Course Project Manager for VS Code

Submit course projects to a submit server directly from Visual Studio Code. This extension is a port of the Eclipse umd-submit-server-extension plugin for use in VS Code.

Features

• Easy Project Submission: Submit your course projects with a single command
• Multiple Authentication Methods: Supports both LDAP and OpenID authentication
• Flexible File Filtering: Use .submitIgnore and .submitInclude files to control what gets submitted
• Automatic File Zipping: Automatically creates a zip archive of your project files
• Smart Defaults: Ignores common build artifacts, temporary files, and version control directories

Requirements

Your project must have a .submit file downloaded from your course's submit server. This file contains the configuration needed to submit to the correct server and course.

How to Use

Initial Setup

1. Download the .submit file from your course submit server
2. Place it in the root of your project workspace
3. Open the project in VS Code

Submitting a Project

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Type "Submit Project to Server" and press Enter
3. Follow the authentication prompts:
   • For LDAP: Enter your DirectoryID and password
   • For OpenID: Copy the submission credentials from the browser
4. Wait for confirmation that your project was submitted successfully

Alternative Methods

• Right-click on the .submit file in the Explorer and select "Submit Project to Server"
• Use the keyboard shortcut (if configured)

Configuration Files

.submit (Required)

This file is provided by your course submit server and contains:

• Submit server URL
• Course key
• Project number
• Authentication method

.submitIgnore (Optional)

List files and patterns to exclude from submission. Examples:

*.class
*.o
*.exe
build/
temp/

.submitInclude (Optional)

Explicitly include files even if they match ignore patterns:

src/important.class
docs/required.pdf

.submitUser (Auto-generated)

Contains your authentication credentials. Do not share this file or commit it to version control!

Add to your .gitignore:

.submitUser

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• umd-submit-server-extension.autoSaveBeforeSubmit: Automatically save all files before submitting (default: true)
• umd-submit-server-extension.showSubmitConfirmation: Show confirmation dialog before submitting (default: true)

Default Ignore Patterns

The extension automatically ignores these common patterns:

• Version control: .git, CVS, .svn
• Build artifacts: *.class, *.o, *.exe, *.dll
• Temporary files: *~, *.bak, *.tmp
• IDE folders: .vscode, .idea, node_modules
• And many more...

Troubleshooting

"No .submit file found"

Download the .submit file from your course submit server and place it in your project root.

"Authentication failed"

• Verify your username and password are correct
• Check that you have network connectivity
• Ensure the submit server is accessible

"No files found to submit"

• Check your .submitIgnore patterns aren't too aggressive
• Verify files exist in your project
• Use .submitInclude to explicitly include needed files

"Submission timeout"

• Check your network connection
• The submit server might be experiencing high load - try again later

Privacy & Security

• Your credentials are only stored locally in .submitUser
• Always add .submitUser to your .gitignore
• Credentials are transmitted over HTTPS
• No data is collected by this extension

Support

For issues with:

• The extension: File an issue on GitHub
• Submit server: Contact your course instructor or TA
• Authentication: Contact your institution's IT support

Release Notes

1.0.0

Initial release with:

• Project submission to submit server
• LDAP and OpenID authentication
• File filtering with ignore/include patterns
• Automatic zip file creation

Credits

Based on the Eclipse umd-submit-server-extension plugin originally developed at the University of Maryland.

License

Licensed under AGPLv3

Enjoy submitting your course projects!