[PRL] Running a Racket-based web app at CCIS

[Matthias Felleisen]

> At long last, I think I am ready to deploy a template-testing web app, like the ones that Ian and Fabian have written.  The idea is that the student goes to a web page where he or she is presented with a data definition, and he or she has to write the correct template.  The program then shows the student some feedback.



Sorry for the late response. 


On Jul 17, 2013, at 4:49 PM, Mitchell Wand wrote:

> 1.  Is there any machine at CCIS where I can deploy a Racket-based web app like the ones described at http://docs.racket-lang.org/web-server/ ?


Let's ask Eli when he gets back. He has a new machine for serving Racket stuff. Alternatively, Shriram uses some Google app framework for WeScheme and appears to be happy with it. 


> 2. On a related note, is there a web app that will display a nice auto-indenting editor box, rather than a plain old text box?

See the Bootstrap/wescheme editor: http://www.wescheme.org/openEditor

I believe they are reusing an open-source project in JS. 


> 3. Is there anybody here who would like to help me get this going?


;; --- 

As I may have mentioned to you, the idea of doing template checking and even automated template creation is as old as the design recipe. (Joe Warren at Rice asked for it when he took over my course.) My reasoning is that 
 -- 1. students must learn to come up with it 
 -- 2. it is supposed to be a helpful crutch and should not burden them. 
	If they get the code right as if they had written down some form of template, I am happy. 
Students seem to think it is overhead because they are not good at editing these things (copy, paste, fill in) so any extra work with templates will probably just make them hate it more. I'd much rather have it sink in one way or the other. 

-- Matthias

p.s. I do recognize the possibility that students hate it because they don't have a tool that checks it for them. This is an possible hypothesis and we should consider testing it (and should even consider getting an NSF/EHR grant on that.) 



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