CSC/ECE 517 Fall 2018 E1836 Refactor quiz questionnaires controller.rb
E1836. Refactoring quiz_questionnaires_controller.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.
Problem Statement
The following tasks were accomplished in this project:
- Created quiz_questionnaire_controller.rb
- Moved view_quiz, new_quiz, create_quiz_questionnaire, edit_quiz and update_quiz from questionnaires_controller.rb, to quiz_questionnaires_controller.rb, and renamed it as view, new, create, edit and update respectively.
- Refactored the the long methods in questionnaires_controller.rb, such as create and create_questionnaire, update quiz, valid quiz, etc.
- Replaced switch statements in questionnaires_controller.rb with subclass methods.
- Created models for the subclasses.
- Removed hardcoded parameters, such as save_choice method.
- Appropriate tests were written to test the code.
Implementation
Problem 1: Create quiz_questionnaire_controller.rb and move some of the methods in the questionnaires_controller.rb to the new file created.
- Solution: The methods view_quiz, new_quiz, create_quiz, edit_quiz and update_quiz in the questionnaires_controller.rb were the methods identified and moved into the quiz_questionnaire_controller.rb. They were respectively renamed as view, new, create, edit and update. The implementation of the newly created quiz_questionnaire_controller.rb can be seen below.
class QuizQuestionnairesController < QuestionnairesController
#=========================================================================================================
# Separate methods for quiz questionnaire
#=========================================================================================================
# View a quiz questionnaire
def view
@questionnaire = Questionnaire.find(params[:id])
@participant = Participant.find(params[:pid]) # creating an instance variable since it needs to be sent to submitted_content/edit
render :view
end
# define a new quiz questionnaire
# method invoked by the view
def new
valid_request = true
@assignment_id = params[:aid] # creating an instance variable to hold the assignment id
@participant_id = params[:pid] # creating an instance variable to hold the participant id
assignment = Assignment.find(@assignment_id)
if !assignment.require_quiz? # flash error if this assignment does not require quiz
flash[:error] = "This assignment does not support the quizzing feature."
valid_request = false
else
team = AssignmentParticipant.find(@participant_id).team
if team.nil? # flash error if this current participant does not have a team
flash[:error] = "You should create or join a team first."
valid_request = false
else
if assignment.topics? && team.topic.nil? # flash error if this assignment has topic but current team does not have a topic
flash[:error] = "Your team should have a topic."
valid_request = false
end
end
end
if valid_request && Questionnaire::QUESTIONNAIRE_TYPES.include?(params[:model])
@questionnaire = Object.const_get(params[:model]).new
@questionnaire.private = params[:private]
@questionnaire.min_question_score = 0
@questionnaire.max_question_score = 1
render :new
else
redirect_to controller: 'submitted_content', action: 'view', id: params[:pid]
end
end
# seperate method for creating a quiz questionnaire because of differences in permission
def create
valid = QuizQuestionnaire.valid
if valid.eql?("valid")
@questionnaire = Object.const_get(params[:questionnaire][:type]).new(questionnaire_params)
# TODO: check for Quiz Questionnaire?
if @questionnaire.type == "QuizQuestionnaire" # checking if it is a quiz questionnaire
participant_id = params[:pid] # creating a local variable to send as parameter to submitted content if it is a quiz questionnaire
@questionnaire.min_question_score = 0
@questionnaire.max_question_score = 1
author_team = AssignmentTeam.team(Participant.find(participant_id))
@questionnaire.instructor_id = author_team.id # for a team assignment, set the instructor id to the team_id
@successful_create = true
save
save_choices @questionnaire.id
flash[:note] = "The quiz was successfully created." if @successful_create == true
redirect_to controller: 'submitted_content', action: 'edit', id: participant_id
else # if it is not a quiz questionnaire
@questionnaire.instructor_id = Ta.get_my_instructor(session[:user].id) if session[:user].role.name == "Teaching Assistant"
save
redirect_to controller: 'tree_display', action: 'list'
end
else
flash[:error] = valid.to_s
redirect_to :back
end
end
# edit a quiz questionnaire
def edit
@questionnaire = Questionnaire.find(params[:id])
if !@questionnaire.taken_by_anyone?
