16 KiB
Challenge project
Work with variable data in C#
Demonstrate your ability to develop a console app that implements data formatting and using arrays to deliver a multiple term search feature.
Learning objectives
Apply iteration statements using data input.
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Process data.
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Format data output.
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Choose the correct data types and safely converting data types.
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Create and manipulate string arrays, and sort array data.
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Modify and build complex strings from multiple data sources, and format data for display.
Introduction
Suppose you're one of the developers working on the Contoso Pets adoption application to help find new homes for pets. Your starting version of the application gathers a single search term used to search the descriptions of dogs. A single term search is helpful, but the feedback given from the team is the application needs more search functionality. The team wants you to extend the search functionality to allow for multiple term searches. Additionally, the team wants to pilot an update to the "search status" animation that shows search progress.
In this challenge coding project, your C# data knowledge and skills are applied for:
- Creating string arrays by splitting strings
- Manipulating array data, iterating through elements in an array, and sorting array data
- Modifying and building strings from multiple data sources
In short, you'll:
- Develop multi-term search functionality for the "dogs" search
- Update the "search status" animation, information and countdown
By the end of this module, you complete an updated version of the Contoso Pets application that searches all dogs available for adoption using multiple search terms and an improved search status simulation.
Project specification overview
Update the existing Contoso Pets starter application to include multiple term search and improved "search status" animation features:
Add dog attribute multi-term search
Gather user input for the pet characteristic multiple term search
- Users need to provide search terms separated by commas
- Store the search terms in an array and sort the terms alphabetically
Within the animals array loop that identifies "dogs":
- Iterate through the search terms to search each dog's description
- Search the combined description for a term match
- Output each dog's description where there's one or more terms matched
After exiting the "search Animals" array loop that identifies dogs:
If no dogs were a match for any of the users provided search terms, output a no dogs matched message.
Add "search status" improvements
Update the animation
- Adjust the searchingIcons array to resemble a spinning dial
- Adjust the animation loop so the animation shows a numeric countdown from two to zero (2.., 1.., 0..)
Starter code
The starter code project for this challenge project module includes a Program .cs file that provides the following code features:
The code declares variables used to collect and process pet data and menu item selections
The code declares the ourAnimals array
The code uses a for loop around an if-elseif-else construct to populate the ourAnimals array with a sample dataset
The code displays the following main menu options for user selection:
1. List all of our current pet information
2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic
Enter menu item selection or type "Exit" to exit the program
The application menu code reads the user's menu item selection and displays a message echoing their selection
Case 1: "List all of our current pet information" displays the sample data for all animals (two dogs and two cats)
Case 2: "2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic" is the primary area where new functionality code is added
- Under Case 2, the starter code identifies dogs and searches for a single user input term
- Before you search each dog, the console shows a simple "animation" that simulates a status for searching occurring
Your goal is to update the existing code to develop key features requested by your team:
- Add dog multiple attribute search
- Update search animation
Use your development environment, and test your application at each stage of your development process.
Setup
Download a zip file containing the code folders for the challenge project.
Build and run the file entering dotnet run in the terminal window.
The menu should display with two options. Enter 1 as shown in the following
terminal example:
Welcome to the Contoso PetFriends app. Your main menu options are:
1. List all of our current pet information
2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic
Enter your selection number (or type Exit to exit the program)
1
The sample data on the current pets should display followed by the message
Press the Enter key to continue
After pressing Enter, the menu should display again. Choose Option 2, shown
in the following example:
Welcome to the Contoso PetFriends app. Your main menu options are:
1. List all of our current pet information
2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic
Enter your selection number (or type Exit to exit the program)
2
Enter one desired dog characteristic to search for
Enter "large" for the search term and press "Enter."
Notice the "searching" message as shown:
searching our dog Nickname: gus for large ...
Notice, the message runs before each search of a pet, and the periods
(., .., ...) at the end change in an animation. Run the search again if you
missed it.
Once the search ends, press enter to return to the menu. Then type "exit" and press "Enter" to close the application.
Take a few minutes to become familiar with the Project.cs started code.
Focus on the areas that require updates, search and the animation.
Notice that there are some comments left in the code that indicate where to place an update.
You're now ready to begin the Guided project exercises. Good luck!
Add multiple term search support
The Contoso Pets app helps find new homes for abandoned pets. The team wants the search feature improved to let users enter multiple terms when searching for dogs to adopt.
Search specification
In this first challenge exercise, you need to update the single term search feature to allow users to enter multiple search terms separated by commas.
Gather multiple search terms from the user
- Allow the user to enter multiple search terms when searching for dogs
- The user needs instructions to "enter the search terms separated by commas"
- Separate out individual search terms from the user entry string and store as values in an array
- Sort the terms in the array in alphanumeric sort order
Identify dogs with descriptions with matches for one, or more, user search term
- As you identify a dog in the
animalsArray, search for matches for each term the user has entered - For a term match, output a message with the dogs name and the term that is
matched
- example:
Our dog Jake is a match for your search for sheppard!
- example:
- When all term searches complete for the current dog description:
- For one or more matches, output the nickname and description for the current dog
- For one or more matches, track that there has been a match so you know not to display an "no matches found for any available dogs" message (refer to the next item)
- After all dog searches complete with no matches, display a message "No matches found for any available dogs"
Enforce the following validation rules
- values can't be null
- values can't have zero characters
- any further restriction is up to the developer
Code comments
- Numbered code comments in the starter code offer suggestions
- The comments are in a sequential order and only the comments starting with #1, #2, and #3 apply to this exercise of the challenge
Sample output
Review the following animated image
Notice the temporary display of "searching..." followed by the current term
(example: "searching...retriever")
Notice the order the terms appear in search is now in alphanumeric
Notice the messages for matches persist (example:
"Our dog lola is a chase match!")
