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   12 <BLOCKQUOTE>
   13    <H2>Help for Prof Classlist Page</H2>
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   15 
   16 <UL>
   17 <LI> <STRONG>The difference between the classlist database and classlist files:</STRONG>
   18 
   19 WeBWorK, with one exception on the send email page, never works directly with a classlist file. It only uses
   20 information in the classlist database.  Classlist files are only used as a convenient
   21 way to update the classlist database when making large changes.  Most changes (e.g.
   22 changing a student's name or recitation or login) will be made directly to the database
   23 using methods below (adding a new student is done from the add student page). However,
   24 if you are making extensive changes, it is convenient to use a spreadsheeet program such
   25 as Excel or maybe you want to use an updated classlist from your registrar.  Usually the
   26 procedure is as follows: <BR><BR>
   27 (1) lock the classlist database so e.g. a student can not
   28 change their email address while you are working on the database<BR>
   29 (2) export the classlist database to a classlist file giving youself a current version<BR>
   30 (3) download the classlist file to your personal computer<BR>
   31 (4) make any changes you want<BR>
   32 (5) upload the classlist file to the server<BR>
   33 (6) import the classlist database from the classlist file being careful to select the options you want<BR><BR>
   34 
   35 If for example, you want to use an updated classlist from your registrar, be careful NOT to
   36 update the email address since email addresses in the database have most likely been changed by
   37 students to reflect addresses they really use.  If you are using an updated classlist from your
   38 registrar, you would do steps (1), (5), and (6). Even though it breaks the symetry, imporing
   39 the database automatically unlocks it. <p><p>
   40 
   41 On the send email page, you can directly use a classlist file to send email to selected students.  For
   42 example I have a test_email.lst file with about 8 real students except that I have changed all the
   43 email addresses to my own email address.  Then if I want to send email to 300 students telling them exam and
   44 final grades using a merge file, I first send email using the test_email.lst to make sure everything is correct.
   45 
   46 <BR><BR>
   47 <LI><STRONG>Lock (and Unlock) the classlist database:</STRONG>
   48 
   49 If the database is unlocked it can be updated via the web but the database can NOT be exported to
   50 and imported from an ascii comma separated (.cvs) classlist file.  Locking the database reverses this.
   51 
   52 <BR><BR>
   53 <LI><STRONG>Edit the classlist database:</STRONG>
   54 
   55 Use this to change a student's enrollment status. For example change it from C (Current)
   56 to D (Drop) if the student drops the course and add a comment with the drop date. The
   57 student will no longer be able to login and will no longer receive email.  You can also
   58 change other personal information about the student (name, student ID, section, recitation,
   59 email address).  You can also totally remove a student's classlist record, but generally
   60 changing the enrollment status is what you should do.
   61 
   62 
   63 <BR><BR>
   64 <LI><STRONG>Give a student a new password:</STRONG>
   65 
   66 This is self explainatory.
   67 
   68 <BR><BR>
   69 <LI><STRONG>View the classlist database:</STRONG>
   70 
   71 Again this is self explainatory. You can order the records alphabetically for the
   72 course as a whole, or by section or recitation.
   73 
   74 <BR><BR>
   75 <LI><STRONG>Export the classlist database to a classlist file:</STRONG>
   76 
   77 This will export the current classlist database to a classlist file.  You have
   78 to lock the database before you can export it.  The file will
   79 have the name you select (except it will always end in .lst, e.g. abc.xyz will be
   80 changed to abc.lst) and will be placed in the templates directory. You have
   81 to lock the database before you can export it.
   82 
   83 
   84 <BR><BR>
   85 <LI><STRONG>Import the classlist database from a classlist file:</STRONG>
   86 
   87 This will update the classlist database using the information from the selected
   88 classlist file.  Note the classlist database must locked first.  The list of
   89 classlist files comes from all files with a .lst extension in the templates directory.
   90 If you have a large classlist and/or have already built many sets, this may take quite
   91 a bit of time since it has to make sure all the data is consistent.  Generally for
   92 students who are both in the current classlist database and in the the selected
   93 classlist file, you want update information in the classlist database from the
   94 classlist file ONLY IF the information in the classlist file is more accurate. By
   95 default only the status is selected to be updated.  Usually you will not update the
   96 email address since this is the one item students can and do change themselves. <p><P>
   97 
   98 For students who are in the current classlist database but not in the the selected
   99 classlist file, you almost always want to use the default which is to change their
  100 status to drop.
  101 
  102 <BR><BR>
  103 <LI><STRONG>Download (or view) classlist file(s) to your personal computer:</STRONG>
  104 
  105 You can download classlist files for editing or viewing in either cvs (i.e. comma delimited),
  106 html, text, or tab (i.e. tab delimited) format. csv is a supported format for Excel and is
  107 the recommended format if you use Excel.  Note these are classlist files, not the classlist
  108 database.  Use html format if you just want to view the classlist file and the other formats if
  109 you want to edit it.  We have received some reports of people having problems with
  110 end-of-the-line characters when downloading and uploading files with a Mac. If you have it
  111 available, ftp or scp can be used instead to download and upload files.
  112 
  113 <BR><BR>
  114 <LI><STRONG>Upload classlist files from your personal computer:</STRONG>
  115 
  116 You can upload classlist files from your personal computer in cvs (i.e. comma delimited),
  117 tab (i.e. tab delimited), or html format. Usually you would do this after exporting the
  118 classlist database to a file, downloading and then editing the file in Excel or some
  119 other editor or spreadsheet program. Only valid classlist files can be uploaded. For csv
  120 format, the filename on your personal computer must have extension .csv or .lst. For tab
  121 format, the extension must be .txt and for html format, the extension must be .html or .htm.
  122 The file will be saved on the server with extension .lst (e.g. MTH140A.csv would be saved
  123 as MTH140A.lst). Be very careful. Students can change their own email addresses and it is
  124 possible that a student my have changed his or her address after you started working on
  125 the file. This can only happen if you explicitly unlocked the classlist database after
  126 exporting it.
  127 
  128 <BR><BR>
  129 <LI><STRONG>Simple editing of classlist files:</STRONG>
  130 
  131 You can use this to do simple editing of classlist files.  Note these are classlist
  132 files, not the classlist database. Usually you will edit the database directly or download
  133 a classlist file, and edit it with a spreadsheet program.
  134 
  135 <BR><BR>
  136 <LI><STRONG>Hints:</STRONG>
  137 <UL>
  138 
  139 
  140 
  141 <LI>first hint
  142 
  143 
  144 <LI>next hint
  145 
  146 
  147 </UL>
  148 </UL>
  149 
  150 <HR>
  151 
  152 
  153 <P>
  154 <STRONG>For more information on WeBWorK: </STRONG>
  155 <A HREF="http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/">Webwork docs</A>.
  156 
  157 <HR>
  158 <STRONG>This help page comes up in a separate window. You may have to move this
  159 window to see your original window,
  160 </STRONG>
  161 
  162 <HR>
  163 Last updated: <STRONG>1 January 2001</STRONG><BR>
  164 <TT>profClasslistHelp.html</TT>
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