By: Team W17-4 Since: Jan 2020 Licence: MIT

1. Introduction

Are you a Teaching Assistant at NUS School of Computing (NUS SOC) who is tired of having to fill out the Teaching Support Student (TSS) Claims Form in great detail at the end of the semester?

Do you wish there was a desktop application that can help you keep track of your teaching duties, such as your claimable hours and student ratings, all in one place?

Look no further, because TA-Tracker is just the tool for you!

No more saving your claimable hours in an unappealing spreadsheet.

No more keeping notes about your students in a cluttered diary.

TA-Tracker is a productivity tool that is made for all you NUS SOC Teaching Assistants (TAs) who need to easily fill out forms, such as the TSS Claims Form, at the end of the semester.

TA-Tracker has features that will help you easily track and manage your claimable hours and students in one place.

What’s more, TA-Tracker has:

  • A Command Line Interface (CLI) for all you TAs who can type fast and prefer to use a keyboard, and

  • A Graphical User Interface (GUI) so that you can easily view all your teaching duties.

If you are interested, jump to Section 2, “Quick Start” and discover how easy it is to fill out the TSS form using the TA-Tracker.

2. Quick Start

This section gives you a step-by-step explanation on how you can download and open the application.

  1. Ensure that you have Java 11 or above installed in your Computer.

  2. Download the latest TaTracker.jar here.

    JarExample

    This image shows how you can identify what the latest release is and what file you should download.

  3. Copy the file to the folder you want to use as the home folder for your TA tracker.

  4. Double-click the file to start the app. The GUI should appear in a few seconds.

    Ui

    This is what the GUI may look like when the TA-Tracker is opened.

  5. Type a command in the command box, and press Enter to execute it.
    e.g. typing help and pressing Enter will open the help window.

    CommandBox

    This diagram explains what a Result Display and Command Box are.

  6. Refer to Section 5, “Usage” for details of each command.

TA-Tracker data is saved periodically so you don’t have to worry about saving your data manually.

3. About the User Guide

This User Guide introduces you to TA-Tracker’s features and shows you how you can use the TA-Tracker to make your life as a Teaching Assistant easier.

3.1. Common Symbols

(Contributed by Aakanksha and Fatin)

This section shows you the symbols commonly used in this guide.

This symbol indicates that there is something that you should take note of.

This symbol indicates that a tip is being mentioned.

This symbol indicates that there is something you should be careful to avoid.

3.2. Command Format

(Contributed by Fatin and Gabriel)

This section shows you how all the commands in this guide have been formatted.

Format Meaning Example

lower_case/

Any lower case letters, followed by a forward slash

These are prefixes.

They are used to separate the different parameters of a command.

These are prefixes:
n/, d/, t/

Note that prefixes cannot have spaces:
n / is not a prefix, and will not be recognized.

UPPER_CASE

Words in upper case

These are parameters.

You will need to supply parameters in order to complete certain commands.

You can create a student with the name John Doe using the student add command.

Suppose the student add command looks like this:
student add n/NAME

Simply replace NAME with John Doe to create the student John Doe:
student add n/John Doe

[UPPER_CASE]

Words in upper case, surrounded by square brackets

These are optional parameters.

Certain commands can be used without these parameters.

Suppose a command contains two parameters next to each other:
n/NAME [t/TAG]

The first parameter NAME is compulsory.
The second parameter TAG is optional.

Since a TAG is optional, you will be able to use the command with these inputs:

  • n/John Doe t/Fast learner, or

  • n/John Doe

UPPER_CASE…​

[UPPER_CASE]…​

An ellipsis …​ following any words in upper case

These are parameters that can be used multiple times or none at all.

The following parameter can be used multiple times:
t/TAG…​

This means that it can be:

  • Left empty (i.e. 0 times):
    t/

  • Used one time (i.e. 1 time):
    t/friend

  • Used multiple times (i.e. 2 or more times):
    t/friend t/family

3.3. Common Parameters

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

This section lists and explains what the parameters commonly used in the commands mean.

Parameter Explanation Examples

TAB_NAME

This refers to the different tab names.

student - to indicate the Student View

session - to indicate the Session View

claims - to indicate the Claims View

INDEX

Indicates the position of an item in a list

1 - refers to the first item in a list

MOD_CODE

Refers to the unique code given to the module.

You can personalise this and give it your own code. However, we recommend you use the module’s official code.

CS2103T

GROUP_CODE

Refers to the unique code given to the group.

You can personalise this and create your own code. However, we recommend that you use the group’s official code assigned by SoC

G06

NEW_GROUP_CODE

Refers to the new group code of a group when you edit a group.

