just covering the CMake features, it also has sections in each chapter with good practices and practical advice. One of the best books of its kind. It was a textbook for CPSC 489-010 T: DevOps in Spring 2024.
The first 5 chapters are a free download.
So take a look for any questions on cmake.
Exercise 37: Team Assert Tests
dotProduct()return in one of the preconditions and
execute the last return in the functionClass
Exercise 36: AddTest
I did not mention this, so I am extending the due date.
Fix the code so that both tests pass. Make sure to commit this separately.
Then, add another single unit test following the style and formatting of the previous unit tests.
Add the unit test to the single testfile testAdd.cpp. There is no need to create new files. If you did not add your test to the testAdd.cpp, do so now.
Make sure it passes all the tests before you commit.
A GitHub Classroom link for addTest is on Brightspace.
srcML Testing parser testfile, libsrcml testfile, client testfile
So three different parts of testing. But that is not all. There are tests to make sure the installers (Debian packages, rpm's, Windows installers) all work. And tests for any wrappers for libsrcml, e.g., pylibsrcml.
Exercise 38: Team Code Coverage
To replace the original Makefile with CMake, the repository has a pull request:

Accept it at GitHub:

If you have problems with this, let me know and I can accept the pull request for your team.
After the pull request is merged, you will have to git pull to see it in your repository clone.
As always with Team exercises, due by the end of class.
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Fri Oct 24
First, as a team, review the test cases and the code to determine if you achieved 100% code coverage and whether any test cases are not unique and cover the same code. Do not spend much time on this, as you pretty much said so with your previous exercise result.
The following assumes you are in your build directory.
The tool gcov can, when used with code compiled with the appropriate flags, produce a report that shows exactly how many times each line of code is called during a run of the program. We could use this to determine where our program is taking the most time and perhaps optimize the program. For our purposes today, we can also use it to obtain code coverage. So, we want to run the gcov program with our test program and see the code coverage of the function dotProduct() in the file dotProduct.cpp .
To produce the gcov report, do the following:
cmake to add the option --coverage to the flags provided to the compiler:
The CMake variable CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS contains the options passed to the compiler, and CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS contains the options passed to the linker. The CMake configuration sets them for things such as Debug and Release builds. The CMake variables CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT and CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT are the starting values before the CMake configuration sets them.cmake so that make will output the commands it is executing (instead of hiding them from you):
The CMake variable CMAKE_MAKE_VERBOSE controls whether make shows the commands it uses to build the program. Note: ninja will not work here. This is one exception to ninja being a drop-in replacement for make.
Note that cmake caches its settings. So once you have this configured, you can run CMake again and it will still have these values. They are stored in the file CMakeCache.txt.--coverage. It will occur on every compile and link command.
Record in your notes the command for the compile up to and including the --coverage option.CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE as it is annoying getting that much output with every make command:gcov to get the report.
Carefully view the output of the program to find where dotProduct.cpp is and the line that starts with Lines executed:. You can safely rerun this command. You will then see how much code coverage your test program produced. Record in your notes this percentage.
You should find a file dotProduct.cpp.gcov in your build directory..gcda and .gcno files. A command to do this is (I strongly recommend copy and paste):
View the file dotProduct.cpp.gcov in an editor. You will see lines such as:
Columns are separated by ":". Column 2 is the line number, and Column 3 is the source code. Column 1 is the number of times that line of code was executed, or a - if it is not an executable line (i.e., comment or whitespace). If you see a #####, that means that that line of code was never executed. So, therefore, you do not have 100% code coverage.
Correctly rerunning all of the above commands is repetitive and prone to mistakes. So let's automate it by taking the above lines and making them targets in our CMake. Add the following code at the end of your CMakeLists.txt file.
Commit this change to the repository with the commit message:
Any time you make changes to the cmake file CMakeLists.txt, rerun cmake:
Now, the sequence to run the coverage for the tests is the following:
To fix this problem, you will have to change the file dotProduct.cpp. Look carefully at the lines of code that were not executed, any conditional statements that had to be true to reach that unexecuted line, and your test cases.
The change to dotProduct.cpp is to rearrange some lines. Make this change, build the program, run the test program, and make sure the tests still pass. If the tests all pass, commit the change to the file dotProduct.cpp:
Now, rerun the coverage using our new make targets. Continue making changes to your test cases until you get 100% code coverage. Record in your notes any additional test cases.
This sequence is more complex than it needs to be:
If the build file ran the target coverage-clean before every test, then we would not have to remember to do so. Any knowledge we can put into the build file makes everything easier to repeat. So change (do not just add this code) the test target in the file CMakeLists.txt so that it also DEPENDS on the target coverage-clean:
Since CMakeLists.txt changed, rerun cmake.
