CS 101 - Intro to Computing, Spring 2008

Lab 8

The hardest part about programming is figuring out how to get the computer to do what you want it to do. Once you determine how you would solve a task, you must then specify statements in the computer's programming language that would do the same thing. The problem here is that you must specify EVERYTHING down to the smallest detail to the computer. Humans are smarter than computers, because we can make and understand assumptions about the smaller details.

Lab Assignment

For this lab assignment, complete the following:

1. Create an HTML file that lists:
   • your name
   • day and time of your CS 101 lab section (i.e. Wednesday at 9:00)
   • the result of virtually flipping a coin. The display should appear similar to the following:

     Last coin flip was: There have been in a row. Total number of flips: Total number of heads: Total number of tails:

     The display is to have 2 buttons and five text fields.
     • The first button is to allow the user "flip a coin".

       This will be done by using the Math.random() method in JavaScript. This method returns a value from 0 to 1. We will use the values < 0.5 to indicate heads and those values >= 0.5 to represent tails.

       Every time the button is pressed a new random value is gotten and it is determined whether the "coin flip" was heads or tails. At each coin flip we will update the 5 text fields.

       1. The last result. This field is to display either "heads" or "tails" reflecting the value of the last random number generated.
       2. The number in a row. This field is to keep track of how many times the same result has come up. If the result of the last coin flip is different than the previous coin flip, the value would be either "1 head" or "1 tail". Otherwise the number is to reflect how many times the last result has consectutively repeated. The field must display the coin flip result (either "heads" or "tails") as well as the numbers of times that result has consectutively occurred.
       3. The total number of flips. This value should be incremented by 1 with every coin flip.
       4. The total number of heads. This value should be incremented by 1 whenever the result of a coin flip is a head.
       5. The total number of tails. This value should be incremented by 1 whenever the result of a coin flip is a tail.

     • The second button is to reset three text fields that contain the total number of flips, the total number of heads, and the total number of tails back to zero.

2. This web page must be placed in your web space (in your WWW directory) on your CS account.

3. You are also required to put a link on your CS Home Page to the page you created for this lab.

   Verify that your link and the file are viewable via a web browser from the URL of:

        http://www.cs.uic.edu/~USERID
   
   where USERID is your CS account login name.
   

   You can check this out via the link to your home page on the CS 101 Student List page. Once you are at your home page, follow the link you added to your home page for this lab assignment.

4. You are also to submit the HTML file electronically by using the UNIX turnin command.

   To use the UNIX turnin command to electronically hand-in your html file using the project name of lab8. To submit the file in <filename> for lab8, the turnin command is entered as:

        turnin -c cs101 -p lab8 <filename>
   

   To verify what you submitted using the turnin command type:

        turnin -c cs101 -p lab8 -v
   

Grading Criteria

• Identifying Info - 20
• Correct Form - 20
• Showing last coin flip/Total Number of flips - 20
• Showing number of heads/tails - 20
• Showing number in a row - 20