G05

GROUP_TYPE

Refers to the group type.

lab, tutorial or other

NEW_GROUP_TYPE

Refers to the new group type you want a group to be.

lab, tutorial or other

MATRIC_NUMBER

Refers to the matriculation number of a student.

It must start with an A, have 7 numbers in between and end with an alphabet.

A0123456X

NAME

Depending on the command, this could either refer to the student’s name or the module’s name.

John Doe or Software Engineering

SORT_TYPE

Refers to how you want to sort the Student View.

alpha, alphabetical or alphabetically - to sort alphabetically.

rating asc - to sort by rating in ascending order.

rating desc - to sort by rating in descending order.

matric - to sort by matriculation number.

SESSION_TYPE

Refers to the type of session.

consult - consultation

tutorial - tutorial

lab - lab

grading - grading assignments, projects or assessments

prep - class preparation

todo - other tasks and notes

NOTES

Refers to any extra description

This time was spent correcting 40 assignments

START

Indicates the starting time. Must be in the HH:mm format.

10:42

END

Indicates the ending time. Must be in the HH:mm format.

16:42

DATE

Indicates the date of a session. Must be in the yyyy-MM-dd format.

2020-06-20

WEEK

Indicates the recurring period of a session.

1 - represents a session that repeats every week.

RATING

Indicates the rating of a student.

A rating is as a number between 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent).

3 - represents an average student rating.

EMAIL

Indicates the email of a student.

Emails should be in local-part@domain format.

The local-part can only contain:

  • Alphanumeric characters, and

  • The following special characters:
    !#$%&'*+/=?`{|}~^.-

The domain can only contain:

  • Alphanumeric characters

  • The following special characters in between:

    • dash (-)

    • period (.)

The domain name must also:

  • Have at least 2 characters

  • Start and end with alphanumeric characters

johnDoe97@example123.com

3.3.1. Duplicate Parameters

(Contributed by Gabriel)

You can specify the same parameter more than once in a command. Depending on the command, you will see different outcomes.

Here is a table explaining the different outcomes:

Parameter Explanation Example

Can be used multiple times

All occurrences will be used when executing the command

In the student add command, you can create a student with multiple tags.

Therefore, you can input multiple tags by chaining them:
t/needs help t/aka henry

This will give a student the tags needs help and aka henry.

Can only be used once

The very last occurrence will be used when executing the command

module add m/CS2103T n/SE n/Software Engineering

If you execute this command, you will create a module with the name Software Engineering.

The name SE will be ignored.

3.3.2. Rearranging Parameters

(Contributed by Gabriel)

Parameters can be in any order if they have prefixes.

For example, if a command needs a n/NAME and p/PHONE_NUMBER, you can specify them in any order:

  • n/NAME p/PHONE_NUMBER, or

  • p/PHONE_NUMBER n/NAME

However, if the command has a parameter without a prefix, that parameter must be the very first parameter.

For example, if a command needs an INDEX, it must be the first parameter:

  • INDEX n/NAME is valid, but

  • n/NAME INDEX is invalid

4. Layout

(Contributed by Fatin)

This section gives you a brief overview of the layout of the TA-Tracker.

TA-Tracker is divided into three tabs representing the different Views:

  • The Student View under the student tab,

  • The Session View under the session tab, and

  • The Claims View under the claims tab

When you switch to a tab, that tab will be highlighted in orange.

Furthermore, when you enter a new command, you will be automatically switched to the relevant tab so that you can instantly see the result of the command.

  • You can select a tab to show a different View. This tab will be highlighted in blue.

  • If you are switched to a tab when you enter a command, that tab will be highlighted in orange.

    This should help you easily remember where you last made a change in TA-Tracker.

  • You will sometimes see the tabs highlighted in both orange and blue.

    The orange tab will remain highlighted even if you select another tab.

  • You may notice that the orange and blue highlights for the tabs are not the same size.

    This is to prevent the highlights from overlapping each other, allowing you to see them better.

Tabs

This shows what happens when you last made a change in the student tab and then clicked on the claims tab.

4.1. Student View

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

Under the student tab, the Student View is used to show you the students that you’re teaching. The students have been grouped according to the module and group they belong to. The Student View has been divided into three columns.

  1. The first column shows you a list of all the modules that you are a teaching assistant for.

  2. The second column shows you a list of all groups that you’re a teaching assistant for in a module of your choice. If you haven’t chosen anything, you will be shown the groups of the module in the first index in the list of modules by default.

  3. The third column shows you a list of all students in the group of your choice. If you haven’t chosen anything, you will be shown the students of the group in the first index in the list of groups by default.

The purpose of the Student View is to help you keep track a of your students. It will show you information such as:

  • NAME: student name

  • MATRIC_NUMBER: matriculation number

  • RATING: ratings you have given the student, represented by stars (on a scale from 1 - 5)

  • EMAIL and PHONE: contact details

  • TAG: any additional information you have about the student

The RATING value must be a positive integer.
StudentView

This is an example of what the Student View looks like.