Now, the new sequence of commands is:
An even further automation is to automatically run the target test whenever you run the target coverage-report. So, running a new report is a single command. See if you can get this working.
Commit these automation changes to the repository:
Using the coverage, find the percentage of the code in dotProduct.cpp covered by each test case. Do this by commenting out all but one test case at a time and then running a coverage report. Record in your notes the new percentages and how they compare to what you manually calculated.
Week 9 Class 16 Tue Oct 21 Posted: Oct 21
After Class
Midterm I posted scores and the graded exam in Brightspace Assignments.
The score does not include the extra credit. That will be added later.
Class
Guide: assert() and Unit Testing
A GitHub Classroom link for AddTest is on Brightspace.
Exercise 36: AddTest
Fix the code so that both tests pass. Make sure to commit this separately.
Then, add another single unit test following the style and formatting of the previous unit tests.
Make sure it passes all the tests before you commit.
A GitHub Classroom link for addTest is on Brightspace.
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Oct 22
The project, Vector Angle, calculates the degree angle between two vectors. It uses the function dotProduct(). It also includes a test program dotProductTest.cpp.
As you recall, white-box testing is testing (creating test cases) that knows the structure of the code because it knows the implementation. The test program dotProductTest.cpp includes a single test case using a separate block and an assert().
Your assignment is to add test cases to the file dotProductTest.cpp and get the tests to run successfully.
The repository for this assignment is a GitHub Classroom Group Repository. That means there is one repo per team. Have one person create the Team in GitHub Classroom; the rest can join afterward.
First, build the program:
Then, run the program:
The test program is a separate executable, dotProductTest. To run the test program, there is a target, test. So run the test program:
For this assignment, add tests so that when the complete test program is run, all of the code in dotProduct() is run at least once. This would be 100% code coverage.
The workflow is:
Keep in mind the following:
git push for the other team members to see your test case.I encourage as many team members as possible to commit a test case. If using GitHub Codespaces, each team member has their own codespace. After a team member has entered a test case, the rest can use a git pull.
Add test cases one at a time to prevent merge issues.
Each team member must submit notes, including for each test case (not just their own):
dotProduct() and does not include empty lines or comment lines.dotProduct() by this test caseThe notes and commits of each team member are due by the end of the class, along with the test cases. Your score is based on the notes and commits in the team repository.
Week 8 Class 16 Thu Oct 16 Posted: Oct 16
Announcements
Midterm Exam In our regular classroom and at our regular time.
Week 8 Class 15 Tue Oct 14 Posted: Oct 14
After Class
Announcements
Project 2 The checkmd required a file called Requirements.md. To use this with IterationPlan.md, we needed to remove this restriction from checkmd.
This changed checkmd is now in the image mlcollard/checkmd, which you get when you run a GitHub Codespace. If you have an existing GitHub Codespace for Project 2, you will have to create a new codespace to get this change.
Project 2 Keep in mind the following:
In your repository the branch feedback in the file Feedback.md is a Claude (LLM) analysis of the team history for Exercise 33: Team Text Match. I suggest viewing it at GitHub.
Some observations regarding team collaboration and outcomes:
make is run. Not every team member did this.textmatch and regexCountTest, couldn't be worked on in parallel. Declarative languages are easier to work on independently than other types of languages due to simpler structures. E.g., make is easier to work on independently than C++.Class
Make Prerequisites
Make prerequisite graph for srcComplexity:
Exercise 34: Team Text Match II
$@, $<, and $^In your repository the branch feedback in the file Feedback.md is a Claude (LLM) analysis of the team history for Exercise 33: Team Text Match. I suggest viewing it at GitHub.
Read over the analysis and think about what can be improved, not only about your current version of the code, but also about your process. Even if your process worked and you did well, consider how you can parallelize your development (instead of waiting while someone else makes changes).
Follow the instructions for Exercise 33: Team Text Match
The targets from last time were: make clean, make run, make test
Once you have all those targets implemented, implement the following:
Add the target manpage, i.e., make manpage, that creates a man page. This was added to the build-files-010. Note that my example also added a comment.
The manpage will be named textmatch.1. It is generated from the markdown file textmatch.1.md. This conversion uses the command lowdown. It is not installed in your GitHub Codespace. However, you do have the permissions to install it. First, update
Then install the package:
If you are in WSL, you need to use sudo before each command. On macOS, brew install lowdown
man, i.e., make man, that views the created manpage. This was also added to the build-files-010, and it has its own comment.textmatch executable and its object files.regexCountTest.cpp executable and its object files.clean targetrun targetAs before, this is due by the end of class. No commits outside of class.
