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Add "Exact answers only" option to coordinate questions #772

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Add "Exact answers only" option to coordinate questions #772

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8ac0ecd
Add `disregardSignificantFigures` to coord qs
axlewin Apr 2, 2026
69c935f
Add "exact answers only" validation for coord qs
axlewin Apr 2, 2026
4a6eba1
Simplify coordinate comparison helper arguments
axlewin Apr 2, 2026
58d072a
Check coord qs don't have invalid sig figs
axlewin Apr 2, 2026
23eccee
Add test for coordinate "exact answers only" property
axlewin Apr 2, 2026
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20 changes: 20 additions & 0 deletions src/main/java/uk/ac/cam/cl/dtg/isaac/dos/IsaacCoordinateQuestion.java
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public class IsaacCoordinateQuestion extends IsaacQuestionBase {
private String[] suffixes;
private String buttonText;

private Boolean disregardSignificantFigures;
private Integer significantFiguresMin;
private Integer significantFiguresMax;

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -56,6 +57,25 @@ public void setOrdered(final Boolean ordered) {
this.ordered = ordered;
}

/**
* Gets whether to disregard significant figures, i.e. allow exact answers only.
*
* @return true if significant figures should be disregarded, false or null otherwise.
*/
public Boolean getDisregardSignificantFigures() {
return disregardSignificantFigures;
}

/**
* Sets whether to disregard significant figures, i.e. allow exact answers only.
*
* @param disregardSignificantFigures
* - whether to disregard significant figures
*/
public void setDisregardSignificantFigures(final Boolean disregardSignificantFigures) {
this.disregardSignificantFigures = disregardSignificantFigures;
}

/**
* Gets the minimum allowed number of significant figures.
*
Expand Down
42 changes: 29 additions & 13 deletions src/main/java/uk/ac/cam/cl/dtg/isaac/quiz/IsaacCoordinateValidator.java
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
IsaacCoordinateQuestion coordinateQuestion = (IsaacCoordinateQuestion) question;
CoordinateChoice submittedChoice = (CoordinateChoice) answer;

// Get significant figures to validate with
int sigFigsMin = requireNonNullElse(coordinateQuestion.getSignificantFiguresMin(), NUMERIC_QUESTION_DEFAULT_SIGNIFICANT_FIGURES);
int sigFigsMax = requireNonNullElse(coordinateQuestion.getSignificantFiguresMax(), NUMERIC_QUESTION_DEFAULT_SIGNIFICANT_FIGURES);

// STEP 0: Is it even possible to answer this question?

if (null == coordinateQuestion.getChoices() || coordinateQuestion.getChoices().isEmpty()) {
Expand All @@ -58,6 +62,14 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
feedback = new Content("This question cannot be answered correctly.");
}

// Only worry about broken significant figure rules if we are going to use them (i.e. if "exact match" is false)
if (null == coordinateQuestion.getDisregardSignificantFigures() || !coordinateQuestion.getDisregardSignificantFigures()) {
if (sigFigsMin < 1 || sigFigsMax < 1 || sigFigsMax < sigFigsMin) {
log.error("Question has broken significant figure rules! " + question.getId() + " src: " + question.getCanonicalSourceFile());
feedback = new Content("This question cannot be answered correctly.");
}
}

// STEP 1: Did they provide a valid answer?

if (null == feedback && (null == submittedChoice.getItems() || submittedChoice.getItems().isEmpty())) {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -93,10 +105,6 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
feedback = new Content("You did not provide the correct number of coordinates.");
}

// Get significant figures to validate with
int sigFigsMin = requireNonNullElse(coordinateQuestion.getSignificantFiguresMin(), NUMERIC_QUESTION_DEFAULT_SIGNIFICANT_FIGURES);
int sigFigsMax = requireNonNullElse(coordinateQuestion.getSignificantFiguresMax(), NUMERIC_QUESTION_DEFAULT_SIGNIFICANT_FIGURES);

// STEP 2: If they did, does their answer match a known answer?