4.2. Session View

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

Under the session tab, the Session View contains a list of the upcoming sessions that you haven’t done yet.

The sessions are automatically sorted by date.

The purpose of the Session View is to help you keep track a of your upcoming teaching. duties. It will show you information such as:

  • SESSION_TYPE: the type of session

  • DATE: the date that the session will occur on

  • START and END: the start time and end time of the session

  • MODULE: the module that the session is under

  • NOTES: any additional information

  • WEEK: the recurring period of the session

SessionView

This is an example of what the Session View looks like.

4.3. Claims View

(Contributed by Fatin)

Under the claims tab, the Claims View contains a list of all the claimable teaching duties you have completed so far.

The purpose of this view is to allow you to keep track of all your claims so you can easily enter it into the TSS claims form at the end of the semester.

The Claims View has been divided into two columns.

  1. The first column shows you a list of all the modules that you are a teaching assistant for.

  2. The second column shows you a list of all the sessions that you have marked as done.

ClaimsView

This is an example of what the Claims View looks like.

5. Usage

(Contributed by Gabriel)

This section describes how you can interact with TA-Tracker.

5.1. Keyboard Shortcuts

You can navigate through everything in TA-Tracker with just a keyboard!

Here are some keyboard shortcuts that you can use:

Shortcut Key Usages

Esc

  • Toggle between the command box and the Views.

  • Close a popup window.

↑ up
↓ down
arrow keys

  • Scroll through a list
    (you must toggle out of the command box in order to use this shortcut)

← left
→ right
arrow keys

  • Navigate between different lists in the same View.
    (you must toggle out of the command box in order to use this shortcut)

5.2. Syntax Highlighting

When you type a command into the command box, your input will be highlighted.

Here is a table explaining the meaning of each colour:

Colour Meaning Examples

green

A valid user input

  • The full name of a valid command
    eg. help, student add, module delete

  • A valid value for the command parameters
    eg. id/A1234567J, d/2020-03-20, n/This is a valid description

red

An invalid user input

  • An unknown command
    eg. unknown, student, student done

  • A invalid value for the command parameters
    eg. id/B1234X, d/4 March 2020, s/4pm

white

The default font colour
ValidInput

This is an example of a valid input.

InvalidInput

This is an example on an invalid input.

5.3. Hints

When you type out a command, you will also see hints about how to use the command.

Here is a table describing the different types of hints that you will encounter:

Hint Trigger

Showing the command usage

  • When you first type out the command word.

  • After typing two whitespaces in a row.

Showing the parameter usage

  • When you first type out a valid prefix.

  • When there is an invalid prefix in your command.
Default

This is an example of what a hint may look like. You may also note that the default text colour, white is being used here.

6. Commands

This section explains how to use all the CLI commands in TA-Tracker.

These commands are used to control the different windows in TA-Tracker, as well as switching between the different Views.

6.1.1. Viewing help : help

(Contributed by Fatin)

You can open the help window with this command. You can close the help window by pressing the ESC key on your keyboard.

Format: help

HelpWindow

This is what the help window looks like.

6.1.2. Switching tabs : goto

(Contributed by Fatin)

You can switch to different tabs with this command to show their associated view.

Format: goto TAB_NAME

  • You cannot switch to a tab that does not exist in TA-Tracker

Example:

goto student

GotoStudent

This command takes you to the student tab.

6.1.3. Exiting the program : exit

(Contributed by Fatin)

You can exit the program with this command.

Format: exit

6.1.4. Listing all sessions : list

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

list command shows you all the sessions under Session View and Claims View.

  • You can use this command to display all your sessions after using the session filter or claims filter command.

6.2. Student View

This section explains all the commands you can use in the Student View.

6.2.1. Adding a Module : module add

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to add a new module to the TA-Tracker.

When a new module is created, the Student View will show the groups and students of the new module.

You may notice that the group list and the student list are empty. This is because you haven’t added any groups or students to the module yet.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: module add m/MOD_CODE n/NAME

  • You can’t have two modules with the same module code in the TA-Tracker.

  • MOD_CODE and MOD_NAME can’t be a empty or a sequence of spaces.

  • You can give a module your own custom MOD_CODE or NAME if you find it easier to remember. However, we recommend you use the official module code and name for it.

  • If the module name or module code are very long, you can increase the width of the module name list by dragging the edge with your cursor. However, we suggest not giving the modules long codes or long names. The standard official names are usually of a good length.

  • You can’t edit the MOD_CODE once the module has been created, so do take care to ensure that the code is correct.

