📌 README: Welcome and How to Ask a Question

[mike-snhu]

Welcome to IT 140 Module Two Discussions

This space is for questions about the Module Two assignment, its instructions, the assignment repository, Git and GitHub, and the course IDE.

Before Posting a Question

1. Review the existing discussions to see whether someone has already asked your question.
2. Use the Search and Filter options to find discussions related to your topic.
3. If you find the same question, read the existing answers. Reply there only if you have a closely related follow-up question.
4. If your question has not already been asked, click New discussion.
5. Select the Q&A category and enter a clear, specific title.

Do not post your question as a reply to this announcement. Start a new discussion instead.

What to Include

Help others understand your question by including:

• What you are trying to accomplish
• The instruction, step, or file you are working with
• What you have already tried
• What happened instead of what you expected
• The exact error message or a screenshot, when applicable

Keep each discussion focused on one main question.

Protect Your Work and Privacy

GitHub Discussions are public. Do not post:

• Your SNHU ID, email address, grades, or other personal information
• Links to private repositories
• Your completed assignment or full solution code

Choose the Correct Support Channel

• Use GitHub Discussions for questions about the assignment, repository, tools, or course IDE.
• Use the General Questions discussion in Brightspace for grading, late-work, or instructor-specific questions.
• Use the IT Service Desk for problems accessing or using SNHU technology services.

Welcome to the discussion community. Your questions may also help other students who encounter the same problem.

[delmerP]

How do I get to where I can do my assignments?

[mike-snhu]

Hi @delmerP,

Start with the Module Two Assignment README and follow the directions in order, beginning with 0. Meet the Prerequisites.

The README will walk you through setting up the assignment, opening it in VS Code, completing Parts A and B, saving your work, and submitting it. Just take it one step at a time.

If you get stuck, remember that the IT Service Desk (accessible from Brightspace) and 24/7 drop-in tutoring are available. Be sure to give them the URL to repo and tell them which numbered step you are on and what you see on your screen. A screenshot or the exact error message is especially helpful.

You got this!

Mike

[mcpaci]

Hi, I had a question about working through the Module 2 assignment. I found it a little difficult to complete the TODO sections because I had to erase lines of code and type my answers directly into the provided sheet.

Is there an easier way to replace the TODO sections, such as copying and pasting my typed answers? When I am working in a word-processing environment, I usually rely more on keyboard shortcuts than on using the mouse, so I was wondering if there is a more efficient way to edit these sections.

Thank you!

[mike-snhu]

Hi @mcpaci,

Great questions. You have also identified a couple of things that may be worth adding to our course guidance for future students.

For this assignment, a few VS Code keyboard shortcuts can make working through the TODO: lines faster:

What you want to do	Windows/Linux	macOS
Find TODO: in the file	Ctrl+F	Cmd+F
Move to the next search result	Enter	Enter
Select the current line	Ctrl+L	Cmd+L
Delete the current line	Ctrl+Shift+K	Cmd+Shift+K
Undo a change	Ctrl+Z	Cmd+Z

For example, press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on a Mac), search for TODO:, and then press Enter to move through each TODO in the starter file. If a TODO line needs to be replaced, you can select that line and type your replacement. If a TODO line needs to be removed completely, such as an unused reference TODO, Ctrl+Shift+K (or Cmd+Shift+K) deletes the entire line.

Just remember that the code you write inside main() must still remain indented four spaces after you replace a TODO line.

You do not need to memorize these shortcuts. VS Code also lets you view and search its keyboard shortcuts, which is useful as you become more comfortable working in an IDE.

You also raised an important point about copying code from word processors. It is best to write and edit Python code directly in VS Code rather than drafting it in Word or another rich-text editor. Word processors can automatically change characters—for example, turning straight quotation marks (") into curly quotation marks (“ ”). Those characters may look similar to us, but Python treats them differently and may report a syntax error.

Would you be willing to help us improve the course by submitting a GitHub Issue for this? This is also a good opportunity to practice another part of the GitHub workflow that software teams use to report problems and suggest improvements.

From the repository, open Issues, choose New issue, and use the Request an improvement template. You are welcome to copy and paste the following as your suggestion:

Suggested improvement: Add beginner guidance about useful VS Code keyboard shortcuts and warn students against composing Python code in word processors before copying it into VS Code. Word processors may automatically replace programming characters, such as straight quotation marks, with visually similar characters such as curly quotation marks that can cause Python syntax errors. A short list of VS Code shortcuts for finding, replacing, and deleting TODO lines and a plain-text/code-editing reminder would be helpful for students who are new to programming and IDEs.

Thanks for bringing both of these up. Feedback like this from students helps us make the course instructions clearer for the students who come after you.

Best regards,
Mike

[britt-commits]

I committed the first assignment to my account, but it's showing someone else's name. What's going on?

[britt-commits]

Wait.. nevermind I think I understand why. Should I be doing this after I complete each assignment? I think it may be helpful to keep them as reference for later?

[mike-snhu]

Hi @britt-commits,

Thank you for posting the screenshot. Even though you think you may understand what happened, I would like us to verify it before you create another commit.

The other name shown beside the commit is most likely the Git identity recorded inside the commit. It does not, by itself, mean that another person can access your private repository. However, that name is not expected, and we should correct the configuration before you continue.

Open a terminal window and run the commands below.

gh api user --jq .login
git config --global --get user.name

They should display only your GitHub and Git usernames These name may be the same or they may be different.

Please reply only with whether they both displayed your expected usernames. Do not post your email address, password, authentication codes, recovery codes, or tokens. After you confirm the environment and result, I will give you the next step.

Regarding your second question: yes, when you use the GitHub workflow, follow each assignment repository’s Save Your Work to GitHub instructions. Committing and pushing preserves a copy that you can reference later. Keep your assignment repositories private.

Remember that saving work to GitHub does not submit the assignment. You must still submit the required files through D2L Brightspace.

Best,
Mike

[STOCOU91]

Hello, I am going to be fully transparent. I am 100% overwhelmed with this assignment. I have read Part A and I am trying my best to follow along but I dont know if I am understanding the instructions properly. It seems like its two sets of instructions to follow and I am just so lost. I feel like I need to see some sort of example of this module at this point.

[mike-snhu]

Hi @STOCOU91 ,

I am sorry you are having difficulties. Please see the Course Support guide for live and self-help support options.

If you have a suggestion for "some sort of example of this module", consider opening GitHub Issues and click the New issue button. Select the Request an Improvement option. Then, let us know what " sort of example of this module" you would like to see. It could be clarifying certain instructions, adding a screenshot, or a walk-thru video.

Best,
Mike