VirtualProgrammingLab-VPL.md

Virtual Programming Lab - VPL

Here are the steps to download, install, and configure Virtual Programming Lab (VPL) for Moodle, and how to set up a simple "Hello World" assignment for students.

1. Download and Install VPL Plugin for Moodle

Step 1: Download VPL Plugin

1. Go to the Moodle plugins directory.
2. Download the latest version of the Virtual Programming Lab (VPL) plugin for your Moodle version.

Step 2: Install VPL on Moodle

1. Log in to your Moodle site as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Site administration > Plugins > Install plugins.
3. Upload the VPL plugin file you downloaded (ZIP file) and click Install plugin from the ZIP file.
4. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Step 3: Configure VPL

1. After installation, navigate to Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > VPL.
2. Configure the VPL execution server (optional, but needed for actual code execution). If you want to run the VPL server:
   • Install the VPL server on a separate machine or the same server. Detailed instructions can be found here.
   • Configure the execution server in Moodle using the server’s IP address and port.

2. Prepare the Assignment Question (TEACHER)

The assignment question will be the same for both Python and C++:

Assignment:
Write a program that calculates the sum of the following numbers: 123 + 234 + 43352 and prints the result.

Expected Output:
43709

2.1. Steps to Add the Question in Moodle VPL for Python and C++

Step 1: Create a New VPL Activity

1. Log in to your Moodle site as a teacher.
2. Go to the course where you want to add the assignment and Turn editing on.
3. In the section where you want to place the assignment, click Add an activity or resource.
4. From the list, select Virtual Programming Lab (VPL).

Step 2: Configure the Assignment

1. Name the activity (e.g., "Sum Calculation in Python and C++").

2. In the Description field, provide instructions like:

   • Description for Python: "Write a Python program that calculates the sum of 123, 234, and 43352, and prints the result."
   • Description for C++: "Write a C++ program that calculates the sum of 123, 234, and 43352, and prints the result."

3. Under the Submission restrictions section, select both Python and C++ as allowed programming languages.

4. In the Grade section, set up your grading method and assign the maximum grade.

Step 3: Configure VPL Execution Files (for Python and C++)

To ensure that students' code is evaluated, you will add an evaluation file.

1. In the Execution options tab:

   • Enable Run to allow students to run their programs.
   • Enable Evaluation if you want the assignment to be automatically graded.

2. In the Execution files tab:

   • Click Create a new file and name it vpl_evaluate.cases.

3. Add the following content to vpl_evaluate.cases to check if the output is correct:

   For Python:

   output == "43709\n"

   For C++:

   output == "43709\n"

4. Save the vpl_evaluate.cases file and the overall assignment.

Step 4: Add Sample Code (Optional)

You can also provide students with a sample template for Python and C++ to help them get started.

• For Python:

  # Python program to calculate sum of 123 + 234 + 43352
  result = 123 + 234 + 43352
  print(result)

• For C++:

  // C++ program to calculate sum of 123 + 234 + 43352
  #include <iostream>
  using namespace std;
  
  int main() {
      int result = 123 + 234 + 43352;
      cout << result << endl;
      return 0;
  }

You can add these snippets in the Instructions or as a Preloaded code in the VPL interface if you want to guide students.

Step 5: Finalize and Test

1. Save and return to the course.
2. Test the activity by submitting the code as a student to ensure that both the Python and C++ code are evaluated correctly and produce the expected output.

Summary:

• Assignment: Calculate the total of 123 + 234 + 43352.
• Languages: Python and C++.
• Steps: Add the VPL activity, configure execution options, add evaluation cases, and optionally provide sample code.

Let me know if you need any further customizations or additional test cases!

Here's how students can answer the assignment in Moodle using VPL:

3 Steps for Students to Answer the VPL Assignment

3.1. Access the Assignment

1. Log in to Moodle as a student.
2. Navigate to the course where the assignment has been posted.
3. Find the VPL activity (e.g., "Sum Calculation in Python and C++") and click on it.

3.2. Read the Instructions

1. Review the assignment instructions provided by the teacher:
   • Task: Write a program that calculates the sum of 123 + 234 + 43352 and prints the result.
   • Languages: The assignment can be answered in either Python or C++.

3.3. Write the Code

1. Click Edit to begin writing your program.
2. Select the programming language (either Python or C++) from the dropdown menu.

3.4. Write the Code for Python

If the student selects Python, they should write the following code:

# Python program to calculate sum of 123, 234, and 43352
result = 123 + 234 + 43352
print(result)

3.5. Write the Code for C++

If the student selects C++, they should write the following code:

// C++ program to calculate sum of 123, 234, and 43352
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    int result = 123 + 234 + 43352;
    cout << result << endl;
    return 0;
}

3.6. Save and Run the Code

1. After writing the code, the student can click on Save.
2. To test their program, click on Run.
   • The output window will display the result of the program. For this assignment, the expected result is 43709.

3.7. Submit the Assignment

1. Once satisfied with the result, the student clicks Submit to turn in the assignment for grading.
   • The system may automatically evaluate the submission if the teacher enabled auto-grading with test cases (like checking for the output "43709").

Summary for Students:

• Python code: Write a script that prints the sum of 123, 234, and 43352.
• C++ code: Write a program using cout to print the sum of the numbers.
• Steps: Write the code, run it to test the result, and submit it.

Students should see their output and grades once they have submitted the assignment successfully. Let me know if you need more details!