FAQ (Frequently asked questions)
Q: Is there a signup fee?
No, there are absolutely no fees involved.
Q: Can I work with a partner or team?
Yes, you can work in a team. You cannot work in more than one team. Only one team member needs to register for the contest.
All team members are bound to the Contest Rules. Note that a single prize is awarded per winning entry, regardless of the number of team members involved.
Q: Can I submit multiple entries?
We will accept only one entry per participant. Participants involved in more than one entry will be disqualified.
Q: How do I know if I’ve been selected as a winner?
Winners will be announced on 8/14/09 at www.codefor10.com. Winners will also receive notifications in e-mail and/or postal mail, and have 14 days from written notification to claim the prize.
Q: How do I get more information?
See the Tell me more section. If you still have questions, submit a question on the Ask a question page.
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© 2009 Heavy Construction Systems Specialists, Inc. (HCSS)
User-Submitted Questions
Q: Please explain what you mean by “All entries become the property of HCSS. You grant HCSS the right to produce, sell, and use the technology (software, code, design, concepts, etc.) associated with the entry.”
If I reuse the software (prototype) in other situations (eg, for professional projects), am I liable for copyrights infringement?
No, you are not liable for copyright infringement. We’ve clarified our intent by adding the sentence below to the Contest Rules: “If you choose to reuse all or parts of the code, you agree to hold HCSS harmless and indemnify HCSS for any liabilities associated with the reuse.”
Q: Can the project be anything so long as it uses winforms and SQL? Is the app supposed to perform a certain task? or be within a certain scope?
The problem definitely has a specific task and scope. See The Challenge Summary.
Q: The Estimates.css file in my download .zip file contains nothing but a header
That is by design. You are to create the data as described in Processing step #2: Import
Q: Why do the Labor, Material, Subcontractors and Crews tables have an estimateCode column in the specification in the details pdf, but not in the sample data that was emailed to me. The specification in the pdf seems to be frequently different from the sample data, for example in the case of the CrewMembers table, the file says there should be an estimate code (which as an aside makes no sense based on the previous description), a crew code, a crew member (??) and a number of members. However, in the sample data we actually have - Crew Code, Resource Code, Pieces
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•Regarding the estimate code column in all of the tables: The sample data represents one distinct estimate that must be copied multiple times as described in Processing step #2: Import.
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•Regarding the confusing terminology on some file column headers: This is a mistake where we occasionally used alternative terms as column headers. The mistake has been corrected so that the terminology used in the column headers matches the terminology used in the contest details document.
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For those who registered before 6/18/09 12 PM CST, a revised sample data set (ver2) has been e-mailed to you.
Q: For the import, can we assume that the columns in the CSV will ***always*** be in the same order as they have been given to us or do we need to parse the file headers and map them to our database schema?
The columns in the test data CSV files are in the same order as described in the contest details document. However, it is always a good idea to double check!
Q: After carefully reviewing the requirements it is my determination that this is more than a months worth of work. Although a substantial portion of it could be completed in that time, it is unlikely that all of it will be. Can we win the contest without completing all 15 tasks?
You may submit an entry that is not 100% complete. While not a complete entry, we have identified the items that we will be testing in the contest details so that you can make informed decisions with regard to the contest testing.
Q: I was under the impression that this was a free form project and didn't realise that you were going to send specifications after registration.
That being said, can I work on my own project of my own specifications and submit for a prize? It's SQL based written in .NET and it's pretty sweet!
Sorry - this contest is specifically for this problem.
Q: The requirements document describes editing crews, and contains the following statement:
"If so, ask if the crew should be changed to reflect the new crew"
The document spells out what to do if the user answers yes. I assume that I would discard the changes if the user answers no. Is this correct? Thanks
Yes, that is correct.
Q: Hello! I have two questions.
First, your requirements state that this must be a WinForms app. Is WPF an acceptable alternative? (WPF == Windows Presentation Foundation, a xml based successor to WinForms.) It is possible to host WPF controls inside WinForms; would this be an acceptable fulfillment of the requirement?
Second, is it acceptable to run code on the server other than the database? Thank you.
WPF is an acceptable alternative. Code run on the server is fine as well. Thanks!
