CIT Course Tools

CIT Course Tools gives students a focused VS Code Lab Module for guided code implementation, independent block tests, and simple submission packaging.

The stable extension 1.0.27 uses the stable cit-course-tools==1.0.2 companion. For each selected Lab Module, it installs or updates only that lab's content extra from PyPI. Lab 03 and Lab 04 materials are stable; Lab 02 remains on its existing content release.

Student workflow

1. Install or update CIT Course Tools from the VS Code Extensions view.
2. Open the CIT Course Tools view and choose Install / Update Companion to install the base cit-course-tools==1.0.2 package through Python on PATH.
3. Select the active lab (Lab 02, Lab 03, or Lab 04). The extension refreshes only cit-course-tools[fa26-cit495-labNN], then verifies and opens that term/course/lab bundle. If it is unavailable or cannot be downloaded, VS Code warns and keeps the previous selection. Compatible work stays in place; if compatibility cannot be confirmed, the extension archives completed code and saved editor state in the course workspace and offers to open it. The extension keeps lab code-block state and activity logs in its private storage. Students do not need to initialize or manage a course workspace scaffold.
4. Implement the marked code blocks, test blocks as you work, and run the full lab suite when ready.
5. Enter your first and last name, choose Package Submission, review the included-file confirmation, and select where to save the ZIP for Blackboard.
6. If submission ZIPs are in the open workspace, choose Generate Grade Report for an individual or cohort summary. Duplicate student/lab packages use the highest grade; the report also shows paste counts and estimated active time. It opens in VS Code and stays in extension storage unless you choose Save Report.

The ZIP contains exactly the generated execution file, the activity log, and the full test summary. The execution file is generated inside the ZIP as labs/labNN/labNN.py; it is not added to the workspace. Instructor solutions, hidden tests, manifests, and unrelated files are excluded. If a VS Code folder is open, it is only the default ZIP destination. In an empty window, the save dialog lets the student choose any local destination.

Activity log and privacy

The activity log contains actions inside the Lab Module: opening the active module, code-block changes, paste-event metadata, test requests/results, and packaging identity. Events stay in VS Code's local extension storage and are ordered by sequence with relative elapsed durations, not wall-clock timestamps. The extension counts paste actions without reading clipboard contents. This is a local, self-reported history—not screen recording, system-wide keystroke logging, or authenticated proof of authorship.

The Markdown grade report reads the three expected entries directly from local submission ZIPs without extracting them. It detects individual/cohort scope from the included student identities, but this is only a display choice, not an authorization boundary. The report opens in a rendered VS Code preview and stays in private extension storage unless you choose Save Report. Grade and activity information is based on unsigned ZIP contents and should be treated as a local convenience report, not authenticated grading evidence.

Development preview

From the extension repository, run:

npm run preview

Open the printed loopback URL to inspect the Controls and Lab Module views. Preview actions are synthetic and do not install packages, write course files, or execute student code. The toolbar can test light/dark themes and wide/narrow layouts. By default the server binds only to 127.0.0.1; press Ctrl+C to stop it. The optional --lan=<private-IPv4> mode is for a trusted local network only.

Support

Email jeffm-courseware+support@outlook.com with versions, reproduction steps, and a non-sensitive error. Ask the instructor about grading or course-policy questions. Do not attach submissions, activity logs, or credentials to an initial support request.

License

MIT. The Lab Module uses locally vendored Action Groups Kit assets; third-party components retain their respective license notices.