BBGradebookOrganiser/docs/instructions.md

# **Instructions**

## **Script requirements**

Before running the script for the first time, install the required python packages:

Option 1 - install `py7z`, `rarfile`

```console
python -m pip install py7zr rarfile
```

Option 2 - install all packages, including `pandas` which is used in [Inspect by hash](inspect.md), using the requirements file

```console
python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
```

Note: If running on Linux/Mac, you also need to have `unrar` installed in order to be able to extract `.rar` files.

- `sudo apt install unrar` for Linux

- `brew install rar` for Mac

## (Optional) **Edit script defaults**

You can change the default settings by editing *utils/settings.py*. The main setting you might want to edit is `IGNORE_DIRS` - the list of names for directories, or files, to ignore when extracting from compressed files.

Ignored directories by default:

- `__MACOSX` (macOS system generated files)

- `vendor` (composer / laravel)

- `node_modules` (npm)

## **Download gradebook**

1. Go to the course page on Blackboard

2. Go to *Grade Centre -> Full Grade Centre*

3. Find the assignment and click on the arrow for more options, and select *Assignment File Download*

4. Select all (click *Show All* at the bottom first, to display all users) and click submit to generate the gradebook zip file

5. Wait for the generated download link to appear, and click to download

## **Extract gradebook**

Extract the downloaded gradebook in a new directory inside *BB_gradebooks*.

- e.g. for `AssignmentX` extract the gradebook in *BB_gradebooks*/`AssignmentX`

## **Organise gradebook**

To organise the gradebook run **`organise_gradebook.py`** and provide the name of the directory with the *extracted* gradebook (from section *Extract gradebook* above) as an argument.

- e.g. for gradebook `AssignmentX` (in *BB_gradebooks*/`AssignmentX`) run:

```console
python organise_gradebook.py AssignmentX
```

While running, the script displays on the terminal information and stats about the gradebook submissions and files.

## **Post-run**

All submission files can be found - organised in directories per student number - in directory *BB_submissions*, under the sub-directory named after the gradebook name provided when running the script.

- e.g. `organise_gradebook.py AssignmentX` creates the directory `AssignmentX` inside *BB_submissions*

Each student directory contains:

- the extracted files from the submitted `.zip`, `.rar`, `.7z`
  
- the individually submitted files
  
- the text file generated by Blackboard for the submission (which also contains any comments left by the student)

All comments found in the gradebook are extracted in a text file in *BB_submissions*, with the gradebook name as prefix.

- e.g. `AssignmentX_comments.txt` will be created for gradebook `AssignmentX`

Compressed files are deleted after successfully extracting and organising the contents.

- Any invalid/corrupt compressed files are moved into folder `__BAD__` inside the gradebook directory

## **Inspect by hash** :mag:

See [***Inspect by hash***](inspect.md) for more information & details.