Difference between revisions of "Category:Authors:New authors landing page"

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(→‎Basic Information: Removed broken links to D. Cervonne PREP presentations. Will insert correct links in the MathObjects and PGML docs when links are available.)
(→‎Reference documents and manuals: removed out of date reference to SequentialProblems. Also removed JavaScript reference; it belongs in ProblemTechniques.)
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* '''[https://github.com/drdrew42/WeBWorK-problem-authoring Intro to Problem Authoring]''' Introduction to the basics of Perl, MathObjects, and PGML (Nov 2020) -- includes problem templates
 
* '''[https://github.com/drdrew42/WeBWorK-problem-authoring Intro to Problem Authoring]''' Introduction to the basics of Perl, MathObjects, and PGML (Nov 2020) -- includes problem templates
 
* '''[[Problem Authoring Videos]]''' Complete course of streamed recordings from the PREP 2015 Workshop on Problem Authoring
 
* '''[[Problem Authoring Videos]]''' Complete course of streamed recordings from the PREP 2015 Workshop on Problem Authoring
* '''[[JavaScript]]''' example using JavaScript in a WeBWorK question.
 
* '''[[SequentialProblems]]''' revealing the problem one step at a time
 
 
* '''[https://webwork.maa.org/pod POD]''' -- POD = "plain old documentation" -- original documentation embedded in the code files -- this is the place to find the most complete and most technical description of macro behaviors.
 
* '''[https://webwork.maa.org/pod POD]''' -- POD = "plain old documentation" -- original documentation embedded in the code files -- this is the place to find the most complete and most technical description of macro behaviors.
 
* '''[[:File:WeBWorK_Problem_Authoring_Tutorial.pdf| WeBWorK Problem Authoring Tutorial]]''' aimed at people who already know TeX, but need to learn about Perl, PG, and MathObjects (pdf file) -- (by Paul Pearson).
 
* '''[[:File:WeBWorK_Problem_Authoring_Tutorial.pdf| WeBWorK Problem Authoring Tutorial]]''' aimed at people who already know TeX, but need to learn about Perl, PG, and MathObjects (pdf file) -- (by Paul Pearson).

Revision as of 20:44, 15 June 2021

Templates

Most people write problems starting from templates. Problems from the OPL can be modified to suit individual needs, or existing problem templates can be used to create new problems.

Basic Information

WeBWorK problems are written in Perl, using three levels of macros. PG macros (the Problem Generation language) implement basic code e.g. randomization that sets up the problem. MathObject macros package mathematical entities such as numbers, formulas, vectors, matrices, sets, etc., into objects that behave in a natural way and contain methods for checking students' answers. PGML macros give authors greater control over the problem display and facilitate organizing the PG/MathObjects code in a way that makes the code easier to understand and maintain. Many older problems were written using only PG and MathObjects, or PG alone because MathObjects or PGML weren't available. Authors of new problems are encouraged to use all three levels of macros, except in certain specialized cases where the old methods work best.

All of the templates mentioned above use PG, and most use the PGML and MathObject Macros. (Look for the lines "PGML.pl" and "MathObjects.pl" in the LoadMacros section of the code). For those who would like to read up on the basics of coding problems the following pages are recommended:

  • Problem Authoring Background Information -- includes a PG language overview, some comments about editing problems and ensuring server access.
  • MathObjects -- information on authoring problems using MathObjects.
  • PGML -- information on authoring problem using the PGML markup language.
  • PG-Labs -- try out code fragments on line including code fragments containing MathObjects and PGML. This is a quick way to learn the fine points of the MathObject and PGML syntax.

Reference documents and manuals

Other

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Developers
Become a WeBWorK Developer
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Contributors
WeBWorK Contributors - join us! (blog posts)
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Learning How to Author Problems
Various tools and tricks for writing problems
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Notes on training authors
and suggestions for further documentation-- Sam Hathaway

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