if (null == feedback) {
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -152,10 +160,10 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
CoordinateItem choiceItem = choiceItems.get(coordIndex);
CoordinateItem submittedItem = submittedItems.get(coordIndex);
// Check that the submitted item matches the choice item
if (!coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, sigFigsMin, sigFigsMax, false)) {
if (!coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, coordinateQuestion, false)) {
allItemsMatch = false;
// On mismatch, check if the items would match without excess significant figures
if (!coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, sigFigsMin, sigFigsMax, true)) {
if (!coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, coordinateQuestion, true)) {
allItemsMatchWithoutSigFigs = false;
// Exit early on mismatch:
break;
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -186,10 +194,10 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
boolean submittedItemInChoiceItem = false;
boolean itemInChoiceWithoutSigFigs = false;
for (CoordinateItem choiceItem : choiceItems) {
if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, sigFigsMin, sigFigsMax, false)) {
if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, coordinateQuestion, false)) {
submittedItemInChoiceItem = true;
break;
} else if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, sigFigsMin, sigFigsMax, true)) {
} else if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, coordinateQuestion, true)) {
// On mismatch, check if the items would match without excess significant figures
itemInChoiceWithoutSigFigs = true;
}
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -228,10 +236,10 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
boolean choiceItemInSubmittedItems = false;
boolean itemInSubmittedWithoutSigFigs = false;
for (CoordinateItem submittedItem : submittedItems) {
if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, sigFigsMin, sigFigsMax, false)) {
if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, coordinateQuestion, false)) {
choiceItemInSubmittedItems = true;
break;
} else if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, sigFigsMin, sigFigsMax, true)) {
} else if (coordinateItemsMatch(submittedItem, choiceItem, coordinateQuestion, true)) {
// On mismatch, check if the items would match without excess significant figures
itemInSubmittedWithoutSigFigs = true;
}
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -272,8 +280,8 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
feedback = coordinateQuestion.getDefaultFeedback();
}

// If there was no default feedback, check for too few significant figures
if (feedbackIsNullOrEmpty(feedback) && submittedItems.stream().anyMatch(i -> i.getCoordinates().stream()
// If incorrect & no other feedback, check for too few significant figures
if (!responseCorrect && feedbackIsNullOrEmpty(feedback) && submittedItems.stream().anyMatch(i -> i.getCoordinates().stream()
.anyMatch(c -> ValidationUtils.tooFewSignificantFigures(c, sigFigsMin, log)))) {
feedback = new Content(DEFAULT_VALIDATION_RESPONSE);
feedback.setTags(new HashSet<>(ImmutableList.of("sig_figs", "sig_figs_too_few")));
Expand All @@ -283,7 +291,10 @@ public final QuestionValidationResponse validateQuestionResponse(final Question
}

private boolean coordinateItemsMatch(final CoordinateItem submittedItem, final CoordinateItem choiceItem,
final int sigFigsMin, final int sigFigsMax, final boolean allowTooManySigFigs) {
final IsaacCoordinateQuestion coordinateQuestion, final boolean allowTooManySigFigs) {

int sigFigsMin = requireNonNullElse(coordinateQuestion.getSignificantFiguresMin(), NUMERIC_QUESTION_DEFAULT_SIGNIFICANT_FIGURES);
int sigFigsMax = requireNonNullElse(coordinateQuestion.getSignificantFiguresMax(), NUMERIC_QUESTION_DEFAULT_SIGNIFICANT_FIGURES);

if (submittedItem.getCoordinates().size() != choiceItem.getCoordinates().size()) {
return false;
Expand All @@ -293,6 +304,11 @@ private boolean coordinateItemsMatch(final CoordinateItem submittedItem, final C
String submittedValue = submittedItem.getCoordinates().get(dimension);
String choiceValue = choiceItem.getCoordinates().get(dimension);

if (null != coordinateQuestion.getDisregardSignificantFigures()
&& coordinateQuestion.getDisregardSignificantFigures()) {
return ValidationUtils.numericValuesMatch(choiceValue, submittedValue, null, log);
}

if (allowTooManySigFigs) {
// Check if the submission has more significant figures than the allowed maximum
if (ValidationUtils.tooManySignificantFigures(submittedValue, sigFigsMax, log)) {
Expand Down
20 changes: 20 additions & 0 deletions src/test/java/uk/ac/cam/cl/dtg/isaac/quiz/IsaacCoordinateValidatorTest.java
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -234,6 +234,26 @@ public final void isaacCoordinateValidator_TestDefaultSigFigsMin() {
assertTrue(response.isCorrect());
}

@Test
public final void isaacCoordinateValidator_TestDisregardSignificantFigures() {
someCoordinateQuestion.setDisregardSignificantFigures(true);

// Exact match should be correct
CoordinateChoice c = new CoordinateChoice();
c.setItems(List.of(item1, item2Again));

QuestionValidationResponse response = validator.validateQuestionResponse(someCoordinateQuestion, c);

assertTrue(response.isCorrect());

// Extra trailing 0 should still be correct
c.setItems(List.of(item1ExtraSigFig, item2Again));

response = validator.validateQuestionResponse(someCoordinateQuestion, c);

assertTrue(response.isCorrect());
}

@Test
public final void isaacCoordinateValidator_TestSubsetOfCorrectChoice() {
someCoordinateQuestion.setOrdered(false);
Expand Down
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