This exercise is optional. However, completing this exercise will add points to your Project 1 score.
The exercise is due by Tuesday, Oct 8 at 11:59:59 pm EDT.
In your repository for the Requirements Report is the file Corrected.md. This is an edited version of what you submitted with fixes and improvements to the writing.
To see the difference between these two files, you can use the diff command:
The diff utility is line-oriented. Since many of your lines are quite long (the lines are wrapped when you view them), this may be difficult to read. You can also use the wdiff command:
The codespace for Project 1 has diff and wdiff installed. You will have to start a new codespace to use wdiff.
If you want to use wdiff outside of a codespace, install on WSL/Linux apt-get update; apt-get install wdiff, and on macOS brew install wdiff.
Your workflow must be the following:
Each correction must be a contiguous change. That means that each commit only contains one correction. Practically, this means that each correction/commit will be on a single line.
To get credit, your resulting Requirements.md file must be exactly the same as the Corrected.md file. You will reach this stage when diff shows no differences.
The git commit messages must be in the proper form, such as:
The commit messages must following good git commit message guidelines:
Fix, not Fixed, FixingFix, not fixFix spelling of "calendar", not Fix spelling of "calendar".The score on this exercise will be 0 if the commit messages do not follow the above guidelines, or there is no effort to use an appropriate commit message.
Note:
There will be a lot of commits, so you want to be efficient creating them. After you do the first few corrections, you can push to GitHub and verify at GitHub periodically and not every time. And, to save time with entering commands, bring up previous commands in a shell using the up arrow ⇧ or Ctrl + P, and edit the git commit messages if necessary.
Week 7 Class 14 Thu Oct 09 Posted: Oct 09
After Class
Project 2 The checkmd required a file called Requirements.md. To use this with IterationPlan.md, we needed to remove this restriction from checkmd.
This changed checkmd is now in the image mlcollard/checkmd, which you get when you run a GitHub Codespace. If you have an existing GitHub Codespace for Project 2, you will have to create a new codespace to get this change.
Announcements
Project 1
Grades in Brightspace right before class. Feedback in the file Feedback.md in the branch feedback
Class
CMake
CMakeLists.txt CMake file for the Build Files example
To download to your repository:
Exercise 32: Build Configurations
Fill out the Build Configurations table so that it reaches 82,944 different configurations.
The utility textmatch finds the number of times a regular expression occurs in a file. The repository for this exercise is a GitHub Classroom Group Repository. That means there is one repo per team. Have one person create the Team in GitHub Classroom; the rest can join the team afterwards.
The last person who worked on it was an intern from another university. They entered the build commands in a shell every time they built the program. Of course, you and your team know better, so your team will implement the Makefile for this project.
Every team member must do one of the following to receive credit:
Restrictions:
As your team members make commits, you will have to update your working copy. Use the command:
Note that your team does not share a GitHub Codespace. All of them are different. You will not see other team members changes until you pull.
The Midterm Exam is Thursday, October 16, during our regular class time and classroom. It covers Chapters 1 - 6.5 of the Head First Software Development book, plus notes and in-class examples.
make and cmake; Given a Makefile, what would happen with specific targets.The exam has various problem types, including short answers, definitions, comparisons, creation of user stories, and planning. The question may require you to:
It is a good idea to review the "Dumb Questions" and the answers.
The questions are based on what we covered in the book, the exercises, and the projects. If I did not cover it in class, it is not on the exam.
A calculator is not needed for any required math and, therefore, not permitted.
Week 7 Class 13 Tue Oct 07 Posted: Oct 07
Before Class
Exercise 26: Makefile
Feedback is in the file Report1.md in the branch feedback in your Build Files repository.
You can view this at GitHub. Look where it indicates the current branch:

Select the branch feedback and you will see the file Report1.md.
We will continue to add to this code in another exercise. If you have lots of problems, then get my current version:
Then put that into your Makefile and save it. Finally, commit that to your repository with the following command:
Do not deviate from this commit message as it will cause problems when I grade it.
Announcements
Each student must get their own priorities. Do not reuse the ones from the Team Exercises.
Class
Make
$@, $<, and $^srccomplexityExercise 30: Makefile II
This is a continuation of Exercise 26: Makefile. Use the same repository as before. Code along and make the same commits with the same commit messages as I do in class.
I suggest you use GitHub Codespaces as all necessary packages are installed.
CMakeLists.txt CMake file for the Build Files example
To download to your repository:
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Oct 08
Week 6 Class 12 Thu Oct 02 Posted: Oct 02
Before Class
If you haven't already created the GitHub Classroom repository for "Build Files" you should do so before class. Check Brightspace for the GitHub Classroom Build Files Invitation Link. You can also set up a GitHub Codespace for the project, as it takes some time to start up initially and when restarting.
