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Welcome to the Class Wiki!

This is a wiki, essentially a set of connected web pages that can be easily edited by using a special shorthand syntax called Markdown. Github adds its own flavor to Markdown, which is interpreted in Issues, Commits, Wikis... pretty much everywhere. So it's valuable to know how to write on Github.

About Assignments

Each assignment will be delivered as a directory in this repo (not the wiki) that contains a README.md file; for example, the pre-class assignment: 00 -- Brace Yourself. This file will contain all the instructions for the assignment, a list of the minimal requirements, and a list of deliverables. If your work doesn't match the requirements or expected deliverables, it will be rejected. Over time, the assignments will provide fewere and fewer explicit instructions, expecting you to become familiar with the process. Similarly, the requirements and deliverables will be enforced more strictly.

These are the bare minimal instructions you should follow for every assignment. Additional instructions or direction may be provided in the assignment file, but always ensure that you follow these steps:

• Create a Work In Progress (WIP) Issue in the class repository for every assignment
  • Name it according to the assignment name with your name appended, e.g. 00 -- Brace Yourself -- David Rogers
  • If a task list (i.e. check boxes) are provided for you in the assignment file, include them as the description of your WIP Issue
  • If not (as in later assignments), create your own; you will be expected to break down larger tasks into smaller ones
  • Estimate the complexity, difficulty, and risk of each major piece of the assignment with T-shirt sizes: Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L), Extra Large (XL)
• Check off tasks as you finish to demonstrate progress; note the progress bar in the Issues list
• Create a new Work In Progress (WIP) Branch in your TIY-Assignments repository for the assignment
  • Name the branch per the instructions in the assignment; each assignment will list a WIP Branch
  • Ensure that you commit all your work into your WIP Branch only
  • Push that branch to Github regularly to show progress; don't wait until you're "done" to push your work!
• Open a Pull Request (PR) from your WIP Branch to master in your TIY-Assignments repo
  • Add a link to your WIP Issue in a comment on your Pull Request
  • Note that the PR will update automatically as you push more work to the branch
  • Do this step as soon as you have a commit; don't wait until the due date!

Note that some assignments won't involve writing code into your TIY-Assignments repo, but you should still always create a WIP Branch in whatever repo you're working in. Some assignments will be long-running and will span several branches or Pull Requests (PRs). You may also be assigned groups or pairs for certain assignments. The assignment will dictate whether you both need code and branches in your own repos or if you're expected to share repositories for a project. You should always create a WIP Issue in the class repo, though, and link to your work.

Grading Assignments

Your assignments will be graded on a simple scale, represented by Labels. If the work provided:

• Does not match the requirements or contain the deliverables enumerated, your WIP Issue will be marked with the red label.
• Meets the base requirements and contains the deliverables enumerated but demonstrates some misunderstanding:
  • Your WIP Issue will be marked with the yellow label (orange, really, for readability)
  • Feedback for improvement or further study or practice will be provided on the linked PR
• Meets or exceeds the requirements and demonstrates understanding of key concepts:
  • Your WIP Issue will be marked with the green label
  • Feedback for continued improvement may be provided on the linked PR

In any case, your WIP Issue will be reassigned to you to review and close. If you don't review and close your Issue in a timely fashion, I'll start bugging you. If you have further questions about the feedback provided, please ask in a comment on the appropriate issue. If you write me directly via chat, email, Twitter or otherwise, I will probably redirect you to the appropriate issuee anyway.