Modify assignment deadlines in the past

[joelnw]

issue

Issue

What you were trying to do ?

I tried to modify an assignment's deadline.

What happened (include screenshot if you can) ?

I accidentally modified a previous assignment's deadline, and it isn't possible to change the deadline back if the original deadline was in the past. The instructor should be able to specify any deadline regardless of whether it is in the future or the past.

Step-by-step reproduction instructions

Create an assignment with a deadline in the future. Deadline passes. [Accidentally] modify assignment deadline to future again. Try to modify assignment deadline to the original deadline (which is in the past).

Feature request ✨

Allow deadlines to be in the past. (Even if a warning is presented, it should still be allowed).

[d12]

Hey @joelnw ,

Unfortunately we can't set deadlines in the past or change a deadline to be in the past due to how their implemented.

When a deadline passes, Classroom fetches the sha of each student's default branch and saves that as the submission. If we set a deadline in the past, the only way we could fetch SHAs would be to use Git datetimes, which can be modified and shouldn't be trusted.

Is there another way you can think of this being implemented?

[joelnw]

Ahh yes, I suppose that does make sense. However, in my case, if the date was accidentally modified, it would still be useful to set this in the past and use the git datetime (even though that shouldn't be trusted) because that is all I would have to go off of now and would end up having to do that manually anyway.

It may be nice to at least allow the date to be set back with a warning to the instructor that the datetimes may not be trusted.

[johndbritton]

I think a better solution to this issue is implementing multiple deadlines. When a deadline passes it should not be changeable and those shas should be stored permanently and an additional deadline could be created.

[joelnw]

@johndbritton That would actually be a great feature for more than just this issue. That would enable multi-part assignments where the instructor could then enforce that certain parts of the assignment should be done at a given datetime.

[johndbritton]

That would enable multi-part assignments where the instructor could then enforce that certain parts of the assignment should be done at a given datetime.

That's exactly the intention we have and the reason why we set up the single deadline we have now the way it is. This is something we should be able to implement this summer.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. Thank you for your contributions.