CSC/ECE 517 Spring 2016/Refactor and write unit tests for question type.rb

This wiki page is for the description of changes made under E1608 OSS assignment for Spring 2016, CSC/ECE 517. The assignment task is to refactor & write unit tests for [question_type].rb (eg. criterion.rb).

Problem Statement

Files related

Four models is related: criterion.rb, scale.rb, checkbox.rb, questionnaire_header.rb, upload_file.rb. There are 4 methods “edit”, “view_question_text”, “complete” and “view_completed_question” correspond to different views.

• edit ~> when instructor add/edit new questions
• view ~> when instructor view existed questions
• complete ~> when students do peer reviews
• view_completed_question ~> when student view existed peer reviews

Expertiza question types inheritance hierarchy

• Choice question
  • Scored question
    • Scale
    • Criterion
  • Unscored question
    • Dropdown
    • CheckBox
• TextResponse
  • TextArea
  • TextField
• UploadFile

Files problem

There are some issues in each file, such as security, complexity, duplication, etc. And currently there is no unit tests for [question_type].rb.

Our contribution

• Refactor these [question_type].rb files and fix issues.
• Keep the inputs and outputs of these methods (edit, view, complete, view_completed_question) the same as before.
• Write unit tests for [question_type].rb listed above.
• Create RSpec files for each question type in /spec/models/ folder
• Create multiple tests to check valid and invalid cases, such as input including special character double quote (“”).

Refactor

Criterion.rb

• Method has too many lines: Line 35 - 158 [106/30]

Wrap the specific code into different instance methods.

• Cyclomatic complexity for complete is too high: Line 35 - 158 [28/6]

Wrap the code into different instance methods to reduce cyclomatic complexity

 def complete(count, answer=nil, questionnaire_min, questionnaire_max, dropdown_or_scale)
    if self.size.nil?
      cols = '70'
      rows = '1'
    else
      cols = self.size.split(',')[0]
      rows = self.size.split(',')[1]
    end
    html = '<li><div><label for="responses_' +count.to_s+ '">' +self.txt+ "</label></div>"
    #show advice for each criterion question
    question_advices = QuestionAdvice.where(question_id: self.id).sort_by { |advice| advice.id }
    advice_total_length = 0
    question_advices.each do |question_advice|
      if question_advice.advice && !question_advice.advice == ""
        advice_total_length += question_advice.advice.length
      end
    end
    if question_advices.length > 0 and advice_total_length > 0
       html = complete_show_advice(self, html)
    question_advices.reverse.each_with_index do |question_advice, index|
        html += '<a id="changeScore_>' + self.id.to_s + '" onclick="changeScore(' + count.to_s + ',' + index.to_s + ')">'
        html += (question_advices.length - index).to_s + ' - ' + question_advice.advice + '</a><br/>'
        html += '<script>'
        html += 'function changeScore(i, j) {'
        html += 'var elem = jQuery("#responses_" + i.toString() + "_score");'
        html += 'var opts = elem.children("option").length;'
        html += 'elem.val((opts - j - 1).toString());}'
        html += '</script>'
      end
      html += '</div>'
    end
    if dropdown_or_scale == 'dropdown'
      ## code added  to reduce Cyclomatic Complexity
      html = complete_drop_down(self, html, count, answer, questionnaire_min, questionnaire_max)
    elsif dropdown_or_scale == 'scale'
       html = complete_scale(self, html, count, answer, questionnaire_min, questionnaire_max)
    end
    html.html_safe
  end

• Identical code found in 1 other location: Line 20 - 32 (mass = 89)
• Identical code found in 1 other location: Line 135 - 139 (mass = 50)
• Identical code found in 1 other location Line 13 - 14 (mass = 40)
• Similar code found in 1 other location Line 103 - 105 (mass = 26)
• Similar code found in 2 other locations Line 152 - 153 (mass = 22)
• Similar code found in 3 other locations: Line 130 - 134 (mass = 18)

Scale.rb

• Cyclomatic complexity for complete is too high. Method has too many lines
• Identical code found in 1 other location: line 17-28
• Identical code found in 1 other location: line 50-54
• Identical code found in 1 other location: line 10-11
• Similar code found in 3 other locations: line 60-64

Checkbox.rb

• Method has too many lines.
• Cyclomatic complexity for complete is too high.
• Similar codes in edit method are found in 2 other locations.
• Similar codes in view_question_text method are found in 4 other locations.