Announcements
Class
Make
$@, $<, and $^srccomplexityExercise 26: Makefile
There is a GitHub Classroom Invitation Link in Brightspace for this exercise. The name is "Build Files".
Code along and make the same commits with the same commit messages as I do in class.
I suggest you use GitHub Codespaces as all necessary packages are installed.
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Mon Oct 06
Project 2 is due on Tuesday, Oct 14 at 11:59:59 pm. A GitHub Classroom invitation link is on the Brightspace course page.
For Project 2, take all the user stories from Project 1 and create a series of iteration plans.
Use the examples in the book to show which parts of the user story you should show in your iteration plan (e.g., do not restate descriptions in the plans). Also, clearly state the entire new iteration plan for each plan, not just the changes. However, make sure to thoroughly discuss what the change was and what effect it had.
This is an individual project. Each member of a team has different user-story priorities. To get individual priorities for Project 2, select the number of user stories:
Put these in the Priority field in the order in which you listed the user stories. In the report, do not discuss how you generated your report's priorities, i.e., pretend that the customer gave them.
The following plans may require you to add additional user stories. This violates our rule that only the development team can create estimates. However, as part of the exercise, put in an estimate.
Each plan is a point in time. For each plan, show the entire iteration plan, including the iterations already completed.
| Plan | Events |
|---|---|
| 1 | Create an initial iteration plan: 2 Weeks (14 calendar days) iteration, 2 developers, 0.6 velocity |
| 2 | The customer adds two new user stories of the highest priority at the end of the first iteration. For the two new user stories, one is a new feature, and one is an emergency. Create a non-trivial estimate (i.e., an estimate that makes the planning interesting) for these new user stories. |
| 3 | A user story with a non-trivial estimate takes twice as long. Assume this occurred right before the last iteration. |
| 4 | At the beginning of the last iteration of your current plan, the other developer leaves for another project, and it is up to you to finish the project. |
After the plans, create a section with all of your user stories, including their titles, descriptions, estimates, and priorities. You will need estimates for all of your user stories.
Regarding the format, GitHub Codespaces, checkmd, and a Final Check with an asciinema session, all of those requirements of Project 1 are also in effect for Project 2.
Submit the URL via this form: Project 2
Your team completed the first iteration. Despite inexperience with determining estimates, you did complete the all the planned user stories.
For some of the remaining user stories, not part of the first iteration, the customer updated the priorities of 4 user stories. Get new priorities for these user stories:
Now, design a second iteration. Use the principles in the book to decide which of the remaining user stories belong in the second iteration.
Individually, each team member will turn in to Brightspace notes with the following:
Do not assume any dependencies between user stories.
The notes are due by the end of class. They can be a PDF (print to file from a computing device) or a JPG (picture taken via phone).
If you finish early, work on real estimates for your user stories.
Week 6 Class 11 Tue Sep 30 Posted: Sep 30
After Class
Make and Build Files
There is no current exercise for Make using the Build Files GitHub Classroom Invitation Link. We will do this on Thursday.
Announcements
Career Fair & Class
The career fair is from 10 am to 2 pm. It is 4 hours long, not because students will spend 4 hours attending, but to allow students to fit attendance in between their classes.
Career fair attendance during class time is not an excused absence.
UNIX Commands
I occasionally use UNIX commands in a bash shell to perform development tasks or to point out the results of development tasks. Obviously there is git, but there are a lot of other commands that we use. We just saw diff and patch.
I recommend that you keep a list of these commands with the name, short description, and example of using it. These commands will not be on any exam unless I specifically say they are. However, they may be part of a crossword.
Class
Demo: Patching Linux
Exercise 23: Patching Linux
Follow along with the Patching Linux demo shown in class. Write the commands in order as they are applied in the demo.
For the URLs, copy and paste, or write a shortened form of the URL.
Upload to Brightspace this list of commands. This can be a text file, or an image of the commands written on paper. This is due by the end of class.
Make
$@, $<, and $^srccomplexityThere is a GitHub Classroom Invitation Link in Brightspace for this example (and future exercise). The name is "Build Files".
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Oct 01
As a team, create the first iteration of an iteration plan.
Ideally, we would have enough Team Meeting time to estimate all user stories using Planning Poker. However, we do not. To make up for this, I am providing estimates for the rest of your user stories. Enter the following:
Add these estimates to your user story cards.
The other missing item is the priorities. These come from the customer. To get priorities, select the number of user stories:
Add these priorities to your user stories.
