CSCI E-168

We haven’t had a formal announcement in awhile, so here it is.

(1) Remember: Due date for final projects is Sat., Jan. 19, ideally by 5 PM.

(2) One thing I have been remiss about is the best location for your writeup. Please put it in readme.txt in the root, as you did for assignment 3. If you must use Word, PDF, etc., then still call it readme but use the appropriate file type, e.g., readme.pdf

If you resort to some alternative — for example, using RDoc and then having fully generated RDoc’s — make sure that there is absolute clarity when you hand in so that we know where to look.

Do MAKE SURE that your migrations can create the database from nothing, and be absolutely clear about ANY requirements beyond the defaults — regarding anything that’s not pre-configured / setup in your ZIP, e.g., e-mail settings, database names, and anything else you can think of. As has been the case for the whole semester, we assume Rails 1.2.3. I am aware of the fact that some of you are on 1.2.5 or, gasp, 2.0.x, which we can probably handle, but if there is a serious snag because of versions, it is your problem, not ours.

(3) For the first set of presentations, the attendance was largely people who were presenting either on that date or for tonight; but, really, everyone is invited. I will hang out for an hour afterwards for anyone who has last-minute questions. I’ve been answering a fair number of questions in e-mail which seems to be going well, but if you need more, for instance, using CampFire, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Unless you complain, I will think that everything’s ok.

(4) Also do note that I will try to be online Saturday morning, but at that late date, while I can help, I may not be able to help a lot. I’m sorry about this, but that is part of the peril of leaving things to the last minute.

(5) Tonight’s presenters, starting at 7:35 PM in Sever 308 are:

Louise - Quilt fabric sharing
Steve M. - Web-based management of PC automation
Jason - Office coffee break management
Andrew and Jesse - Cook’s Compass

Below is the schedule for our two meetings of presentations on final projects. Please come to both if you can.

Also: Please note the times and places. Tomorrow evening I will need to leave campus no later than 6:35 to be at the Boston Ruby Group meeting (in Kendall Sq., to which you are all, of course, invited).

If the presentations finish early, I will leave early.

SCHEDULE

(presenters: we will decide on the order at the meetings)

Jan. 8 - Sever 207 - 5:35 PM

Darryl - ASL game scenario and rating system
Tracey - Personal medical tracking
Liana - Audition management
Keith - Library Management

Jan. 16 - Sever 308 - 7:35 PM

Louise - Quilt fabric sharing
Steve M. - Web-based management of PC automation
Jason - Office coffee break management
Andrew and Jesse - Cook’s Compass

John will stick around for the 2nd hour to provide individual help if
it is needed.

First, apologies for those of you who showed up at class last night –
I should have been more clear that there would just be the two
meetings on the 8th and the 16th.

Now, regarding the 8th:

I would actually like to have the presentations starting at 5:35
(rather than 6:35). Let me know if that would be a hardship. (For
those of you who drive, the parking situation may actually be better
because a lot of people leave the square at that time).

I will bring some snacks to make this easier.

Then I would like to actually cancel the in-class hour of consulting
by me. What I will do is provide some on-line time via the Campfire
app.

The reason for this is that the Boston Ruby Group is also that night
(the 8th), and it’s going to be at my office, and I am having a
difficult time finding another tenant in 1 Broadway who can be the
host starting at our normal time. And, of course, everyone in the
course is invited to the Ruby Group meeting: One of the speakers will
be the author of Practical Ruby Projects (this is a different book
from Practical Rails Projects, which seems like a good one).

The upshot:

1. Have presentations at 5:35 not at 6:45: OK?
2. Replace in-person help with on-line.

We have two meetings in the next two weeks.

I’ve asked those who are doing their own projects (other than CCC) to present briefly. The format for presenters will be to talk BRIEFLY about any aspect of your project that interests you: You might demo it; you might talk about something neat that you did; you might show the schema; then we will ask some questions. If you’re nearly done, then this will be great for final tuning. If you’re getting started, then this is a great chance for a “sanity check” before you get too deep in it.

If you are one such, e-mail to me and to Amy separately so we can see who will be on what date. I do know that some of you have told me which date you would prefer, but e-mail us again so we can make a list.

Everyone else: Come to one, or the other, or both, as you see fit.

For each meeting, there will additionally be a second hour when I will hang out in the classroom to answer questions, hear how you’re doing with your final project, etc.

And here are the dates / times / meeting rooms:

Tuesday, Jan. 8, Sever 207:

5:35 - 6:30: I’ll be in the room in person
6:35 - 7:35: Presentations by final project folks

Wednesday, Jan. 16, Sever 308:

7:30 - 8:30: Presentations by final project folks
8:35 - 9:35: I’ll be in the room in person

These meetings places MAY be tweaked at the last minute, according to extension. So keep your eye on e-mail and the course site as the date approaches.