Homework8


Overview

Deadlines:
Hw8 Reading and Checkpoints deadline Mon 11-Mar at 8pm
Hw8 Main deadline Sat 16-Mar at 8pm
Hw8 Late deadline (see syllabus for details) Mon 18-Mar at 8pm
Notes:
  1. This is the full hw8 assignment! Note that we previously pre-released a few of these problems from Unit 4.
  2. For any problem marked with a *: We will be solving these problems in lecture, as noted below, though laptops and cameras will be disallowed (as usual) so you will only be able to get the points if you understand what we do enough to write a solution yourself.
  3. The same basic rules as hw1 apply here.
  4. Be sure to read this entire write-up before starting!
  5. Do not use recursion or any topics not covered in or before Week8.

Part 1: Solo Reading and Checkpoints

This part only concerns reading and checkpoints, and not code tracing or exercises (those are assigned below). Read all the notes and carefully complete all checkpoints up to and including section 5.3.3. Some checkpoints require writing code, so start early.

Part 2: Collaborative CS Academy Exercises

This part is collaborative, as explained in the syllabus. Collaboration is not required but is encouraged. Be sure to properly cite your collaborators!

Complete (with green checks) the following:

Part 3: Solo CS Academy Exercises

This part is entirely solo. It is not collaborative. See the syllabus for details.

Complete (with green checks) the following:

Part 4: Lecture Attendance

Because we made this assignment lighter than usual and will be using lecture time to solve some of the problems we would have otherwise assigned, we will take attendance in lecture, and each unexcused absence in lecture will result in a -15pt deduction from Hw8.
However, Friday Collab is canceled this week. Our TAs need time to grade your wonderful projects. This means you should not come to class on Friday, and your Hw8 points will only come from Parts 2, 3, 5, and 6.

Part 5: Solo Writing Session

The writing session for this hw will occur in lecture on the Tuesday after the hw deadline.

Part 6: Style grading

Heads-up: Your Hw8 will be graded for good style during Week 9, and style will account for 10% of the available points in Hw8. The best way to earn those points is to carefully review and follow the style checklist in CS Academy and deliberately keep your code clean and readable as you write it. You may ask general questions about style through Ed and OH, but note that we will not answer most grading-related questions like "will this submission get all the points" or "how much will I lose if I use global variables" etc. Do your best to write clean code and follow the checklist, but remember that is not uncommon to lose some or all style points, and this is ok. (Note that you do not have to add additional test cases, though you may find this useful for non-animation problems.)

No bonus on Hw8

There are no bonus points available on Hw8. Bonus points on homeworks are worth almost nothing, and you already gave us many wonderful creative / bonus features on Project1. Instead of putting hours into bonus problems this week, we want you to invest your time resting up, studying any concepts you still feel shaky on, or spending your time on other worthwhile pursuits.
You may of course add interesting features to 5.3.7 Tetris creative task if you truly wish, but no bonus points will be awarded in Tetris, and the 5 required points will come from implementing the bare minimum features specified in 5.3.7. (We will update the writeup in CS Academy to reflect this, but disregard any mention of bonus points there for now.)