You have 1 developer and a one-month iteration with a 70% velocity.
Use the principles in the book to decide which user stories belong in the first iteration.
Individually, each team member will turn in to Brightspace notes with the following:
Do not assume any dependencies between user stories.
The notes are due by the end of class. They can be a PDF (print to file from a computing device) or a JPG (picture taken via phone).
If you finish early, use planning poker for estimates on the user stories your team did not estimate earlier.
Week 5 Class 10 Thu Sep 25 Posted: Sep 25
After Class
Career Fair & Class
I fully support students attending the career fair. The career fair will take place from 10 am to 2 pm. It is 4 hours long, not because students will spend 4 hours attending, but to allow students to fit attendance in between their classes.
Career fair attendance during class time is not an excused absence.
Announcements:
Shell Tab Completion Complete the entry of a file, directory, and sometimes options using the tab key when the prefix is unique
Then hit the tab key to complete the filename.
Tasks
Class
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Fri Sep 26
As a team, take a user story that has an estimate, and create the tasks for that user story. Then, create the estimate for each task by playing planning poker using the procedure described on pages 48-49 of the book. Go through the estimation process at least one time.
When the team reaches a consensus for the estimate, place the estimate at the bottom of the task, e.g., "Estimate: 1 day" or "Estimate: 3 days".
Individually, each team member will turn in to Brightspace individual notes that include for each round of planning poker:
If the team cannot reach a consensus, table that task and go on to another one.
The notes are due by the end of class. They can be a PDF (print to file from a computing device) or a JPG (picture taken via phone). The notes are for today only. Do not start with the notes from the previous team meeting.
The more you work with the user stories, the more you will find improvements to them. Be sure to make those improvements.
Week 5 Class 9 Tue Sep 23 Posted: Sep 23
Announcements:
Office Hours For today, Office Hours are 10:30 - 10:45 am and 3:15 - 4:15 pm.
Class
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Sep 24
As a team, take a user story that has an estimate, and create the tasks for that user story. Then, create the estimate for each task by playing planning poker using the procedure described on pages 48-49 of the book. Go through the estimation process at least one time.
When the team reaches a consensus for the estimate, place the estimate at the bottom of the task, e.g., "Estimate: 1 day" or "Estimate: 3 days".
Individually, each team member will turn in to Brightspace individual notes that include for each round of planning poker:
If the team cannot reach a consensus, table that task and go on to another one.
The notes are due by the end of class. They can be a PDF (print to file from a computing device) or a JPG (picture taken via phone). The notes are for today only. Do not start with the notes from the previous team meeting.
The more you work with the user stories, the more you will find improvements to them. Be sure to make those improvements.
Week 4 Class 8 Thu Sep 18 Posted: Sep 18
Announcements
Office Hours For both Tuesday this week, Office Hours are 10:30 - 10:45 am and 3:15 - 4:15 pm.
Resume
If you bring a printed copy of your resume to me during my 3:15 - 5 pm extended Office Hours on Thursday, September 18, I will review it and provide suggestions for improvement.
Project 1: Requirements Report
Note the change in due date.
Project 1 asciinema session The asciinema session is after you complete Project 1. Since you are still performing estimation, you are not done with the user stories for Project 1.
So why have some of you submitted your asciinema session?
Estimates
Exercise 14: Commit to Project 1 Repository
First word of the commit message:
Class
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Fri Sep 19
Start by reviewing your user stories, particularly the titles. Titles that do not have an action term, or have a poor action term, will reduce your score on Project 1.
As a team, create estimates for the user stories by using the planning poker procedure described on pages 48-49 of the book.
When the team reaches a consensus for the estimate, place the estimate at the bottom left of the User Story as indicated by the example, e.g., "Estimate: 1 day" or "Estimate: 3 days".
Individually, each team member will turn in to Brightspace individual notes that include for each round of planning poker:
If the team is not able to come to a consensus, table that User Story and go on to another one.
The notes are due by the end of class. They can be in the form of a PDF (print to file from a computing device), or a JPG (picture taken via your phone).
The more you work with the user stories, the more you will find improvements to them. Be sure to make those improvements. Also, you may think of additional user stories. Be sure to add them.
Week 4 Class 7 Tue Sep 16 Posted: Sep 16
Announcements:
Resume
If you bring a printed copy of your resume to my office at 3:15 - 5 pm on Tuesday, September 16, or Thursday, September 18, I will review it and provide suggestions for improvement.
Windows File Explorer & WSL
To open the Windows File Explorer on the current directory in WSL:
The . means the current directory in WSL. You can also open a file explorer.exe Requirements.md. If you open a path it has to be in Linux format, e.g., C:\Users\JohnDoe\Documents would be /mnt/c/Users/JohnDoe/Documents.