Examples:

  • module add m/CS2100 n/Computer Organisation

    ModuleAdd

    This will add a module with the module code CS2100 and name Computer Organisation to the TA-Tracker.

6.2.2. Deleting a Module : module delete

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to delete a module from the TA-Tracker.

When you delete a module, all groups, students and sessions associated with the module will also be deleted.

When a module is deleted, the Student View will go back to its default setting. That is, you will see the details of the first group in the first module of the TA-Tracker.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: module delete m/MOD_CODE

  • You can’t delete a module that doesn’t exist.

Examples:

  • module delete m/CS2103T

    ModuleDelete

    This will delete the module with the module code CS2103T from the TA-Tracker.

6.2.3. Editing a Module : module edit

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to edit a module’s name in the TA-Tracker.

When a module is edited, the Student View will show the groups of the edited module and the students of the first group of the edited module. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: module edit m/MOD_CODE n/NEW NAME

  • You can only use this command to change the name of the module. The module code can’t be changed.

  • Editing a module doesn’t affect the students and groups inside the module.

  • MOD_NAME can’t be a empty or a sequence of spaces.

  • You can’t edit a module that doesn’t exist.

Examples:

  • module edit m/CS3243 n/Intro to AI

    ModuleEdit

    This will change the name of the module with module code CS3243 to Intro to AI.

6.2.4. Adding a Group : group add

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to add a group to a module in the TA-Tracker.

When a new group is created, the Student View will show the groups of the module this new group belongs to and students of the new group.

You may notice that the list of students is empty. This is because you haven’t added any students to the group yet.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: group add g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE t/GROUP_TYPE

  • MOD_CODE here refers to the module code of the module you want to add the group to.

  • You can’t add a group to a module that doesn’t exist.

  • The GROUP_CODE can’t be a empty or a sequences of spaces.

  • You can’t add multiple groups with the same group code into the same module.

  • You can give a group your own custom GROUP_CODE (ex: 10AMGROUP) if you find it easier to remember. However, we recommend you use the official group code for it.

Examples:

  • group add g/G03 m/CS2100 t/tutorial

    GroupAdd

    This will add a group with the group code G03, which is a tutorial, inside the module that has module code CS2100.

6.2.5. Deleting a Group : group delete

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to delete a group from the TA-Tracker.

When a group is deleted from the TA-Tracker, all students in the group are also deleted.

When a group is deleted, the Student View will show the details of the first group of the module the group was deleted from. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: group delete g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE

  • MOD_CODE here refers to the module code of the module that contains the group you want to delete.

  • You can’t delete a group from a module that doesn’t exist.

  • A group with the given group code must exist inside the module before you delete it.

Examples:

  • group delete g/G06 m/CS3243

    GroupDelete

    This will delete the group with the group code G06 from the module that has module code CS3243.

6.2.6. Editing a Group : group edit

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to edit a group in the TA-Tracker.

This command can be used to change the group code and the group type of the group. The students inside the group will remain intact.

When a group is edited, the Student View will show the groups in the module that the edited group belongs to, as well as the students that belong to the edited group. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: group edit g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE [ng/NEW_GROUP_CODE] [nt/NEW_GROUP_TYPE]

  • MOD_CODE here refers to the module code of the module that contains the group that you want to edit.

  • You can’t edit a group inside a module that doesn’t exist.

  • You can’t edit a group that doesn’t exist.

  • If you are changing the group code, the module shouldn’t contain a group that has the same group code as the new group code.

  • While the nt/ and ng/ prefixes are optional, at least one of them must be mentioned.

Examples:

  • group edit g/G01 m/CS3243 nt/lab

    GroupEdit

    This will change the group type of the group with group code G01, inside the module with module code CS3243, to be a lab.

6.2.7. Adding a Student : student add

(Contributed by Fatin and Gabriel)

You can use this command to add a new student to the TA-Tracker.

When a new student is added, the Student View will show that the new student is added into the student list of the provided module group. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: student add id/MATRIC_NUMBER n/NAME m/MOD_CODE g/GROUP_CODE [e/EMAIL] [r/RATING] [t/TAG]…​

  • You cannot add a student to a module that does not exist in the TA-Tracker.

  • You cannot add a student to a group that does not exist inside the given module.

  • You cannot add multiple students with the same matric number inside the same module group.

  • Student names are auto-capitalized. However, if the name includes a hyphen (-) with no space after the hyphen, the second half of the name will not be capitalised.

Examples:

  • student add id/A0123456J n/Alice m/CS2100 g/G03

    StudentAdd

    This will add a student named Alice with the matriculation number A0123456J inside group G03 of the module CS2100.

  • * You can’t edit the MATRIC_NUMBER once the student has been created, so do take care to ensure that the number is correct.

