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Web-based Quiz System
About the "data" file...
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Note!
This system is being developed, so anything contained in this
file is subject to massive change without notification. For
more (accurate/timely/insightful/useful) information, you are
encouraged to write to me.
Thanks,
Dan Chaney
(chaney@ms.uky.edu)
The data file actually contains the individual quiz information.
It supports a number of options, formats and input methods. This file
attempts to explain those options but may seem overwhelming to the
new user so you may want to read the more gentle introduction in the
"About.." document.
Having said that...
The data file is a flat ASCII file which is read in a line at a time
with each line being tagged uniquely at the beginning with a one or two
character tag or identifier, followed by a : separator. For example:
Q1: This is the text of the first question
A1: This is the text of the first answer
A2: This is the text of the second answer.
In this example, Q1, A1 and A2 are all tags. The use of the information
on the respective lines is determined according to the tag information.
Notice that the general format of each line is:
tag : information
The tag is an indicator of the type of information on the rest of
the line. Each tag is a single character followed by a number.
The alledgedly canonical list of tags is:
- Qn: A question line
Q1: What is the nature of Man?
- An: An answer line
A1: Man is inherently inquisitive.
A2: Man is inherently dangerous.
A3: Man is most dangerous to himself.
- Rn: The right answer to question 'n'
R1: A3
Note! An addition was made in early March of 1999 to support the
use of 'blank' questions, for those (rare?) occasions when a text line
(see below) needs be displayed without a question being posed. The case
in point was an explanatory paper amid the possible quizzes and
surveys. To use this option, the text of the question field should
read, simply, blank
Q1: blank
- Tn: Text which precedes question 'n'
In this next problem, we will use concepts taken from Chapters 2 through 9
on the fallability of human reasoning.
- Ln: Text which follows or lags behind question 'n'
In this next problem, we will use concepts taken from Chapters 2 through 9
on the fallability of human reasoning.
- Pn: Text which follows answer 'n' (now shown until after the quiz)
Had you read chapter 5, you would have known that 'human fallability'
is not a sufficient excuse for missing this question.
- E0: The email address of the quiz author/grader/instructor.
E0: chaney@ms.uky.edu
Note: The second character of this tag is ignored.
- F0: The full path to any included files.
If this refers to an included HTML file which may include relative links
(as is common with many 'exported' HTML files such as those generated by
Maple), this directory should be below your web page directory (i.e.,
~/public_html) in order to be WWW-readable.
Note: The second character of this tag is ignored.
- U0: The full URL to any included files.
This is the web page address which should correspond to the directory
pointed to be the F0 line.
Note: The second character of this tag is ignored.
Quiz-content lines (Q, A, T and P lines) may actually reference data from
other files using the {include:filename} method. Instead of placing
lengthy questions within the data file, you may choose to include the
data from a different file. To use the include file method, you
will need to either specify the entire path in the filename field
(i.e.,{include:/u/disk3/staff/chaney/wqs/quiz1/question1.txt}) or
set the common directory for all the included files using the F0 tag.
A common use for the include method allows the quiz-writer to
incorporate HTML files which have been generated from other programs.
Care should be taken when using generated files to insure any pictures
or relative references in the generated HTML will be accessible from
the web for remote users. An example of this is given in the bottom of
the "About.." document.