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  • Instructor Usage

    1. The instructor can login to the assigned course in the following manner.
      1. If the course is integrated with a Learning Management System the instructor can login through assignment links created on the course page. If this is a new course the instructor first needs to first create an assignment link from the Learning Management System. Read the instructions at Learning Tool Integration for instruction on how to set up an assignment link.
      2. If the course is not integrated to a Learning Management System the instructor can connect to XData directly, using the URL http://<root-url>/XDataWeb, and login with the instructor username and password given by the XData admin. The instructor will be forwarded to the course list page once you login. The course page will show the list of courses for which the instructor is registered. Select the desired course in the left pane click on the View button to go to the course.
    2. Before the instructor can create an assignment, information on database where student queries will be run along with two user credentials, database schema that would be used for the queries and some sample data for the schema needs to be provided. Details for these are given below. Once the following details are added to the system, the instructor can proceed with assignment creation.
    3. Database Connection
    4. The Database Connection link allows you to specify connections to databases. These databases are used for dataset generation and evaluation of student queries The instructor needs to provide the following information:
      1. Database Connection Name: A user-defined connection name for identifying the connection.
      2. Database Name:The name of database created for the assignment
      3. Database Type: The type of database . (We currently support only PostgreSQL but are working on support for multiple databases like Oracle, MySQL and Microsoft SQL server.)
      4. JDBC URL: The jdbc URL for the database in the format hostname:port.
      5. Database User name and Password: A database username and password which will be used for generating datasets for the SQL queries in the assignments.
      6. Test User name and Password: A test username and password which will be used to evaluate student queries.
    5. After filling in the details, the instructor should click Test Connection. This will validate the database connection information provided. If the validation is successful the connection is saved.

    6. Upload Schema:
    7. The Schema link allows the instructor to upload an SQL script containing DDL statements to create database tables. The SQL queries for the assignment will be based on tables in the uploaded schema.
    8. The schema can have either "Primary key" or "Unique key" in a table. XData considers unique keys only in the absence of primary keys. Otherwise, unique keys are ignored.
      The foreign key references should have the column names of referenced and referencing tables in the definition.
    9. In the Schema Upload page, click on the Choose File button and select the file. The instructor can provide the name corresponding to the schema in the text box to the left of Choose File. If this is left blank, the filename will be used as the schema name. A sample schema can be found here
    10. The Test and Upload button can be used to test the SQL file on a database connection for syntax errors and upload the schema if there are no errors.
    11. The Upload button uploads the file without testing it.
    12. Any schema can be tested against different connections later by using Test button in the 'Existing Schema' list shown in the schema upload page.

    13. Upload Sample Data:
    14. The Sample Data link allows the instructor to upload SQL script containing sample test data for the schema. The instructor needs to select an appropriate schema name from the drop down list of the schema present. The sample data is used to get seed values for data generation and to test student queries if test data generation for the query fails.
    15. The first data file uploaded will be considered as default dataset for data generation
    16. Instructor can upload more than one data file. Other data files along with the first one will be treated as default datasets for evaluating the student queries.
    17. In the Sample data page, click on the Choose File button and select the file. Sample data for the schema provided above can be found here
    18. Similar to Schema Upload, the Upload or Test and Upload options can be chosen.
    Next: Assignment Creation