Q: A similar question was asked, but I would like to be specific.
When you say "All entries become the property of HCSS. You grant HCSS the right to produce, sell, and use the technology (software, code, design, concepts, etc.) associated with your entry. If you choose to reuse all or parts of the code, you agree to hold HCSS harmless and indemnify HCSS for any liabilities associated with the reuse." does that mean that I still retain the right to sell or distribute the program, or version of program, as I desire, without consent of HCSS
Yes, you may reuse the code you produce without our consent. If you choose to reuse all or parts of the code, you agree to hold HCSS harmless and indemnify HCSS for any liabilities associated with the reuse.
Q: Can I use a SQL Server 2008 back-end?
Yes, as long as you do not use any features specific to 2008 and remain backward compatible with 2005. We will be testing using 2005.
Q: After reading the requirement and digging through the sample data, it looks like each activity is only allowed to have a single crew. Is this correct? If so, can I allow multiple crews per activity in my submission?
You are correct - the details only describe one crew per activity; however, you may definitely submit an entry with more than one crew allowed.
Q: Which columns in your schema are nullable?
Currently, none are nullable; however, you may use your judgement.
Q: I cannot afford .net at this time, but I do have VB6. Will the rules allow me to develop the application in VB6?
Unfortunately, no. However, Microsoft offers a free express version of C# that can be downloaded from their Web site.
Q: Cannot afford MS SQL. Is MySQL acceptable?
Unfortunately, no. However, Microsoft offers a free express version of SQL that can be downloaded from their Web site.
Q: Shouldn't the BidItem table have an estimateCode column? It doesn't in the sample data you sent out (Code_for_10_Contest_Data_(ver2).zip).
Regarding the estimate code column in all of the tables (including Biditem): The sample data represents one distinct estimate that must be copied multiple times as described in Processing step #2: Import. So, while the sample data does not have an estimateCode, the tables will have an estimateCode.
Q: Estimate csv, doesn't have information, no records at all
That is by design. You are to create the data as described in Processing step #2: Import.
Q: Digging through the data some more and I found something I don't know how to handle.
The activity for Bid Item 10, Activity Code 920 does not have a Crew Code. The resource records for this Activity list two labor records (LZENGER, LZSUPT) with Crew Codes (17000, 28500), which are not real crew codes. The problem is that the Total Cost for those two labor resource records does not equal the Quantity * Unit Cost. This is creating a discrepancy between my computed totals and the imported total.
How should I address this?
Good observation. We will correct the sample files to make sure that the totals are a match to quantity*unit cost. You can ignore the crew code for those labor records.
Q: The Unit Cost on most records in the Subcontractors table is zero. In the Resources table, the same subcontractor is used with multiple different unit costs. Even when the Subcontractor's record has a unit cost, different unit costs are then used in the Resources records.
For example, Subcontractor SASPH has a unit cost of 42.5 on the Subcontractors records, but it is used in the resources table with unit costs of 42.5 and 3500. The Unit Of Measure is also different (LS vs TON).
I assumed that the Unit Cost on the Subcontractor's record would be consistently applied, but this discrepancy is causing my summary calculations to be off by a wide margin. How should I address this issue?
Good observation. Our current approach is to allow for discrepancies on the Resource level, and summarize all calculations off of that level, rather than checking the resource table.
Q: When testing the import function, will all the csv files be in one folder with the same file names as in the samples provided?
That is a perfectly acceptable approach to the import.
Q: The requirements for item 14, display historical data, ask for a Job Code. I have not found a column named Job Code mentioned anywhere else in the requirements document or in the sample data. How should I proceed?
Regarding the estimate code column in all of the tables: The sample data represents one distinct estimate that must be copied multiple times as described in Processing step #2: Import. So, while the sample data does not have an estimateCode, the tables will have an estimateCode.
Q: Regarding the previous question and answer, are you saying that the Estimate Code = Job Code?
Thanks for the clarification, I now understand the question. Yes, Estimate Code = Job Code. You may use the 2 terms in the detailed document interchangeably.
Q: What is the size of the monitors and where you will be testing ? or what size is the standard 800*600 or bigger one ?
We will be using monitors set to 1024x768.