  • You can use the rating feature to give your students participation marks.

  • A student is given a default rating of 3/5 (average) if you do not specify a rating.

  • You can either specify a rating in the add student command or,

  • you can edit their rating later by using the student edit command (details given later in this guide).

6.2.8. Deleting a Student : student delete

(Contributed by Fatin and Gabriel)

You can use this command to delete a student from the TA-Tracker.

When a student is removed, the Student View will show that the student is removed from the student list of the provided module group. You will see an empty list if there are no more students inside the module group. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: student delete id/MATRIC_NUMBER g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE

  • You cannot remove a student from a module that does not exist in the TA-Tracker.

  • You cannot remove a student from a group that does not exist inside the given module.

  • You cannot remove a student that does not exist inside the given module group.

Examples:

  • student delete m/CS3243 g/G01 id/A0187945J

    StudentDelete

    Deletes the student with the matriculation number A0187945J from group G01 of the module CS3243.

6.2.9. Editing a Student : student edit

(Contributed by Fatin and Gabriel)

You can use this command to edit a student in the TA-Tracker.

When a student is edited, the Student View will show that the student has been edited in the student list of the provided module group. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: student edit id/MATRIC_NUMBER m/MOD_CODE g/GROUP_CODE [n/NAME] [e/EMAIL] [r/RATING] [t/TAG]…​

  • You cannot edit a student in a module that does not exist in the TA-Tracker.

  • You cannot edit a student in a group that does not exist inside the given module.

  • You cannot edit a student that does not exist inside the given module group.

  • You cannot edit a student’s matriculation number.

  • You must edit the student with at least one of the optional fields.

  • If you edit the tags of a student, the new tags will replace the old tags.

  • You can remove all tags from a student with an empty tag
    (i.e. typing t/ without specifying any tags after it).

Examples:

  • student edit id/A0181137L g/G01 m/CS3243 p/91234567 e/bernie@example.com r/4

    StudentEdit

    Edits the student with the matriculation number A0181137L from group G01 of module CS3243 to have:

    • The new rating of 4

    • The new phone number 91234567

    • The new email address bernie@example.com

  • student edit m/CS3243 g/G01 id/A0186153P t/

    StudentEditTag

    Edits student with the matriculation number A0186153P to have:

    • All existing tags removed

6.2.10. Sorting a Group : sort group

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to sort your students in a specific group. The students will be sorted according to the SORT_TYPE you specify.

The Student View will show you the students inside the group that you have sorted. If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: sort group g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE t/SORT_TYPE

  • You can’t sort a group inside a module that doesn’t exist.

  • You can’t sort a group that doesn’t exist.

  • To sort alphabetically you can use the following to indicate sort type:

    • alphabetically

    • alphabetical

    • alpha

  • To sort by matriculation number, SORT_TYPE must be matric.

  • To sort by rating in ascending order, SORT_TYPE must be rating asc.

  • To sort by rating in descending order, SORT_TYPE must be rating desc.

Examples:

  • sort group m/CS2100 g/G06 t/rating asc

    SortGroup

    Sorts the student inside G06 of module CS2100 by rating in ascending order.

6.2.11. Sorting a Module : sort module

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to sort your students in a specific module. The students will be sorted according to the SORT_TYPE you specify.

The Student View will show you the students inside the first group of the module that you have sorted. If you want to see the other groups, you can use the student filter command (details given later in this guide). If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: sort module m/MOD_CODE t/SORT_TYPE

  • You cannot sort a module that doesn’t exist.

  • To sort alphabetically you can use the following to indicate sort type:

    • alphabetically

    • alphabetical

    • alpha

  • To sort by matriculation number, SORT_TYPE must be matric.

  • To sort by rating in ascending order, SORT_TYPE must be rating asc.

  • To sort by rating in descending order, SORT_TYPE must be rating desc.

Examples:

  • sort module m/CS2103T t/alpha

    SortModule

    Sorts all students inside all groups inside the module CS2103T alphabetically.

6.2.12. Sorting Everything : sort all

(Contributed by Aakanksha)

You can use this command to sort all your students. The students will be sorted according to the SORT_TYPE you specify.

The Student View will show you the students inside the first group of the first module in the TA-Tracker. If you want to see the other groups or modules, you can use the student filter command (details are given later in this guide). If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: sort all t/SORT_TYPE

  • To sort alphabetically you can use the following to indicate sort type:

    • alphabetically

    • alphabetical

    • alpha

  • To sort by matriculation number, sort type must be matric.

  • To sort by rating in ascending order, sort type must be rating asc.

  • To sort by rating in descending order, sort type must be rating desc.

Examples:

  • sort all t/rating desc

    SortAll

    Sorts all students in all groups inside all modules by rating, in descending order.