render :edit
else
flash[:error] = "Your quiz has been taken by some other students, you cannot edit it anymore."
redirect_to controller: 'submitted_content', action: 'view', id: params[:pid]
end
end
# save an updated quiz questionnaire to the database
def update
@questionnaire = Questionnaire.find(params[:id])
if @questionnaire.nil?
redirect_to controller: 'submitted_content', action: 'view', id: params[:pid]
return
end
if params['save'] && params[:question].try(:keys)
@questionnaire.update_attributes(questionnaire_params)
for qid in params[:question].keys
@question = Question.find(qid)
@question.txt = params[:question][qid.to_sym][:txt]
@question.save
@quiz_question_choices = QuizQuestionChoice.where(question_id: qid)
i = 1
for quiz_question_choice in @quiz_question_choices
type = @question.type
id = @question.id
QuizQuestionnaire.change_question_types(quiz_question_choice, type, id, i)
i += 1
end
end
end
redirect_to controller: 'submitted_content', action: 'view', id: params[:pid]
end
end
Problem 2: Refactor the long methods in questionnaires_controller.rb, such as create and create_questionnaire, update quiz, valid quiz, etc.
- Solution:
a. Deleted the create_questionnaire method and replaced the call to it in create_quiz_questionnaire with the code of create_questionnaire and is later moved to quiz_questionnaires_controller.rb and the code snippet below is used.
def create
valid = QuizQuestionnaire.valid
if valid.eql?("valid")
@questionnaire = Object.const_get(params[:questionnaire][:type]).new(questionnaire_params)
# TODO: check for Quiz Questionnaire?
if @questionnaire.type == "QuizQuestionnaire" # checking if it is a quiz questionnaire
participant_id = params[:pid] # creating a local variable to send as parameter to submitted content if it is a quiz questionnaire
@questionnaire.min_question_score = 0
@questionnaire.max_question_score = 1
author_team = AssignmentTeam.team(Participant.find(participant_id))
@questionnaire.instructor_id = author_team.id # for a team assignment, set the instructor id to the team_id
@successful_create = true
save
save_choices @questionnaire.id
flash[:note] = "The quiz was successfully created." if @successful_create == true
redirect_to controller: 'submitted_content', action: 'edit', id: participant_id
else # if it is not a quiz questionnaire
@questionnaire.instructor_id = Ta.get_my_instructor(session[:user].id) if session[:user].role.name == "Teaching Assistant"
save
redirect_to controller: 'tree_display', action: 'list'
end
else
flash[:error] = valid.to_s
redirect_to :back
end
end
b. Moved the large block of for and if statements into method called change_question_types in the quiz_questionnaire model.
def change_question_types(quiz_question_choice, type, id, i)
if type == "MultipleChoiceCheckbox"
if params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][i.to_s]
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][i.to_s][:iscorrect], txt: params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][i.to_s][:txt])
else
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '0', txt: params[:quiz_question_choices][quiz_question_choice.id.to_s][:txt])
end
end
if type == "MultipleChoiceRadio"
if params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][:correctindex] == i.to_s
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '1', txt: params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][i.to_s][:txt])
else
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '0', txt: params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][i.to_s][:txt])
end
end
if type == "TrueFalse"
if params[:quiz_question_choices][id.to_s][type][1.to_s][:iscorrect] == "True" # the statement is correct
if quiz_question_choice.txt == "True"
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '1') # the statement is correct so "True" is the right answer
else
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '0')
end
else # the statement is not correct
if quiz_question_choice.txt == "True"
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '0')
else
quiz_question_choice.update_attributes(iscorrect: '1') # the statement is not correct so "False" is the right answer
end
end
end
end
c. Replaced large block of for and if statements in update with a call to the new change_question_types method.
for quiz_question_choice in @quiz_question_choices
type = @question.type
id = @question.id
QuizQuestionnaire.change_question_types(quiz_question_choice, type, id, i)
i += 1
end
d. Moved export, import, copy_questionnaire_details, and assign_instructor_id to questionaire model.
