CSC/ECE 517 Spring 2024 - E2418. Reimplement of due date.rb (Phase 2)

E2418. Reimplement due_date.rb

This page provides a description of the Expertiza based OSS project.

About Expertiza

Expertiza is an open source project based on Ruby on Rails framework. Expertiza allows the instructor to create new assignments and customize new or existing assignments. It also allows the instructor to create a list of topics the students can sign up for. Students can form teams in Expertiza to work on various projects and assignments. Students can also peer review other students' submissions. Expertiza supports submission across various document types, including the URLs and wiki pages.

Project Changes

In this project, the following specific changes were implemented:

• Renamed methods and variables to accurately describe their responsibilities.
• Refactored each method to comply with DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), SRP (Single Responsibility Principle), and other Ruby conventions.
• Overrode the comparator operator for the DueDate class and replace the `deadline_sort` class method.
• Utilized Rails built-in APIs for tasks such as validation, scoping, and database access.
• Conducted code smell checks using Code Climate

These changes aimed to enhance code quality, organization, and adherence to best practices in the Expertiza project.

Current Implementation of DueDate Class

The current implementation of the `DueDate` class can be summarized in a few key points:

Validation of Due Date Format

The class includes a validation method due_at_is_valid_datetime to ensure that the due date is in a valid datetime format. It checks if the due_at attribute is present and attempts to parse it using DateTime.strptime. If parsing fails and raises an ArgumentError, the method adds an error to the due_at attribute indicating that it must be a valid datetime.

Default Permission Handling

The class provides a default_permission method, which retrieves the default permission for a given deadline type and permission type. It accesses the DEFAULT_PERMISSION constant defined in the DeadlineRight module and returns the corresponding permission value.

Current Due Date Retrieval

It offers functionality through the current_due_date method to retrieve the current due date from a list of due dates. This method iterates over the provided due dates and checks if any due date lies in the future compared to the current time. It returns the first future due date encountered, indicating the current due date.

Flag Setting

It includes a set_flag method to set the flag attribute to true for a DueDate instance. This method updates the flag attribute and saves the record to the database.

Due Date Copying

The class implements functionality to copy due dates from one assignment to another using the copy method. It retrieves due dates associated with a given assignment ID, duplicates each due date record, assigns the new parent ID, and saves the duplicated records for the new assignment.

Due Date Setting

Provides a set_duedate method to set due dates for assignments with specified parameters. It creates a new DueDate instance with the provided parameters, including the deadline type, parent assignment ID, round, and saves the record to the database.

Sorting of Due Dates

Implements a method deadline_sort to sort due dates based on the due date attribute. This method sorts the provided list of due dates in ascending order of their due dates, ensuring that due dates without due_at values are placed at the end.

Assignment Round Calculation

Calculates the round of the response within an assignment based on due dates using the done_in_assignment_round method. It retrieves due dates associated with the given assignment ID, sorts them by due date, and iterates over them to determine the round based on the response's creation time.

Next Due Date Retrieval

Offers functionality through the get_next_due_date method to retrieve the next due date for an assignment or topic. Depending on whether the assignment has staggered deadlines, it queries either AssignmentDueDate or TopicDueDate records and returns the next due date after the current time.

The DueDate class in the Expertiza project serves as a pivotal component responsible for managing, validating, and retrieving due dates associated with assignments, encompassing functionalities such as validation of datetime formats, permission handling, and determining the current and next due dates for assignments and topics.

Improvements in the New Implementation of DueDate Class

Renamed methods to describe their responsibility

• Problem: Method names might not have accurately described their functionality, leading to confusion for developers.
• Solution: Method renaming with descriptive names clarified their purpose, improving code readability and comprehension for developers to understand method functionalities without deep code inspection.

Old Code:

def self.current_due_date(due_dates)
..
def self.teammate_review_allowed(student)
..
def self.set_duedate(duedate, deadline, assign_id, max_round)
..
def self.deadline_sort(due_dates)

New Code:

def self.current(due_dates)
..
def self.teammate_review_allowed?(student)
..
def self.set_due_date(duedate, deadline, assign_id, max_round)
..
def self.sort_deadlines(due_dates)

Refactored each method according to DRY, SRP, and other Ruby conventions

• Problem: Methods were potentially repetitive, non-optimized, or didn't adhere to best practices, causing inefficiencies and confusion.
• Solution: Method refactoring according to DRY, SRP, and Ruby conventions optimized the code for clarity, efficiency, and maintainability, ensuring each method has a clear purpose and follows standard practices.