6.2.13. Filter : student filter

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to see the students in a particular group and module.

You can filter the students in Student View in the following ways:

  1. module code and group code m/ g/

  2. module code m/

You will see the group with the specified GROUP_CODE and the module with the specified MOD_CODE highlighted in orange in the list.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the student tab.

Format: student filter m/MOD_CODE [g/GROUP_CODE]

  • Using both module code and group code will show you the students inside the group with the given group code.

  • The group must belong to the module specified by the module code.

Examples:

  • student filter m/cs2100 g/g03

    FilterStudent

    This will show you all students in module CS2100, under group G03.

If you use just the module code, you will see:

  • The first group of the module specified by the given module code highlighted in orange.

  • All the students belonging to that group.

  • You can use this command when you want to see all the groups belonging to a particular module.

Format: student filter m/MOD_CODE

Examples:

  • student filter m/cs3243

    FilterModule

    This shows you the students in the first group of the module CS3243

Keywords are case-insensitive. e.g. cs2103t is the same as CS2103T

6.3. Session View

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

This section explains the different commands that can be used in the Session View.

6.3.1. Adding a Session : session add

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to add a new session.

The new session will be shown in the Session View, and will automatically be marked as not done.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the session tab.

Format: session add m/MOD_CODE [s/START] [e/END] [d/DATE] [w/WEEKS] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  1. If you want to create a session with the current date, start time and end time, you can omit s/START , e/END and d/DATE.

  2. You can edit the end time e/END and other details later by using the session edit command (details given below in 5.3.3.).

  3. If the session has a recurring period [w/WEEKS], a new session with the updated date and timing will be added to Session View when it is marked as done.

  4. You will find the recurring period [w/WEEKS] field handy for tasks that happen once every few weeks such as your weekly lab sessions or fortnightly assignment grading.

  5. You can add sessions with time clashes so that you can quickly plan a session and correct the details later.

Examples:

  • session add m/CS3243 s/14:00 e/16:00 d/2020-06-20 w/2 t/consultation n/with Alice and Bob

    SessionAdd

    Adds a new session with:

    • START_TIME at 14:00 in 24hr format

    • END_TIME at 16:00 in 24hr format

    • DATE on 2020-06-20 in yyyy-MM-dd format

    • WEEK recurring period of 2 weeks: Once this session has been marked as done, a new session will be created with DATE d/2020-07-04 (2 weeks later from the date of the original session)

    • MOD_CODE of CS3243

    • TYPE consultation

    • NOTE "with Alice and Bob"

6.3.2. Deleting a Session : session delete

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to delete a session at a specific index.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the session tab.

Format: session delete INDEX

Do not confuse the session delete and session done commands.

Examples:

SessionDelete

  • session delete 1

    This command deletes the first session in the Session View.

6.3.3. Editing a Session : session edit

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to edit a session in the TA-Tracker.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the session tab.

Format: session edit INDEX [s/START_TIME] [e/END_TIME] [d/DATE] [w/RECUR] [m/MODULE] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]​

  • You must edit the session with at least one of the optional fields.

Examples:

  • session edit 1 s/14:00 e/16:00 d/2020-02-19 t/grading n/Location: PLAB 04

    SessionEdit

    Edits the session at index 1 to have:

    • The new START_TIME at 14:00

    • The new END_TIME at 16:00

    • The new DATE on 2020-02-19 in yyyy-MM-dd format

    • The new TYPE grading

    • The new NOTE "Location: PLAB04"

6.3.4. Marking a Session as Done : session done

(Contributed by Fatin and Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to mark a session as done.

The session marked as done will be removed from the Session View and will automatically appear as a new claim in the Claims View. If the session marked done has a recurring period, a new session with the updated date and timing will be added to Session View.

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the claims tab.

Format: session done INDEX

Marks the session with the given unique index as done.

Examples:

SessionDone

  • session done 2
    This will mark the 2nd session in the Session View as done.

6.3.5. Filter : session filter

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to filter the sessions in the Session View.

You can filter the sessions in the following ways:

  • MOD_CODE - filtering by module code will show you only the sessions affiliated with that module.

  • SESSION_TYPE - filtering by session type will show you only the sessions with the specified type.

  • DATE - filtering by a date will show you only the sessions on that date.

When you use multiple filters, the filters will have an or relationship. For example, for the command session filter m/CS3243 t/grading you will be shown sessions that either belong to the module CS3243 or are of type grading.

When you execute a new filter command, any previous filters applied on the sessions will be removed and only the filters from the latest command will be applied on the sessions list. The filters that are currently being applied are shown at the top of the Session View

If you were on a different tab, you will automatically be switched to the session tab.