Assumptions
I noticed that many of the assumptions mentioned are about the difficulty of implementation. This is not what the book discusses. Instead, they are assumptions about what the user story means. The only person who can answer those assumptions is the customer.
From now on, label assumptions about the user story as assumptions and assumptions about implementation as implementation.
Dependencies
I see a lot of user story estimates where the assumptions include the completion of a previous user story. This is a dependency. Avoid dependencies at all costs. For example, Add … does not have to be completed before Delete …. Obviously there will be some dependencies, but they are to be at the user-story level, not the implementation level.
Class
Exercise 14: Commit to Project 1 Repository
Following the procedure given in the assignment and demonstrated in class, contribute at least one commit to the Project 1 repository. This must be a valid and useful commit.
git CLI to make the commit. You can do this wherever you have the repository cloned. You can even do this in a GitHub Codespacegit commits:
You can see your commit messages with the git log command.
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Sep 17
Your management is concerned that your team does not have a complete set of user stories. The first problem is low recall, i.e., the team is not capturing all the user stories the customer needs. The second problem is that without not enough work, the organization will have to let some of the team members go cut everybody's pay.
The customer met with their team and returned with a list of potential user-story titles. These possible new user stories fall into one of the following categories:
Each team member will fill out the form for your team:
Create a new user story, or multiple user stories, for each of these valid potential user stories. This includes fixing any title issues and adding a description. Also, take this time to fix any existing user stories.
If you have any additional time, then create more estimates. As you did before, keep track of details for the next team meeting when you will submit any estimate details.
There is nothing to upload for this exercise. Complete the provided form.
Week 3 Class 6 Thu Sep 11 Posted: Sep 11
After Class
Announcements:
2025 CEPS Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Computing Career Fair September 30 (Tuesday) from 10am to 2pm in Student Union. Pre-registration is open through Monday, Sept. 15, at 11:55 pm.
If you bring a printed copy of your resume to me during my Office Hours or Advising Hours on Tuesday, September 16, or Thursday, September 18, I can review it and provide suggestions for improvement.
Exercise 13: Team User Story Estimates
In grading, I did not consider the user story titles. I will do so after the team assignment for today.
Similar Action Words
Many action words are similar in meaning, but can vary in specificity or in details that they imply.
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Delete | Remove | "Delete" often implies a permanent action, while "Remove" can be less final or reversible |
| Approve | Accept | "Approve" sounds authoritative, while "Accept" is more general |
| Invite | Connect | "Invite" is very specific, suggesting a request for participation, whereas "Connect" is broader |
| Create | Add | "Create" is making something new, whereas "Add" can mean including something that already exists |
| Subscribe | Register | "Subscribe" is ongoing engagement, while "Register" is often a one-time action |
| Approve | Validate | "Approve" is a decision or permission, while "Validate" suggests checking or confirming correctness |
| Merge | Link | "Merge" is combining into one, whereas "Link" connects them without combining |
| Submit | Send | "Submit" is submission to a process, while "Send" is transferring information |
| Stop | Pause | "Stop" is final, while "Pause" is temporary |
| Cancel | Stop | "Cancel" is preventing something from starting or finishing, whereas "Stop" is halting an ongoing action |
Note that the customer may not realize the difference between these terms, and say one when they mean the other.
Class
Exercise 12: Create Project 1 Repository
Create your Project 1 Repository from GitHub classroom. Log into GitHub, then use the link on Brightspace to create your repository.
As you use the link, it will ask you to select your UA username (email address) from the list. Please do so carefully, and do not select the wrong email.
This is due by 3 pm on Monday, Sep 15
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Fri Sep 12
Project 1 is due Monday, September 22 Wednesday, September 24 at 11:59:59 pm, in the file Requirements.md in a GitHub Classroom repository. You will need a GitHub account. Once you have an account, an invitation link to create the repository is on the Brightspace course page.
At your place of work, you need to submit a formal report describing the project's current state. Write a report of your individual and team activities, including these primary sections:
1. User Stories
User Stories with title, description, estimate, and space for priority
This will be shown to the customer. This section should not contain any information that a customer should not see.
2. General Process
Details of the overall process and procedure that created the Estimates
This will be shown to the customer, so only data on the User Story cards from section 1 should be shown.
3. Background Data
Details on spread, assumptions, issues, etc.
How did the team interaction work, and what did and did not work well
This will not be shown to the customer. It is for your supervisor.