Review the sample output in the following section, "How to check your work", to further clarify how to implement features
How to check your work
To validate that your code satisfies the specified requirements.
Build and run your app.
Note
You can exit the verification test before completing all of the verification steps if see a result that does not satisfy the specification requirements. To force an exit from the running program, in the Terminal panel, press Ctrl-C. After exiting the running app, complete the edits that you believe will address the issue you are working on, save your updates to the Program.cs file, and then re-build and run your code.
The terminal command prompt should display as the starting point for the program
At the command prompt, enter 2 menu:
Welcome to the Contoso PetFriends app. Your main menu options are:
1. List all of our current pet information
2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic
Enter your selection number (or type Exit to exit the program)
2
Enter dog characteristics to search for separated by commas
At the command prompt, enter large, cream, golden to test when more than one search term matches the dog descriptions. Verify that the Terminal panel updates with a message similar to the code output sample:
Enter dog characteristics to search for separated by commas
large, cream, golden
Our dog Nickname: lola matches your search for cream
Our dog Nickname: lola matches your search for golden
Nickname: lola (ID #: d1)
Physical description: medium sized cream colored female golden retriever weighing about 45 pounds. housebroken.
Personality: loves to have her belly rubbed and likes to chase her tail. gives lots of kisses.
Our dog Nickname: gus matches your search for golden
Our dog Nickname: gus matches your search for large
Nickname: gus (ID #: d2)
Physical description: large reddish-brown male golden retriever weighing about 85 pounds. housebroken.
Personality: loves to have his ears rubbed when he greets you at the door, or at any time! loves to lean-in and give doggy hugs.
Press the Enter key to continue
At the command prompt, press the enter key to continue to the main menu
At the command prompt, enter 2 menu:
Welcome to the Contoso PetFriends app. Your main menu options are:
1. List all of our current pet information
2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic
Enter your selection number (or type Exit to exit the program)
2
Enter dog characteristics to search for separated by commas
At the command prompt, enter big, grey, stripes to test when none of the search terms match dog descriptions. Verify that the Terminal panel updates with a message similar to the code output samples:
Enter dog characteristics to search for separated by commas
big, grey, stripes
None of our dogs are a match for: big, grey, stripes
Press the Enter key to continue
If you specified further restrictions for valid entries, run the appropriate test cases to verify your work.
Note
If your code meets the requirements you should be able to complete each step in order and see the expected results in a single test pass. If you added additional restrictions, you may need to exit the application and then run a separate test pass to complete your verification.
Congratulations if you succeeded in this challenge exercise!
Exercise
Add improved search animation
The Contoso Pets app helps find new homes for abandoned pets. Part of the request for search feature improvement is to update the animated simulation indicating search progress.
Search animation specification
In this second challenge exercise, you need to update the search animation to resemble spinning and add a count down (2, 1, 0).
Change the current "searching" animation icons
Update the current animation "icons"
string[] searchingIcons = {". ", ".. ", "..."};
Use new icons that simulate spinning
You can design the "searching" animation to display "spinning" to work differently than displayed in the animated image
The "searching..." animation, should continue to be overwritten, after each animation completes so it stays on the same line, and so that it doesn't display after the animation stops.
Add a countdown to the "searching" animation
Review the previous animated image - note the countdown in the output
"searching...retriever / 2"
The previous number "2" displays as "1", and finally as "0", counting down
Update the loop that contains the "searching" animation so that the loop can
display a countdown
Code comments
- Numbered code comments in the starter code offer suggestions
- The comments are in a sequential order and only the comments starting with #4, and #5 apply to this exercise of the challenge
How to check your work
To validate that your code satisfies the specified requirements, complete the instruction steps:
Build and run your app.
Note
You can exit the verification test before completing all of the verification steps if see a result that does not satisfy the specification requirements. To force an exit from the running program, in the Terminal panel, press Ctrl-C. After exiting the running app, complete the edits that you believe will address the issue you are working on, save your updates to the Program.cs file, and then re-build and run your code.
The terminal command prompt should display as the starting point for the program
At the command prompt, enter 2 menu:
Welcome to the Contoso PetFriends app. Your main menu options are:
1. List all of our current pet information
2. Display all dogs with a specified characteristic
Enter your selection number (or type Exit to exit the program)
2
Enter dog characteristics to search for separated by commas
At the command prompt, enter golden, big and press enter to test the search status messages with animation and countdown
Verify that the console panel updates with temporary "searching" status messages similar to the code output samples:
Enter dog characteristics to search for separated by commas
golden, big
searching our dog Nickname: lola for big / 2
searching our dog Nickname: lola for big -- 1
searching our dog Nickname: lola for golden \ 1
searching our dog Nickname: lola for golden * 0
All the user entered search terms should display with the "searching" spin
animation and countdown for each dog where the "searching our dog..." line in
the output overwrites the previous line to create an animation
Refer to the previous animated image of the running program for more examples of the "searching" status animation with countdown
Validate after the searching has stopped, the "searching" animation and
countdown no longer displays
Note
If your code meets the requirements you should be able to complete each step in order and see the expected results in a single test pass.
Congratulations if you succeeded in this exercise challenge!
Summary
Your challenge was to update an application to support multiple term search and to improve the "search status" information animation.
In this module, you developed code that combines:
- Iterate using data input.
- Process data.
- Format data output.
- Choose the correct data types and safely convert data types.
- Create and manipulate string arrays, and sort array data.
- Modify and build complex strings from multiple data sources, and format data for display.
You delivered functionality to your Contoso pet app team, including:
- Gather the pet characteristics for multiple search term inputs.
- Store search input terms in a sorted array.
- Display the dogs that have a term match.
- Provide an improved search status animation with a countdown.