def copy_questionnaire_details(questions, orig_questionnaire, id)
self.instructor_id = self.assign_instructor_id()
self.name = 'Copy of ' + orig_questionnaire.name
begin
self.created_at = Time.now
self.save!
questions.each do |question|
new_question = question.dup
new_question.questionnaire_id = id
new_question.size = '50,3' if (new_question.is_a? Criterion or new_question.is_a? TextResponse) and new_question.size.nil?
new_question.save!
advices = QuestionAdvice.where(question_id: question.id)
next if advices.empty?
advices.each do |advice|
new_advice = advice.dup
new_advice.question_id = new_question.id
new_advice.save!
end
end
pFolder = TreeFolder.find_by(name: question.set_display_type(display_type))
parent = FolderNode.find_by(node_object_id: pFolder.id)
QuestionnaireNode.find_or_create_by(parent_id: parent.id, node_object_id: id)
undo_link("Copy of questionnaire #{orig_questionnaire.name} has been created successfully.")
redirect_to controller: 'questionnaires', action: 'view', id: @questionnaire.id
rescue StandardError
flash[:error] = 'The questionnaire was not able to be copied. Please check the original course for missing information.' + $ERROR_INFO
redirect_to action: 'list', controller: 'tree_display'
end
end
def export
@questionnaire = Questionnaire.find(params[:id])
csv_data = QuestionnaireHelper.create_questionnaire_csv @questionnaire, session[:user].name
send_data csv_data,
type: 'text/csv; charset=iso-8859-1; header=present',
disposition: "attachment; filename=questionnaires.csv"
end
def import
@questionnaire = Questionnaire.find(params[:id])
file = params['csv']
@questionnaire.questions << QuestionnaireHelper.get_questions_from_csv(@questionnaire, file)
end
def assign_instructor_id
# if the user to copy the questionnaire is a TA, the instructor should be the owner instead of the TA
if session[:user].role.name != "Teaching Assistant"
session[:user].id
else # for TA we need to get his instructor id and by default add it to his course for which he is the TA
Ta.get_my_instructor(session[:user].id)
end
end
3: Replace switch statements with subclasses methods and create models for the subclasses.
- Solution: Moved the switch-case statement from create in questionaire_controller.rb into a method called set_display_type in questionaire model. The following is the code snippet that shows the same.
def set_dispay_type(display_type)
case display_type
when 'Review'
display_type = 'Review'
when 'Metareview'
display_type = 'Metareview'
when 'AuthorFeedback'
display_type = 'Author%Feedback'
when 'CourseSurvey'
display_type = 'Course%Survey'
when 'TeammateReview'
display_type = 'Teammate%Review'
when 'GlobalSurvey'
display_type = 'Global%Survey'
when 'AssignmentSurvey'
display_type = 'Assignment%Survey'
when 'Bookmarkrating'
display_type = 'Bookmarkrating'
end
end
Problem 4: Remove hardcoded parameters, such as save_choice method
- Solution: Hardcoded parameters are removed and necessary constants are defined.
Test Plans
Because the purpose of our project was to better arrange our code, it follows that we also needed to rearrange the tests for that code. We first divided the tests for questionnaires_controller into two test files, questionnaires_controller_spec and quiz_questionnaires_controller_spec and separated the tests for CRUD operations of quiz_questionnaires_controller into the quiz_questionnaires_controller_spec, renaming them from view_quiz, create_quiz and the like to view and create. After this separation of CRUD operation testing, we tested the functionality that we moved out of the controllers into the model including the validation method for the quiz questionnaire. We did not include tests to cover the existing model functions, nor did we test the new set_display_type or change_question_types functions as they are setter methods, which, according to our testing instruction are not worth testing.
The setup for testing was particularly troublesome for the deployment of this project. The tests did not run properly in RubyMine, so it was difficult to ensure they were set up properly, and none of the members of our group have any expertise in rspec testing.
References
- Expertiza on GitHub
- GitHub Project Repository Fork
- The live Expertiza website
- GitHub Pull Request
- Clean Code: A handbook of agile software craftsmanship. Author: Robert C Martin