Q: Requirements items 4 and 5 require that after editing the Unit Cost from Labor, Equipment, etc., be used to update totals for existing activities in which they are used. However the current system allows the Unit Cost to be overridden when a resource is assigned to a activity. For this case, which should take precedence: the new unit cost entered, or the overrides (from the imported Resources table)?
Excellent question. The new unit cost entered should take precedence.
Q: When importing date from cvs, do i have to update: TotalLabor, TotalEquipment, TotalMaterial, TotalSubcontractor, TotalCost, for each Resource, Activity, Biditems and update estimates ? I noticed the total in biditems are not equal to the sum of total in activities.
Recalculating and updating the totals is definitely advisable.
Q: Will the winners be made public on your website? Will contestants be able to view the winners' applications? If we have our own server, will your team be willing to test it from that server, or do you have to view the code?
Yes, winners will be made public on our website. Sorry, contestants will not be able to view the winners' apps. And finally, we do need to view the code and test on our own servers.
Q: Just a suggestion, I think this contest is missing out on the most important thing to judge a developer by. The criteria for how easily maintained the code is.
Maintainable code is definitely a huge plus. However, it is a bit subjective and not an easy item to judge.
Q: I have noticed that in the Resource.csv file the TotalCost value is not equal to Quantity * UnitCost. Check LAOP, Quantity is 76, UnitCost = 19, TotalCost = 2014.57. The correct value is 1444.
Do i am missing something? I believed that TotalCost = Quantity * UnitCost
Good observation. Please recalculate the total cost for any item with a discrepancy.
Q: in my test data it looks like subcontractors got mixed up with materials...
The materials are the records that start with an M. The subcontractors are the records that start with an S. If you have sample data that intermixes the tables, please feel free to correct them.
Q: The challenge does not specify a version of .NET to target. Is it safe to assume that we may use the latest version with its added features that are not backward-compatible?
You are correct.
Q: in the biditem=3100 and activity=655005 TotalLabor=79271.89
when adding up labor resources for that biditem and activity total comes up to only 63417.50. (similar discrepancy for equipment in the same item).
Does this mean that no computed totals can be trusted in the sample or am I missing something.
You should definitely recompute the totals to ensure correct values.
Q: I would like to know under what SQL User is going to be test the application. It will be sa ? If not is sa can you tell me what kind of rights the user will have?
Your database install script should create the user you need, and apply the appropriate rights for this user. The only roles you should allow are db_datareader and db_datawriter.
Q: I am trying to get a better understanding of the concurrency requirement. Seeing that multiple users will each be creating multiple estimates from the sample data, it seems highly unlikely that two users will modify the same estimate at the same time. Is it expected that an estimate will only be worked on by one primary user while allowing the possibility of a few modifications from others, or is the ultimate goal to allow many concurrent users working on the same estimate to expedite submittal?
Your last statement is the correct assumption. Throughout the bidding process, numerous estimators will be in and out of a bid. Some will be simply entering data, while others are performing calculations and reviews. The application you will build must support the ability for multiple users to edit the same bid at the same time. They may or may not be on the same bid item, but the bid totals will need to reflect changes from all users.
Q: Hello, I'm looking at the project details PDF, and in the Processing section, item number three, it references the Cost Entry View. I don't see a screen shot for that view, and none of the screen shot windows titles read "Cost Entry". Could you elaborate more on that?
It is Figure 5. The label is "Estimate Entry - Tree View".
Q: I want to comunicate that checking the csv files. In the material csv 97 records when should be 87 based on the challenge summary Document. Also in equipment are 82 instead of 92. So they are 10 off? Can you help me please?
The correct number of records are in the CSV files.
Q: Do the following fields in the Activities.csv file have any part in calculating the activity totals?
- Productivity Type
- Productivity Rate
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-Hours Per Shift
For information on how these calculations work, please review the Challenge Details > Processing section > #8 Enter/Edit Costs (specifically, the "Processing/Calculations" bullet on pages 9-10).
Q: Is there a preferred database connection method?
No, there is not.
Q: Hi, I'm here on an F1 visa. Can I participate? Thanks
To participate, you must reside in the U.S. and be eligible to work in the U.S. HCSS will not sponsor winners for H1B visas.
