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====================== FLASHCARDS ==============================
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* Author: 		Simon Dexter (www.geocities.com/simondex)
* E-mail: 		simondex@yahoo.com
* License: 		Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/)
* Date created: 07/22/07
* Date updated: 04/12/08

Cognitive description
	This program encapsulates the idea of flashcard-based testing. User is given a capability to design completely arbitrary questions and answers using both ASCII text and image files. The left side of the screen is the front side of the card and the right side is the posterior part. Both parts are visible during design phase but the answer part is invisible why in the testing phase. During each test, user looks at the left side of the question, recalls the answer, presses the check button and marks himself as correct or incorrect. Thus the feedback is immediate. The program is not designed to simulate multiple-choice questionnaire where user can review their performance on every question at the end of the test. 
 
Technical description
	Images must be located in a special directory automatically created for every deck file. Program does automatic backup of current deck on the drive in backup file. Program also keeps track of ten most recently accessed flashcard deck files in a list that is accesible through File menu. Each card can be marked during design and testing phase if the user intends to work on it later. Each flashcard is automatically assigned a random integer number from 0 to 1E5. Each flashcard deck has an associated notes memo that gets serialized with the deck. This memo may be used to keep suggestions for future work on the deck. During the running phase, one can open a memo to use as a scrap paper for every question. Every deck of flashcard contains fields that keep track of how many times user was tested on this card and how many times the card was answered correctly. Consequently the ratio of times the card was answered correctly to the number of times it was asked in total is presented on the running panel. User is given an option to customize colors of the GUI components should it be necessary. The text component of each flashcard can be exported into an ascii file which is going to bear the name of the deck and txt extension. This file will be placed in the same directory as the deck file.


Instructions

* to compile the source, use the following command immediately outside of the Flashcards directory: 
javac -source 1.5 -nowarn -Xlint:none sd_common_classes/sd_timer/c_sd_timer.java
javac -source 1.5 -nowarn -Xlint:none Flashcards/Flashcards.java 

* To compile into jar file, change current directory to outside of FlashCards
* here include the manifest.mf
* make sure that manifest ends with new line character
* here is an example of manifest file
* * * * 
* Manifest-Version: 1.0
* Created-By: 1.5.0_11 (Sun Microsystems Inc.)
* Main-Class: FlashCards.FlashCards
* Class-Path: sd_common_classes
* * * * 

* * * * 
* To generate a jar file in Windows environment, run the following command 
* jar cmf manifest.mf FlashCards.jar FlashCards sd_common_classes/  
* here c stands for creating new jar file, m stands for inclusion of custom manifest file, f stands for the file or directory to be included
* don't ever attempt to repack the jar file with standard zip files as jar file is not a zip (although it certainly looks so.)
* For Linux environment, add sudo prefix to the line above
* * * * 
* to generate the documentation for this package, go into the directory FlashCards and then run terminal from there
* rootDirectory/ javadoc -d doc -private *.java

* Unresolved problems: 
	* when loading a deck of flashcards, the image is not shown, so simply move to the next card and back to see image loaded
	* in Windows environment, when browsing for files, it may take several seconds for it to display contents of the folder. The reason for this bug is unknown

Latest releases can be found on my website. I hope you have a productive time working with my program.

Yours truly, 


Simon Dexter