In other words, the report describes all the work and processes followed while creating the user stories and their estimates. The details of the general process and the general observations in Section 3 are in the form of a narrative, i.e., describe what you did, how you did it, and the result, ordered by time. The report's tone is professional, with a clear, consistent presentation.
The team created the User Stories and Estimates, but this report is an individual project. In your account, make changes to User Stories if they do not follow the guidelines given in the book. These changes are especially crucial for the Title and the Description. Split User Stories if the Estimate is too large. Explain any changes in your report.
The report uses plain-text formatting syntax Markdown. Markdown is an almost universal format for text formatting in software development. Due to its direct conversion to HTML, Markdown has replaced HTML and other plain-text formatting languages in SE.
You will use git to work on your report. Assuming a username of jdoe@uakron.edu, the steps are as follows:
jdoe@uakron.edu
Note: All commits must have non-blank commit messages. Any non-blank commit messages will not be accepted, leading to a 0 on the entire project.
A GitHub Codespace is available for this project. See the guide GitHub Codespaces.
After you have committed your final change to the project, you must run your report through a report check to see if it follows many of the Markdown requirements of the project. To do so, create a GitHub Codespace for the project. When in there, enter the command:
You should see a clean report. If it finds anything, fix it and rerun the checkmd command.
The checkmd is a custom command created for this project to verify specific Markdown requirements. A clean run does not mean you have nothing wrong with your project.
Upload an terminal session of your report successfully passing the checkmd program.
To demonstrate this, you will record a terminal session using asciinema. It records the commands you enter and the output the command produces. asciinema is already installed in the GitHub Codespaces image. You can also install asciinema on Linux/WSL/macOS.
asciinema is relatively straightforward to use.
You can play, pause, skip, etc. You can also copy the commands as text. Note that the replay even includes your pauses and any delay as the command is run.
At the end of the terminal session, asciinema will show a URL. Anybody can use this URL to view the session. This is what you will submit for the exercise to the link in the exercise title. The URL should not contain "connect" or be a local file. Test your URL in a browser; an incorrect URL will receive a 0.
Submit the URL via this form: Project 1
The report content, format, and involvement in team activities are all considered for your score.
Think carefully about how you present the report, including using Markdown. Remember, the User Stories form an unordered set, not an ordered list.
Start by reviewing your user stories, particularly the titles. Titles that do not have an action term, or have a poor action term, will be counted off on your score for this exercise.
As a team, create estimates for the user stories by using the planning poker procedure described on pages 48-49 of the book.
When the team reaches a consensus for the estimate, place the estimate at the bottom left of the User Story as indicated by the example, e.g., "Estimate: 1 day" or "Estimate: 3 days".
Individually, each team member will turn in to Brightspace individual notes that include for each round of planning poker:
If the team is not able to come to a consensus, table that User Story and go on to another one.
The notes are due by the end of class. They can be in the form of a PDF (print to file from a computing device), or a JPG (picture taken via your phone).
The more you work with the user stories, the more you will find improvements to them. Be sure to make those improvements. Also, you may think of additional user stories. Be sure to add them.
Week 3 Class 5 Tue Sep 09 Posted: Sep 09
Announcements:
Action-Oriented Titles
The primary goal of user stories is to capture a specific need or goal of a user in the context of software development. It's about "what the user wants to do" or "achieve" with the software.
Benefits of Action-Oriented Titles:
User Story Titles and the Number Grammatical Category
Strongly consider using a title with a singular noun for a user story, instead of a title with a plural noun, because it emphasizes the atomic nature of the action.
| Plural | Singular |
|---|---|
| Upload Documents | Upload a Document |
| Send Messages | Send a Message |
| Add Products to Cart | Add a Product to the Cart |
| Register for Events | Register for an Event |
| View Notifications | View a Notification |
| Search for Jobs | Search for a Job |
In general, user stories with singular titles are going to be easier to implement. There can be exceptions, as "View Notifications" may be simpler than "View a Notification" due to not having to select just one.
The most important aspect is clarity and understanding. If "Purchase Clothes" effectively communicates the intent without ambiguity and your team finds it more natural, it's also acceptable. The choice between singular and plural should ultimately be guided by what best serves the clarity and focus of the story in your context.
Class
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Sep 10

Your team is to correct the current user stories and increase the number of user stories. Very carefully go over your user titles and descriptions. Add more user stories and see what you are missing.
The number of user stories per teams was 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Under 9 is way too few. Greatly increase the number.
Remember to split any user stories that you can. Apply the "and" rule.
In addition to the team work of extracting user stories from the app description, each team member will turn in to Brightspace individual notes that includes:
The individual notes are due by the end of class uploaded to Brightspace. They can be in the form of a PDF (print to file from a computing device), or a JPG (picture taken via your phone).
