midterm_overview.md 2/14/2022
1 / 6
SI 506 Midterm
1.0 Dates
Release date: Thursday, 24 February 2022, 400 PM Eastern
Due date: on or before Saturday, 26 February 2022, 1159 AM (morning) Eastern
2.0 Overview
The midterm exam is open network, open readings, and open notes. You may refer to code in previous
lecture exercises, lab exercises, and problem sets for inspiration.
We recommend that at a minimum you bookmark the following w3schools Python pages and/or have them
open in a set of browser tabs as you work on the midterm exam:
Python keywords
Python operators
Python built-in functions
Python list methods
Python str methods
3.0 Points
The midterm is worth 1000 points and you accumulate points by passing a series of auto grader tests.
4.0 Solo effort
You are prohibited from soliciting assistance or accepting assistance from any person while taking the
exam. The midterm code that you submit must be your own work. Likewise, you are prohibited from
assisting any other student required to take this exam. This includes those taking the exam during the
regular exam period, as well as those who may take the exam at another time and/or place due to
scheduling conflicts or other issues.
5.0 README and template files
In line with the weekly lab exercises and problem sets you will be provided with a number of files:
. a README.md that contains the assignment instructions
. a midterm.py template file for you to write your code.
. one or more *.txt and/or *.csv files that contain exam data.
Please download the midterm files from Canvas Files as soon as they are released. This is a timed event and
delays in acquiring the assignment files will shorten the time available to engage with the assignment. The
clock is not your friend.
The template file will contain function definitions that you will implement along with a main() function from
which you will call the other functions, make variable assignments, and perform other tasks in response to a
series of challenges.
midterm_overview.md 2/14/2022
2 / 6
Implementing functions involves replacing the placeholder pass statement with working code. You may be
asked to add missing parameters to function definitions. You may also be asked to define a function in its
entirety (less the Docstring) as directed per the instructions.
You will call each function from the main() function passing arguments to the function and assigning the
return value to a specified variable per the instructions.
DO NOT modify or remove the scaffolded code that we provide in the template unless instructed to do
so.
The template *.py file resembles the following skeletal scaffolding (verbose multi-line Docstring
instructions are shortened to a single line in the example):
import some_module


def some_function(some_parameter, another_parameter):
"""A description of expected behavior.

Parameters:
...

Returns:
...
"""

pass # TODO Implement


def another_function(): # TODO Add missing parameter(s)
"""A description of expected behavior.

Parameters:
...

Returns:
...
"""

pass # TODO Implement


# TODO define and implement Challenge X function here


def main():
"""Entry point for the program.

Parameters:
...

Returns:
midterm_overview.md 2/14/2022
3 / 6
...
"""

# Manage execution flow below.

# CHALLENGE 01

var_01 = None # TODO Assign value

# . . .

# CHALLENGE 0X

# TODO Implement loop(s), conditional statement, add filtered value(s)
to specified variable

# . . .

# CHALLENGE 10

var_02 = None # TODO Call function; assign return value

# . . .


# Check if the Python interepreter knows this file as "__main__" (i.e., a
script
# intended to be run from the command line). If True, call the main()
function
# which serves as the entry point to the program.
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
6.0 Challenges
The midterm comprises ten (10) challenges. The teaching team recommends that you complete each
challenge in the order specified in the README.
Certain challenges can be solved with a single line of code. Others may involve writing several lines of code
including implementing one or more functions in order to solve the challenge.
The challenges cover the following topics introduced between weeks 01 and 07:
. Basic syntax and semantics
Values (objects), variables, variable assignment
Expressions and statements
Data types
numeric values (int, float)
boolean values (True, False)
NoneType object (None)
sequences: list, range, str, tuple,
midterm_overview.md 2/14/2022
4 / 6
Operators: arithmetic, assignment, comparison, logical, membership
Sequence indexing and slicing
List creation; adding, modifying, removing and unpacking list elements
Tuple creation; adding items (packing) and unpacking items
Nested lists and tuples
String, list, and tuple concatenation
String formatting: formatted string literal (f-string)
. Control flow
Iteration
for loop, for i in range() loop, while loop
Accumulator pattern
Counter usage (e.g. count += 1)
break and continue statements
Conditional execution
if, if-else, if-elif-else statements
Truth value testing (if < object >:)
. Functions
Built-in functions discussed in class and featuring in lab exercises and problem sets
Type methods (e.g., list and str methods)
User-defined functions
Defining a function with/without parameters, parameters with default values, and
with/without a return statement
Calling a function and passing to it arguments by position and/or keyword arguments
Calling a function or functions from within another function's code block
Assigning a function's return value to a variable
main() function (included in midterm template scaffolding)
. Files read / write
with open() statement
Reading from and writing to *.txt files
csv module import (included in scaffolded code)
csv.reader(), csv.writer()
Reading from and writing to *.csv files
7.0 A note on code styling
The auto grader will include tests that check whether or not your code adheres to Python styling guidelines
relative to the use of whitespace in certain expressions and statements. The goal is to encourage you to
write code that adheres to the Python community's styling practices. Doing so enhances code readability
and aligns you with other Python programmers.
In particular, always surround the following operators on either side with a single space:
assignment (=)
augmented assignment (+=, -=, etc.)
comparisons (==, <, >, !=, <>, <=, >=, in, not in, is, is not)
Booleans (and, or, not).
midterm_overview.md 2/14/2022
5 / 6
# Correct
var = search_entities(entities, search_term)

# Incorrect
var=search_entities(entities, search_term)

# Correct
count += 1

# Incorrect
count+=1
Note however that an exception exists with respect to function parameters and arguments. Do not surround
the assignment operator with spaces when either:
. defining a parameter with a default value
. passing a keyword argument
# Correct
def create_email_address(uniqname, domain='umich.edu'):
"""TODO"""
return f"{uniqname}@{domain}"

# Incorrect
def create_email_address(uniqname, domain = 'umich.edu'):
"""TODO"""
return f"{uniqname}@{domain}"

# Correct
email_address = create_email_address(uniqname='anthwhyte',
domain='gmail.com')

# Incorrect
email_address = create_email_address(uniqname = 'anthwhyte', domain =
'gmail.com')
Finally, when employing subscript notation in an expression do not place a space between the sequence
and the accompanying bracket(s).
# Correct
element = some_list[-1]

# Incorrect
element = some_list [-1] # eliminate space
8.0 Gradescope submissions
midterm_overview.md 2/14/2022
6 / 6
You may submit your problem solution to Gradescope as many times as needed before the expiration of the
exam time. Your final submission will constitute your exam submission.
You must submit your solution file to Gradescope before the expiration of exam time. Solution files
submitted after the expiration of exam time will receive a zero (0) score.
9.0 auto grader / manual scoring
If the auto grader is unable to grade your submission successfully with a score of 1000 points the teaching
team will review your submission. Partial credit may be awarded for submissions that fail one or more auto
grader tests if the teaching team (at our sole discretion) deem a score adjustment warranted.
If you submit a partial solution, please include (if you have time) comments that explain what you were
attempting to accomplish in the area(s) of the program that are not working properly. We will review your
comments when determining partial credit.