GraphSketch Flash Applet Sample Problem 3

Sample Problem with graphSketch.swf embedded

This sample problem shows how to use this versatile applet.

A standard WeBWorK PG file with an embedded applet has six sections:

1. A tagging and description section, that describes the problem for future users and authors,
2. An initialization section, that loads required macros for the problem,
3. A problem set-up section that sets variables specific to the problem,
4. An Applet link section that inserts the applet and configures it, (this section is not present in WeBWorK problems without an embedded applet)
5. A text section, that gives the text that is shown to the student, and
6. An answer and solution section, that specifies how the answer(s) to the problem is(are) marked for correctness, and gives a solution that may be shown to the student after the problem set is complete.

The sample file attached to this page shows this; below the file is shown to the left, with a second column on its right that explains the different parts of the problem that are indicated above. A screenshot of the applet embedded in this WeBWorK problem is shown below:

There are other example problems using this applet:
GraphSketch Flash Applet Sample Problem 1
GraphSketch Flash Applet Sample Problem 2
And other problems using applets:
Derivative Graph Matching Flash Applet Sample Problem
USub Applet Sample Problem
trigwidget Applet Sample Problem
solidsWW Flash Applet Sample Problem 1
solidsWW Flash Applet Sample Problem 2
solidsWW Flash Applet Sample Problem 3
Hint Applet (Trigonometric Substitution) Sample Problem
Other useful links:
Flash Applets Tutorial
Things to consider in developing WeBWorK problems with embedded Flash applets

