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Student Walkthrough

This walkthrough describes a typical “first run” experience for a student that is using CodeSpell for the first time. It covers the main steps to get started with a course, from enrolling to submitting code and iterating based on feedback.

1) Enroll in a course​

The first step is to enroll in a course. You can only access assignments and challenges from courses you are enrolled in. Typically, your professor will provide you with an invitation link to join the course.

If you don't have an invitation link, ask your professor or administrator for help.

After opening the link, you should see a popup to enroll. Click in the Enroll Now button to join the course. Once you are enrolled, you should see the course in your dashboard and be able to access its assignments and challenges.

2) Open an assignment or challenge​

The next step is to open an assignment or challenge and start working on it. To do this:

  1. Open the course.
  2. Click on the assignment or challenge you want to work on.
  3. Press the Start button to open the coding environment.

You should now see the coding environment with the assignment documentation, goals, and a code editor.

3) Write code and submit​

The next step is to write some code and submit it. To create your first submission follow these steps:

  1. Use the coding environment to implement your solution.
  2. Execute your code by pressing Execute button on top of the editor.
  3. Check the status of your execution in the bottom left corner.
  4. Review output/errors and fix issues.

4) Check feedback and iterate​

After executing your code, you will receive feedback on the results. This includes:

  • Performance metrics (execution time, memory usage)
  • Test results (passed/failed tests)
  • Code quality issues (code smells, bad practices, typos, etc.)
  • Security issues (vulnerabilities, unsafe code, etc.)
  • Complexity metrics (lines of code, cyclomatic complexity, etc.)

Use the Grading and Feedback tabs to review the feedback and understand what you can improve in your code.

Take some time to review the feedback. Then, you can iterate by making changes to your code and submitting again.

5) Submit your final solution​

When you’re satisfied, mark a submission as final before the deadline by clicking the Submit button on top right corner of the page.

This will indicate to your professor that you consider this submission as your final solution for grading.