Do not upload a photo of all your user stories This will result in a very low score for the exercise. Follow the directions for the individual notes.
Week 2 Class 4 Thu Sep 04 Posted: Sep 04
After Class
I am not sure that I announced Exercise 7: HFSD Chapter 2 p42 User Story Interview, so it will be due after the next class.
If you are reading this and haven't completed it, go ahead and do so.
Announcements:
Exercise 3: App Idea The feedback on Tuesday for this exercise included "If you fail to fix your issues or view your feedback by 3 pm on Wed Sep 03 I will change your score to a 0". Viewing feedback on an assignment is part of the exercise and project process. If you did not fix your issues or view the feedback, I changed your score to a 0.
Pattern Recognition
Pattern recognition and adaptation are essential skills in software development. This involves closely following examples while adjusting them to fit specific needs, whether working with APIs, formatting code, handling data, or configuration. Lacking this skill can complicate development, introduce bugs, and waste development time.
For the first team exercise, Exercise 6: Teams, the instructions clearly state to attach a file with the name members.csv. Here is the list of attachment file names I received:
As far as the content of the file:
Correct format:
Missing field name row:
Spaces that are not part of the data:
Quotes everywhere:
Wrong section format:
Very wrong section format:
Duplicate emails:
This is not even mentioning the lack of a EOL at the EOF.
Note For those teams who did not attach the file members.csv, you can make it up by sending me a new email. The contents of members.csv must be exactly the same as the previous attachment.
Class
Exercise 7: HFSD Chapter 2 p42 User Story Interview
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Fri Sep 05

Each Team is assigned a separate App with the description in Brightspace.
As a Team, create as many User Stories as you can for that app from the app description. For now, this is just the Title and the Description. The Title is just an action that a user can perform. The Description is from 1 to 3 sentences that describes what that action is. Follow the examples given in the book.
The User Stories are written on the provided index cards. I will provide a folder for you to put the cards in as I will collect the cards at the end of class.
In addition to the team work of extracting user stories from the app description, each team member will turn in to Brightspace separate, individual notes that include:
The individual notes are due by the end of class uploaded to Brightspace. They can be in the form of a PDF (print to file from a computing device), or a JPG (picture taken via your phone).
Week 2 Class 3 Tue Sep 02 Posted: Sep 02
Announcements:
Exercise 3: App Idea I posted scores and feedback in Brightspace
View your feedback even if you got a 10 / 10. In some cases, a 10/10 does not mean there was nothing wrong.
Fix any issues that I identified.
If you fail to fix your issues or view your feedback by 3 pm on Wed Sep 03 I will change your score to a 0
Exercise 4: HFSD Chapter 1 Sharpen Your Pencil - Results
Class
Exercise 5: HFSD Chapter 1 Crossword
Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Sep 03
Form a team of 4 members. The final team composition is at the discretion of the instructor.
After forming a team, your team needs to decide on a name from the following choices:
Pick at least 4 names.
Send Dr. Collard and Mr. Iddrisu an email with the following:
CPSC480-010 Teammembers.csv, in the CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format. Use the following as an example:
Firstname,Lastname,Email,Section,Team
John,Doe,johndoe@uakron.edu,010,Harpo
Jane,Doe,janedoe@uakron.edu,010,Harpo
Brian,Doe,briandoe@uakron.edu,010,Harpo
Suzy,Doe,suzydoe@uakron.edu,010,Harpo
Harpo
Moe
Yoda
Zeppo
The purpose of a team is not just to divide the work but also to meet a required level of quality. All members of the team must check any team assignment in this course. You, as a team, are responsible for these directions. Any emails sent as part of an assignment (including exercises) must have the correct subject, CC list, and contents. Exercises are not accepted and do not receive points if they do not have the proper form and content.
The exercise is due by the end of class.
Week 1 Class 2 Thu Aug 28 Posted: Aug 28
Announcements:
Class
Exercise 3: App Idea - Submit via Brightspace in PDF form. Due by 3 pm on Mon, Sep 1
All applications start with an idea or a need. As a user, write a description of an application. The description should include who would use it and its features. The application can be one that you create yourself or an existing program.
Guidelines:
Comments:
Week 1 Class 1 Tue Aug 26 Posted: Aug 26
Announcements
Exercises
Exercise 2: Software Development Diagram
Draw the Software Development Diagram that I present in class. Upload a PDF or JPG through Brightspace.
All exercises are due by 3 pm on Wed Aug 27
Greetings and welcome to CPSC 480 Software Engineering (SE) section 010 for Fall 2025.
See you on Tuesday, Aug 26 at 9:15 - 10:30 am in (CAS) room 134