There are three recommended ways to efficiently receive the assistance you need. Here they are, in order of efficiency:
- In-person help
- Ed Discussion
First, before seeking help, be thorough
If you are facing build errors and cannot get your program to build & run, you need to spend some time deciphering the error message(s) you are receiving. This is a critical programming skill. Here are some tips:
- Check for common issues: proper
{}(braces),;(semicolons), and other common syntax errors. - Identify the filename and line number where the error is located (this is always a part of the error message).
- Read the error message. This cannot be stressed enough, you may not understand (yet) what it means, but look for identifiers in the error message that match, or match closely, to identifiers in your code --- this can be a BIG step in understanding why the compiler/linker is uncooperative.
- Try commenting out the offending section of code and see if the error message changes or disappears. If it does, then slowly add back what had been commented away until you have identified the offending element of code.
Come to office hours
Take advantage of the instructor's office hours and tutoring when you can.
Look for your problem on Ed Discussion
Chances are likely that a fellow student has encountered the same problem that you are facing. Take a look at the messages posted on Ed Discussion to see if someone else has contributed a solution.
Post your problem on Ed Discussion
If you don't see an existing message on Ed Discussion that is relevant to your problem, then you should create a new post. Do not post your entire program on Ed Discussion, unless instructed otherwise. You should only post portions of code that you are suspicious about.
Here is the policy for help on assignments, labs, and projects.
- Never, ever, post an entire code listing on Ed Discussion unless otherwise instructed.
- Never, ever, copy code that is posted on Ed Discussion and paste such code into your own project, unless otherwise instructed.
- What is it you are trying to do? What are you expecting to occur?
- What is actually occurring?
- If there is an error occurring (either a compiler, linker, or runtime error), then copy/paste the ENTIRE error stack trace from the console to the post. Do NOT post a screenshot of the error. Images cannot be searched, text can. Please copy/paste the entire error message as text.
- If the error is referring to a specific line of code in your program, then please copy that line of code to the post. Do NOT post a screenshot of the code. Images cannot be searched, text can. Please copy/paste the single line of code as text. Do NOT post large blocks/segments of code, just the single line in question. If requested, you may be asked by the instructor/TA to post a larger block of code privately for further assistance - but this should not be the default and doing so may result in posting privileges being restricted.
- Be specific. A post merely stating "something is wrong with my code, can you please take a look" is not likely to elicit an effective response. What do you think is wrong? Give your instructor a hint.
Email your Instructor
Although it takes only a minute to send an email, it may take a long time to receive a response. You are NOT likely to get an immediate response from your instructor, so this shouldn't be your first attack against any error message. Instructors will answer questions and provide assistance to students via email. However, there are limits to the assistance that is easily provided via email.
- Do not be offended if your instructor advises you to ask on Ed Discussion (you should have, before sending an email) or to come to office hours. This is always for your benefit. In-person assistance is far more efficient and educational than email.
You may have a hard time formulating a plan or algorithm for an assignment. Or, you may have formulated a plan but are unsure if it will be sufficient. In these cases your instructor can certainly provide guidance via email efficiently. However, starting your homework early and asking questions early is critical to solving these sorts of creative problems.