Format: session filter [m/MOD_CODE] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [d/DATE]

Example:

  • session filter m/CS3243

    SessionFilter

    All sessions in the Session View with module code CS3243 are displayed.

  • session filter m/CS3243 t/grading

    SessionFilterMultiple

    All sessions in the Session View with module code CS3243, or session type Grading will be shown.

As long as a session contains any one of the keywords given by the user, the session will be shown to the user.

6.4. Claims View

6.4.1. Filter : claims filter

(Contributed by Chua Yi Jing)

You can use this command to filter sessions in the Claims View by the module code.

You will see the module with the specified MOD_CODE highlighted in orange in the list.

All completed sessions with matching MOD_CODE are displayed. Keyword is case-insensitive.

Format: claims filter m/MOD_CODE

Example:

  • claims filter m/CS3243

    ClaimsFilter

    All sessions in the Claims View with module code CS3243 are displayed.

6.4.2. Changing the hourly rate : setrate

(Contributed by Fatin)

Sets the hourly rate for the total income and claim computation.

Format: setrate RATE

  • If you don’t specify a rate, it is set at $40 by default (the rate at which most SOC TAs are being paid per hour).

  • RATE is the amount you want to change the hourly rate to, this value will be used to calculate the Total Earnings label in the Claims Tab as well as the Statistics Window.

  • The RATE must be a positive integer.

Examples:

  • setrate 25

    SetRate

    Sets the current hourly rate to $25.

6.5. Statistics Window

6.5.1. Generate Statistic Report : report

(Contributed by Haoyi)

You can use this command to generate a report to display information such as:

  • A breakdown and summary of completed sessions

  • The number of hours of each type of completed sessions

  • A breakdown of your student’s ratings

Optionally, you can specify a module code. If a module code is specified, the report generated will only include data from the specified module.

Pressing the esc key on your keyboard will close the statistics window.

Format: report [MOD_CODE]

Example:

  • report

    Statistics

    Generate and display a report of sessions and students from all modules.

  • report CS2103T

    CS2103Statistics

    Generate and display a report of sessions and students from the module CS3243.

6.6. Timed Sessions - Coming in V2.0

(Contributed by Haoyi)

In V2.0, you will be able to add timed sessions. Timed sessions will allow you to set sessions that will notify and remind you as the sessions' start time approaches. Timed sessions will also allow you to start and stop sessions as they happen, such that you will no longer need to specify their start/end times explicitly.

6.6.1. Set Reminders : reminder

(Contributed by Haoyi)

You can use this command to set a reminder.

Format: reminder set s/START [e/END] [m/MOD_CODE] [d/DATE] [w/WEEKS] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  1. Reminders are very similar to Sessions. See Section 6.3.1, “Adding a Session : session add”.

Examples:

  • reminder set m/CS3243 s/14:00 e/16:00 d/2020-06-20 w/2 t/consultation

    Adds a new reminder with:

    • START_TIME at 14:00 in 24hr format

    • END_TIME at 16:00 in 24hr format

    • DATE on 2020-06-20 in yyyy-MM-dd format

    • WEEK recurring period of 2 weeks: Once this reminder has been marked as done, a new reminder will be created with DATE d/2020-07-04 (2 weeks later from the date of the original reminder)

    • MOD_CODE of CS3243

    • TYPE consultation

At 13:45, a system notification will remind you that a consultation is scheduled in 15 minutes.

MacOSNotification
Figure 1. An Example TA-Tracker Notification on MacOS

6.6.2. Start Sessions : session start

(Contributed by Haoyi)

You can use this command to start a session at the current time. A session will be created at your current system time.

Format: session start [m/MOD_CODE] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  1. Once you have started a session, they will go on indefinitely. You should stop a session manually after you have completed it. See Section 6.6.3, “Stop Sessions : session stop”.

  2. If you start a new session before stopping the previous session, the previous, currently in-progress session will be stopped automatically.

Examples:

  • session start m/CS3243 t/consultation

    Creates a new session with:

    • START_TIME at the current system time.

    • MOD_CODE of CS3243

    • TYPE consultation

6.6.3. Stop Sessions : session stop

(Contributed by Haoyi)

You will need to stop any sessions that you start. To do this, simply enter the command session stop. This will stop sessions that are currently in-progress.

  1. If there are no in-progress sessions, session stop will display an error. See Section 6.6.2, “Start Sessions : session start” to first start a session.

  2. Sessions that are stopped will automatically be marked as done.

Examples:

  • session stop

    Stops the currently in-progress session. The end time of the stopped session will be set to the system time, and the session will be marked as done.

7. Glossary

Term Explanation

TSS

This is the short form for Teaching Support Student.

TSS Claims Form

This refers to the claims form that Teaching Assistants at NUS School of Computing have to fill up at the end of each semester to claim money for the tasks they have completed.