Old Code:

 def self.current(due_dates)
	# Get the current due date from list of due dates
	due_dates.each do |due_date|
  	if due_date.due_at > Time.now
    	current_due_date = due_date
    	return current_due_date
  	end
	end
	# in case current due date not found
	nil
 end

 def self.teammate_review_allowed?(student)
	# time when teammate review is allowed
	due_date = current(student.assignment.due_dates)
	student.assignment.find_current_stage == 'Finished' ||
  	due_date &&
    	(due_date.teammate_review_allowed_id == 3 ||
    	due_date.teammate_review_allowed_id == 2) # late(2) or yes(3)
 end

 def self.copy(old_assignment_id, new_assignment_id)
     duedates = where(parent_id: old_assignment_id)
     duedates.each do |orig_due_date|
   	 ..
     end
 end

 def self.done_in_assignment_round(assignment_id, response)
	..
	 due_dates.reject { |due_date| due_date.deadline_type_id != 1 && due_date.deadline_type_id != 2 }
..
end

New Code:

 def self.current(due_dates)
	 due_dates.detect { |due_date| due_date.due_at > Time.now }
 end

<pre>
 def self.teammate_review_allowed?(student)
	 # time when teammate review is allowed
	 due_date = current(student.assignment.due_dates)
	 student.assignment.find_current_stage == 'Finished' ||
  	 (due_date && [2, 3].include?(due_date.teammate_review_allowed_id))
 end

 def self.copy(old_assignment_id, new_assignment_id)
     where(parent_id: old_assignment_id).each do |orig_due_date|
   	  ..
     end
 end

 def self.done_in_assignment_round(assignment_id, response)
	 ..
	 due_dates.reject { |due_date| ![1, 2].include?(due_date.deadline_type_id) }
..
 end

Utilized Rails built-in APIs for tasks such as validation, scoping, and database access

Old Code:

 def set_flag
	 self.flag = true
	 save
 end
..

 def self.set_due_date(duedate, deadline, assign_id, max_round)
	 submit_duedate = DueDate.new(duedate)
	 submit_duedate.deadline_type_id = deadline
	 submit_duedate.parent_id = assign_id
	 submit_duedate.round = max_round
	 submit_duedate.save
 end

New Code:

 def set_flag
	 update_attribute(:flag, true)
 end
..

 def self.set_due_date(duedate, deadline, assign_id, max_round)
	 submit_duedate = DueDate.new(duedate)
	 submit_duedate.update(deadline_type_id: deadline, parent_id: assign_id, round: max_round)
 end

Overrode the comparator operator for the DueDate class and replaced the `deadline_sort` class method

• Problem: Existing code had a dedicated method for sorting due dates, which violated Ruby conventions.
• Solution: Overrode the <=> operator and defined a new function for sorting due_dates and called that instead.

Old Code:

 def self.sort_deadlines(due_dates)
	 due_dates.sort do |m1, m2|
  	 if m1.due_at && m2.due_at
    	 m1.due_at <=> m2.due_at
  	 elsif m1.due_at
    	 -1
  	 else
    	 1
  	 end
	end
 end

..
def self.done_in_assignment_round(assignment_id, response)
    ..
    sorted_deadlines = sort_deadlines(due_dates)
    ..
end

New Code:

 def <=>(other)
	return nil unless other.is_a?(DueDate)

	if due_at && other.due_at
  	due_at <=> other.due_at
	elsif due_at
  	-1
	else
  	1
	end
 end
..

 def self.done_in_assignment_round(assignment_id, response)
    ..
    sorted_deadlines = due_dates.sort
    ..
end

Test Plan

All the previous test cases pass in the new implementation of the system. The following outlines the NEW scenario and cases to be tested for the <=> functionality within the system:

Sorting Due Dates

• Scenario: Verify that due dates are sorted in the correct order.
• Edge Case: Include due dates with identical timestamps to assess the stability of the sorting algorithm.

 it 'sort duedate records' do
	 sorted_due_dates = @due_dates
	 expect(sorted_due_dates.each_cons(2).all? { |m1, m2| (m1.due_at <=> m2.due_at) != 1 }).to eql false
	 sorted_due_dates = @due_dates.sort
	 expect(sorted_due_dates.each_cons(2).all? { |m1, m2| (m1.due_at <=> m2.due_at) != 1 }).to eql true
 end

All tests passed successfully:

References

1. Expertiza on GitHub
2. GitHub Project Repository Fork
3. The live Expertiza website
4. Expertiza project documentation wiki
5. Rspec Documentation
6. Clean Code: A handbook of agile software craftsmanship. Author: Robert C Martin