PG problem file	Explanation
##DESCRIPTION ## understanding derivatives graphically ##ENDDESCRIPTION ##KEYWORDS('derivatives', 'graph','Flash applets','NSF-0941388') ## DBsubject('Calculus') ## DBchapter('Limits and Derivatives') ## DBsection('Derivatives') ## Date('6/12/2012') ## Author('Barbara Margolius') ## Institution('Cleveland State University') ## TitleText1('') ## EditionText1('2012') ## AuthorText1('') ## Section1('') ## Problem1('') ########################################### # This work is supported in part by # the National Science Foundation # under the grant DUE-0941388. ###########################################	This is the tagging and description section of the problem. Note that any line that begins with a "#" character is a comment for other authors who read the problem, and is not interpreted by WeBWorK. The description is provided to give a quick summary of the problem so that someone reading it later knows what it does without having to read through all of the problem code. All of the tagging information exists to allow the problem to be easily indexed. Because this is a sample problem there isn't a textbook per se, and we've used some default tagging values. There is an on-line list of current chapter and section names and a similar list of keywords. The list of keywords should be comma separated and quoted (e.g., KEYWORDS('calculus','derivatives')).
DOCUMENT(); loadMacros( "PGstandard.pl", "AppletObjects.pl", "MathObjects.pl", );	This is the initialization section of the problem. The first executed line of the problem must be the DOCUMENT(); command. Note that every command must end with a semicolon. The loadMacros command loads information that works behind the scenes. For our purposes we can usually just load the macros shown here and not worry about things further.
# Set up problem TEXT(beginproblem()); $showPartialCorrectAnswers = 1; Context("Numeric"); $ans =Compute("1"); $pos = 2; #don't care whether positive or negative $inc = 2; #function should be decreasing $cup = 1; #concave up $xval = -3.5; $yval = random(-2,0,1); $boardMessage = "Sketch a function with positive second derivative through the point shown."; $showMM = 'true'; # don't display x and y ranges	The graphSketch.swf applet will accept settings for whether the function is to be positive or negative, increasing or decreasing, or concave up or concave down. A setting of '1' indicates it must have this behavior, a setting of '0' indicates it must have the opposite of this behavior and a setting of '2' indicates that this behavior is not required. $pos = 2 indicates we don't care whether the function is positive or negative. $inc=2 indicates we don't care whether the function is increasing or decreasing. $cup=1 indicates the function must be concave up. $boardMessage is a pg variable that places a message to the student in the applet generally used to tell them what kind of function to draw. It is a good idea to also provide this information in the pg file text area since help within the applet is context sensitive and the message will not display at all times. $xval = -3.5; and $yval = random(-2,0,1); are used to place a point in the graph window that the student must draw the function through. $showMM = 'true'; displays maximum and minimum x and y values. It also turns the coordinates display on. These features can be seen in the screenshot.
################################### # Create link to applet ################################### $appletName = "graphSketch"; $applet = FlashApplet( codebase => findAppletCodebase("$appletName.swf"), appletName => $appletName, appletId => $appletName, setStateAlias => 'setXML', getStateAlias => 'getXML', setConfigAlias => 'setConfig', getConfigAlias => 'getConfig', maxInitializationAttempts => 5, # number of attempts to initialize applet answerBoxAlias => 'answerBox', height => '550', width => '550', bgcolor => '#ededed', debugMode => 0, submitActionScript => qq{getQE("answerBox").value=getApplet("$appletName").getAnswer() }, );	This is the Applet link section of the problem. Those portions of the code that begin the line with # are comments and can be omitted or replaced with comments appropriate to your particular problem.
################################### # Configure applet ################################### #initialization data - problem setup # $pos - 0 to require negative function # 1 to require positive function # 2 to not require the function to # be either positive or negative # $inc - 0 to require decreasing function # 1 to require increasing function # 2 to not require the function to # be either increasing or decreasing # $cup - 0 to require concave down function # 1 to require concave up function # 2 to not require the function to # be either concave up or concave down # the student can also be required to have the # curve go through one or two points. Syntax is # <pts><pt xval='1' yval='2' showIt='true'/></pts> # to display the point (1,2) and require the # function to go through it # # $boardMessage - instructions to # display in applet. # $showMM - displays x and y ranges. # Not usually needed. Might be # helpful if curve is to go through # particular points.	You must include the section that follows # Create link to applet. If you are embedding a different applet, from the graphSketch applet, put your applet name in place of 'graphSketch' in the line $appletName = "graphSketch";. Enter the height of the applet in the line height => '550', in place of 550 and the width in the line width => '550', in place of 550.
$applet->configuration(qq{<xml> <pos>$pos</pos><inc>$inc</inc> <cup>$cup</cup> <boardMessage>$boardMessage</boardMessage> <showMM>$showMM</showMM> <bland>true</bland></xml>}); $applet->initialState(qq{<xml> <pos>$pos</pos><inc>$inc</inc> <cup>$cup</cup> <boardMessage>$boardMessage</boardMessage> <showMM>$showMM</showMM> <bland>true</bland></xml>});; TEXT( MODES(TeX=>'object code', HTML=>$applet->insertAll( debug=>0, includeAnswerBox=>0, ))); END_TEXT	The lines $applet->configuration (qq{<xml><pos>$pos</pos> <inc>$inc</inc> <cup>$cup</cup> <boardMessage>$boardMessage</boardMessage> <showMM>$showMM</showMM> <bland>true</bland></xml></xml>}); and $applet ->initialState(qq{<xml> (qq{<xml><pos>$pos</pos> <inc>$inc</inc> <cup>$cup</cup> <boardMessage>$boardMessage</boardMessage> <showMM>$showMM</showMM> <bland>true</bland></xml></xml>}); configure the applet. The configuration of the applet is done in xml. $pos, $inc, and $cup, variables are explained above. END_TEXT TEXT( MODES(TeX=>'object code', HTML=>$applet->insertAll( debug=>0, includeAnswerBox=>0, reinitialize_button=>$permissionLevel>=10, ))); actually embeds the applet in the WeBWorK problem.
TEXT(MODES(TeX=>"", HTML=><<'END_TEXT')); <script> if (navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE") > 0) { document.write("<div width='3in' align='center' style='background:yellow'> You seem to be using Internet Explorer. <br/>It is recommended that another browser be used to view this page.</div>"); } </script> END_TEXT	The text between the <script> tags detects whether the student is using Internet Explorer. If the student is using this browser, a warning is issued and the student is advised to use another browser. Older versions of IE mis-sizes the applets. Some will work correctly when displayed at the wrong size, but others will fail. We do not recommend using IE with WeBWorK problems with Flash embedded.
BEGIN_TEXT $BR $boardMessage $BR Press 'score' to check your work. When it is correct, press 'submit answers'. $BR If your graph is close to correct (not much marked red) pressing the 'SMOOTH' button may help. END_TEXT Context()->normalStrings;	This is the text section of the problem. The TEXT(beginproblem()); line displays a header for the problem. Everything between the BEGIN_TEXT and END_TEXT lines (each of which must appear alone on a line) is shown to the student.
############################################################## # # Answers # ## answer evaluators NAMED_ANS('answerBox'=>$ans->cmp()); ENDDOCUMENT();	This is the answer section of the problem. The applet returns a value of '1' if the students sketch is close enough. The sketch will appear in the applet with the incorrect areas marked in red. The screenshot shows a correct sketch. The smooth button was used to get the curve to be as smooth as it is. The screenshot shows a partially drawn graph with x-minimum and maximum values displayed. The coordinate value of the location of the mouse is shown. This is enabled when $showMM is set to 'true'. Drawing through a point and meeting concavity, positivity and/or increasing/decreasing requirements of the sketch maybe somewhat difficult. Make sure you can do the problem that you design yourself before assigning it as homework. The ENDDOCUMENT(); command is the last command in the file.

License

The Flash applets developed under DUE-0941388 are protected under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.