DCS grading programs

Quick introduction

This is supposed to be a fast introduction for those who have to figure out the grading programs in the next twenty minutes, because they have to return graded term work in twenty-five minutes.

Typically that means tutors who have just finished marking the first assignment in a course, but anyone else is welcome too.

First

Your instructor sent you mail containing the initial empty grades file. You saved it in a file called "gfile".

Edit gfile to remove the header, and preferably also the trailing blank line that mail programs always attach.

Second

Check that the file is in the right format: 

	glint gfile

Oops

If you get a Unix error saying that glint wasn't found, use its full path name or add its directory to your $path. On the CS Lab "apps" machines, the grading programs are in the directory 

	/p/teach/pkgs/grade
and on CDF, in the directory 
	/u/clarke/pub/gradebin

Oops 2

Glint ran, but it gave error messages. Make sure you removed the mail header. If you did, read "Sending grades files by mail". If you still have problems, consult with your instructor.

Third

If glint ran without complaint, you're ready to enter marks.

Find out the name of the mark you're entering. Suppose it's the first assignment. Look at the grades file: it should have a line near the beginning that says 

	A1 / 10
(or something similar). That means the name of the first assignment is "A1", and it's marked out of 10. If you marked out of something else -- say, 20 -- then:
  1. Think hard: did your instructor say anything about what to mark out of?
  2. Edit the grades file to change the 10 to 20.
Now use genter to put in the marks for A1: 
	genter -m A1 gfile
Genter will prompt you for each student's mark. When you've finished typing the student's mark, press Return (or Enter) to go to the next student. If you discover you forgot someone, control-B or control-U or control-K will get you back to the previous student. If you discover you've completely messed up, pressing your interrupt key (control-C or Delete, typically) will get you out of there, but it will also destroy all the work you did.

Finally

Once again: 

	glint gfile
to see if you did anything obviously silly.

Then mail gfile to your instructor.

Sometime...

You might want to know more about the grading programs. Go back to the longer description.