TA

This is the short form for Teaching Assistant.

SOC or SoC

This is the short form for School of Computing.

CLI

This is the short form for Command Line Interface. It processes commands to TA-Tracker in the form of lines of text

GUI

This is the short form for Graphical User Interface. It is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons

Index

This refers to the position of an item on a list. For example: Index of 1 refers to the first item in a list.

Matric Number

This refers to a student’s matriculation number. For example: A0123456X

Group

The is the general term given to a group of students a TA teaches. For example: lab , tutorial

TAT

This is the short form of TA-Tracker.

NUS

This is the short form of National Univeristy of Singapore.

Module

Refers to one of the academic courses in NUS.

Tutorial

A tutorial is a regular meeting between a tutor and one or several students, for discussion of a subject that is being studied.

8. FAQ

(Contributed by Fatin and Aakanksha)

Q: How can I transfer my data to another Computer?
A: You can do so by first installing TA-Tracker on another computer. You can then replace the empty data file it creates with the data file of your previous TA-Tracker folder.

Q: Is my data secure?
A: TA-Tracker only stores your data locally on your device, and not on a cloud. This means that the only possible way for there to be a security breach is to have someone access it on your physical device, so do keep your belongings safe! You can be assured that cyber-attacks are not possible with the way TA-Tracker is designed.

Q: How can I reset all of my data at once?
A: You can do so by entering clear into TA-Tracker or by deleting tatracker.json in the data folder. Do take note that there is no way for you to restore your data once it has been deleted.

Q: How can I uninstall TA-Tracker from my device?
A: Simply delete the folder where you have placed TA-Tracker in.

Q: Is there any hidden payment involved in TA-Tracker?
A: No, TA-Tracker is completely free to use! You can support us by contributing to our code-base here.

Q: Can I create multiple instances of the app that store different data simultaneously?
A: Yes, you can. Simply copy the .jar file into a different folder and run the app there. You will then be able to use multiple different TA-Trackers at the same time

Q: Can I mark my students' attendance and give them grades?
A: You can use the rating feature to give your students participation marks. We are currently working on a way for you to give mark your students' attendance and mark their assignments. You will see this feature in our next release.

9. Command Summary

  • View Help: help

  • Switch Tabs: goto TAB_NAME

  • Exit the Program: exit

9.2. Student View

9.2.1. Module commands

  • Add Module: module add m/MOD_CODE n/NAME

  • Edit Module: module edit m/MOD_CODE n/NEW NAME

  • Delete Module: module delete m/MOD_CODE

9.2.2. Group commands

  • Add Group: group add g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE t/GROUP_TYPE

  • Edit Group: group edit g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE [ng/NEW_GROUP_CODE] [nt/NEW_GROUP_TYPE]

  • Delete Group: group delete g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE

9.2.3. Student commands

  • Add Student: student add id/MATRIC_NUMBER n/NAME m/MOD_CODE g/GROUP_CODE [e/EMAIL] [r/RATING] [t/TAG]…

  • Delete Student: student delete id/MATRIC_NUMBER m/MOD_CODE g/GROUP_CODE

  • Edit Student: student edit id/MATRIC_NUMBER m/MOD_CODE g/GROUP_CODE [n/NAME] [e/EMAIL] [r/RATING] [t/TAG]…

9.2.4. Others

  • Sort Group: sort group g/GROUP_CODE m/MOD_CODE t/SORT_TYPE

  • Sort Module: sort module m/MOD_CODE t/SORT_TYPE

  • Sort All Modules: sort all t/SORT_TYPE

  • Filter Students: student filter m/MOD_CODE [g/GROUP_CODE]

9.3. Session View

9.3.1. Session commands

  • Add Session: session add m/MOD_CODE [s/START] [e/END] [d/DATE] [w/WEEK] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  • Delete Session: session delete INDEX

  • Edit Session: session edit INDEX [s/START_TIME] [e/END_TIME] [d/DATE] [w/RECUR] [m/MODULE] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  • Done Session: session done INDEX

9.3.2. Others

  • Filter Sessions: session filter [d/DATE] [m/MOD_CODE] [t/SESSION_TYPE]

9.4. Claims View

  • Set Rate: setrate RATE

  • Filter Claims: claims filter m/MOD_CODE

9.5. Statistics

  • Generate Statistics Report: report [MOD_CODE]

9.6. Timed Sessions - Coming in V2.0

  • Set Reminders: reminder set s/START [e/END] [m/MOD_CODE] [d/DATE] [w/WEEKS] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  • Start Sessions: session start [m/MOD_CODE] [t/SESSION_TYPE] [n/NOTES]

  • Stop Sessions: session stop