Source Code Management Exercise

Objective

In this exercise, you will demonstrate your understanding of Git and GitHub by forking this repository, adding a Python function, and submitting a pull request. You will write a function to calculate the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of two integers using the Euclidean algorithm and follow a precise workflow to manage your source code.

Instructions

Step 1: Fork the Repository

• Fork this repository to your own GitHub account by clicking the Fork button in the upper right corner. Note if you change the name of your repository, then you will need to use your repo name instead of source-code-management-exercise when following the examples below.

Step 2: Clone Your Fork

• Clone the forked repository to your local machine. Open your terminal and run the following command:

  git clone https://github.com/<your-github-username>/source-code-management-exercise.git

Step 3: Create a New Branch

• Create a new branch to work on your feature. Name your branch <ucid>-gcd-feature where is your student ucid (wfm8). Example commands:

  cd source-code-management-exercise
  git checkout -b <ucid>-gcd-feature

Step 4: Create Your Submission File

• Inside the students_submissions/ directory, create a new Python file named gcd_<ucid>.py. Replace <ucid> with your student ucid.
  • Example: If your ucid is wfm8, name your file gcd_wfm8.py.

Step 5: Implement the gcd Function

• In your gcd_<ucid>.py file, a greatest common divisor function. Use this exact function signature: def gcd(a: int, b: int) -> int:. DO NOT USE LOOPS in your function. Be sure to consider edge cases, like prime numbers, negative numbers, etc. Have errors print an informative message and return None.

  def gcd(a: int, b: int) -> int:
      """
      Calculate the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers a and b
      using the Euclidean algorithm.
      """
      # Implement your solution here
      pass

• Test your function with some basic test cases inside your file. You can use print statements to verify your implementation.

Example:

def gcd(a: int, b: int) -> int:
    # This uses a loop, so DO NOT COPY AND PASTE this example
    while b:
        a, b = b, a % b
    return a

# Test cases
print(gcd(54, 24))  # Expected output: 6
print(gcd(48, 18))  # Expected output: 6
print(gcd(101, 10))  # Expected output: 1

Step 6: Commit Your Changes

• Once your function is implemented, stage and commit your changes:

  git add students_submissions/gcd_<ucid>.py
  git commit -m "Implemented GCD function"

Step 7: Push the Branch to GitHub

• Push your changes to the <ucid>-gcd-feature branch in your forked repository:

  git push origin <ucid>-gcd-feature

Step 8: Create a Pull Request

• Go to your forked repository on GitHub and click the Compare & pull request button.
• Make sure to select your <ucid>-gcd-feature branch as the source and the original repository’s main branch as the destination.
• Submit the pull request.

When choosing repositories and branches, the GitHub screen will look something like:

base repository: [njit-prof-bill/source-code-man...][base: main] <- [head repository: iambillmccann/source-code-man...][compare: wfm8-gdc-feature]

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Naming Conventions

To ensure your submission is automatically checked, you must follow these naming conventions:

1. Your Python file must be placed in the students_submissions/ directory.
2. The file must be named gcd_<ucid>.py, where <ucid> is your actual GitHub username (e.g., gcd_wfm8.py).
3. Your file must contain a function named gcd(a: int, b: int) -> int.

If you do not follow these conventions, your submission will not be automatically tested, and you may be asked to resubmit.

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Grading Rubric

On point for each of the following:

• Repo cloned and branched
• Create PR that will merge automatically
• Function has no loops
• Code passes basic tests
• Code passes edge cases

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Submission Deadline

• Your pull request must be submitted by Sunday 2/1/2025 at 11:59.

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Notes:

• If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach out for help.
• Remember to test your function with a variety of inputs to ensure it works correctly.
• Follow the naming conventions carefully to avoid any issues with the automatic testing.

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