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User guide and installation

nucularmoo edited this page Jun 12, 2018 · 2 revisions

This guide is written to help you get started using the TMC plugin for Qt Creator.

Notifications regarding working environment installation and using the TMC plugin:

12/06/2018 NB! If you have issues with SSL during login, please make sure that you have OpenSSL 1.0. On some platforms OpenSSL 1.1 is not compatible

12/06/2018 NB! 4.6.2 came out so we will be using that since 4.6.1 won't be offered in the installer anymore!

11/06/2018 NB! After downloading and installing Qt 5.11, please DO NOT update it during the duration of this BETA course as doing so will overwrite our plugin install and will require a reinstall

11/06/2018 NB! Currently our plugin will overwrite student (your) files on update, so keep that in mind when updating the exercises

Setting up the working environment

Prerequisites for running the TMC Qt Creator plugin are:

  1. User has the Qt 5.11 and Qt Creator 4.6.2 IDE installed from the online installer.
  2. User has downloaded the TestMyCode plugin for Qt Creator

Retrieving the TestMyCode .zip file

We will be using autotest for testing projects locally before they are submitted to be tested at the TMC server.

Please download the thing from here PLACEHOLDER LINK.

Linux

You can download and install Qt 5.11 and Qt Creator 4.6.2 from qt.io.

Windows

If you are using Windows and have no means of working on this course using a Linux machine, please contact us ASAP on #qt-mooc @ Freenode

Macintosh

If you are using Macintosh and have no means of working on this course using a Linux machine, please contact us ASAP on #qt-mooc @ Freenode

Getting started

Overview

All the functionality related to the TMC plugin for Qt Creator can be found in the dropdown menu named TestMyCode.

Logging in

If you are running the plugin for the first time, you will need to enter the address to the TMC server and logging in using your TMC username and password using the login menu. All other TestMyCode menu options will remain unavailable until you do so.

Setting up

Once you have logged in, you will be able to enter the settings menu to set up your workspace.
To set up your workspace, please select your organization and the course you are participating in.
If you wish to tweak the exercise update interval, feel free to do so.

Downloading and configuring exercises

After setting up your workspace, you are now ready to download the exercises your course has available.

Once you have downloaded and configured the exercises, you are ready to start coding!

Testing and submitting exercises

You may test your code locally at any time using the Test project option.
If your code passes the required local tests, you will be prompted to submit your code to be tested serverside.
If you wish to refactor your code before submitting, you can simply press "Cancel" and submit your code manually or trough local testing at a later time.

Getting started, but with pictures

Menu view

This is what you should see the first time you start up Qt Creator with the TMC plugin.
Before logging in, further options in the menu will be grayed out and the settings menu will be unavailable.

First time menu view

Login window

Logging on to the TMC server is the first and only thing you are able to do at this point.
You will stay logged on until you choose to log out from the settings menu.
Your username will be stored locally, however there is no reason to log out inbetween coding sessions.

Login window

Settings window

The Organization dropdown menu will contain a list of available organizations. You should choose the one that is offering the course that you are taking.
The Current Course dropdown menu will contain a list of available courses. You should choose the one that you have enrolled in.
The Project folder option is where the directory with your downloaded exercises will be located. The TMC plugin will check for new or updated exercises in the background.
The Update interval option will allow you to tweak the interval to your liking.

Settings window

Download window

Tick the exercises you wish to download.

Download window

Download pane

This is where you can monitor the exercise download progress. The window will close on it's own when the downloads have finished.

Download pane

Configuring downloaded projects

Once the project downloads have finished, the plugin will automatically open all the downloaded exercise projects. You are required to configure your downloaded projects.
The last exercise in the list will open in the Configure project view, the rest you will need to configure manually.

Configure project

Unconfigured project

As you can see, the project for Exercise 2 is unconfigured after loading.
You may click the link in the Mode manager to configure the project.
Alternatively you can configure your unconfigured projects by clicking the Projects button in the menu above the Mode manager.

Unconfigured project

Configured active project

You are able to choose your active project using the Mode manager as shown.
Testing will be done to the project that is active at time.
Shown below is Exercise 1 as the active project.

Configured active project

Tested and ready to submit

We have successfully tested our project locally, which may now be submitted to be tested on the TMC server.
The TMC Results pane shows you the results of your local testing, passed/failed tests and points attached for the exercise.
Please note that the local tests only show the points expected.
Points will not be awarded until tests run and pass server side.

Tested and ready to submit