C Programming Learning Management System

A web-based learning management system for C programming with interactive exercises and code compilation capabilities.

Features

• View lessons written in Markdown format
• Interactive C code editor with compilation and execution
• Real-time feedback on code compilation and execution
• No database required - content stored as Markdown files
• Student token-based progress tracking system
• No authentication required - ready to use out of the box
• Containerized with Podman for easy deployment

Prerequisites

• Podman installed on your system
• Basic knowledge of Docker/Podman commands

Getting Started

Option 1: Using Podman Compose (Recommended)

1. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd lms-c
   

2. Build and start the container:

   podman-compose -f podman-compose.yml up --build
   

3. Access the application at http://localhost:5000

Option 2: Using the Access Script

1. Make the access script executable:

   chmod +x access_container.sh
   

2. Run the access script:

   ./access_container.sh
   

   This will start the container and open a shell inside it. From there, you can run:

   python app.py
   

Option 3: Direct Podman Commands

1. Build the image:

   podman build -t lms-c .
   

2. Run the container:

   podman run -p 5000:5000 -v ../content:/app/content -v ./static:/app/static -v ./templates:/app/templates -v ./tokens.csv:/app/tokens.csv lms-c
   

Content Structure

The system uses Markdown files for content management. There are two main types of content files:

Content Directory Location

The content directory is located at the parent directory level, outside of the elemes/ directory. This allows for easy linking and sharing of content between different instances of the LMS.

Environment Configuration

The application uses environment variables for configuration. Create a .env file at the parent directory level (same level as the elemes/ directory) to configure the application. The podman-compose.yml file is configured to read environment variables from ../.env.

Example .env file:

# Production Environment Configuration

# Flask Configuration
FLASK_ENV=production
FLASK_DEBUG=0
SECRET_KEY=your-super-secret-key-here-change-this-in-production

# Application Configuration
CONTENT_DIR=content
STATIC_DIR=static
TEMPLATES_DIR=templates
TOKENS_FILE=tokens.csv

# Server Configuration
HOST=0.0.0.0
PORT=5000

# Security Configuration
MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH=1024 * 1024  # 1MB max upload size
WTF_CSRF_ENABLED=true

# Logging Configuration
LOG_LEVEL=INFO
LOG_FILE=/var/log/lms-c/app.log

Home Page (home.md)

The home page serves as the main landing page and lesson directory. Here's the template structure:

# Welcome to C Programming Learning System

This is a comprehensive learning platform designed to help you master the C programming language through interactive lessons and exercises.

## Learning Objectives

| Module | Objective | Skills Acquired |
|--------|-----------|-----------------|
| Introduction to C | Understand basic syntax and structure | Writing first C program |
| Variables & Data Types | Learn about different data types | Proper variable declaration |
| Control Structures | Master conditional statements and loops | Logic implementation |
| Functions | Create and use functions | Code organization |
| Arrays & Pointers | Work with complex data structures | Memory management |

## How to Use This System

1. **Browse Lessons**: Select from the available lessons on the left
2. **Read Content**: Study the lesson materials and examples
3. **Practice Coding**: Use the integrated code editor to write and test C code
4. **Complete Exercises**: Apply your knowledge to solve programming challenges
5. **Get Feedback**: See immediate results of your code execution

## Getting Started

Start with the "Introduction to C" lesson to begin your journey in C programming. Each lesson builds upon the previous one, so it's recommended to follow them in order.

Happy coding!

---Available_Lessons---

1. [Introduction to C Programming](lesson/introduction_to_c.md)
2. [Variables and Data Types in C](lesson/variables_and_data_types.md)

Key Components of home.md:

• Main title and welcome message
• Learning objectives table
• Usage instructions
• Getting started section
• ---Available_Lessons--- separator followed by a list of lessons in the format [Lesson Title](lesson/filename.md)

Lesson Template

Each lesson file follows a specific structure to enable all system features. Here's the complete template:

---LESSON_INFO---
**Learning Objectives:**
- Understand basic syntax and structure of C programs
- Learn how to write your first C program
- Familiarize with the compilation process

**Prerequisites:**
- Basic understanding of programming concepts
- Familiarity with command line interface (optional)

---END_LESSON_INFO---
# Lesson Title

Lesson content goes here...

## Section

More content...

---

## Common Data Types in C

| Type | Description | Example |
|------|-------------|---------|
| int | Integer values | `int age = 25;` |
| float | Floating-point numbers | `float price = 19.99;` |
| char | Single character | `char grade = 'A';` |
| double | Double precision float | `double pi = 3.14159;` |

---EXERCISE---

# Exercise Title

Exercise instructions go here...

**Requirements:**
- Requirement 1
- Requirement 2

**Expected Output:**

Expected output example

Try writing your solution in the code editor below!

---EXPECTED_OUTPUT---
Expected output text
---END_EXPECTED_OUTPUT---

---INITIAL_CODE---
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Write your code here
    printf("Hello, World!\\n");
    return 0;
}
---END_INITIAL_CODE---

---SOLUTION_CODE---
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Write your solution here
    printf("Solution output\\n");
    return 0;
}
---END_SOLUTION_CODE---

Key Components of Lesson Files:

1. Lesson Information Block (Optional):

   • ---LESSON_INFO--- and ---END_LESSON_INFO--- separators
   • Contains learning objectives and prerequisites
   • Appears in a special information card on the lesson page

2. Main Content:

   • Standard Markdown content with headers, text, tables, etc.
   • Supports all standard Markdown features including code blocks

3. Exercise Block (Optional):

   • ---EXERCISE--- separator
   • Exercise instructions and requirements
   • Appears above the code editor

4. Expected Output Block (Optional):

   • ---EXPECTED_OUTPUT--- and ---END_EXPECTED_OUTPUT--- separators
   • Defines the expected output for the exercise
   • When student code produces this output, they get a success message

5. Initial Code Block (Optional):

   • ---INITIAL_CODE--- and ---END_INITIAL_CODE--- separators
   • Provides starter code for the student
   • If not provided, defaults to a basic "Hello, World!" program

6. Solution Code Block (Optional):

   • ---SOLUTION_CODE--- and ---END_SOLUTION_CODE--- separators
   • Contains the correct solution
   • A "Show Solution" button appears when this is provided and the exercise is completed successfully

Adding New Lessons

To add new lessons:

1. Create a new Markdown file in the content directory with a .md extension
2. Follow the lesson template structure above
3. Use standard Markdown syntax for content formatting
4. Add exercises with the ---EXERCISE--- separator if needed
5. Include expected output, initial code, and solution code as appropriate

Complete Lesson Template

Here's a complete template with all optional sections for a new lesson:

---LESSON_INFO---
**Learning Objectives:**
- Understand the purpose of this lesson
- Learn specific concepts or skills
- Apply knowledge to practical examples

**Prerequisites:**
- Knowledge from previous lessons
- Basic understanding of related concepts

---END_LESSON_INFO---
# Lesson Title

Lesson content goes here...

## Section

More content...

---

## Tables and Other Content

| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Data 1   | Data 2   | Data 3   |
| Data 4   | Data 5   | Data 6   |

---EXERCISE---

# Exercise Title

Exercise instructions go here...

**Requirements:**
- Requirement 1
- Requirement 2

**Expected Output:**

Expected output example

Try writing your solution in the code editor below!

---EXPECTED_OUTPUT---
Expected output text
---END_EXPECTED_OUTPUT---

---INITIAL_CODE---
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Write your code here
    printf("Hello, World!\\n");
    return 0;
}
---END_INITIAL_CODE---

---SOLUTION_CODE---
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Write your solution here
    printf("Solution output\\n");
    return 0;
}
---END_SOLUTION_CODE---

Markdown Features Supported

• Headers: #, ##, ###
• Code blocks: Use triple backticks (```c for C code highlighting)
• Lists: - for unordered, 1. for ordered
• Bold/italic: **bold**, *italic*
• Links: [text](url)
• Tables: Using standard Markdown table syntax
• Images: ![alt text](path/to/image)
• Blockquotes: > quoted text

Exercise Guidelines

• Exercises are optional - lessons can exist without them
• When an exercise is provided, it will appear above the code editor
• If no exercise is provided, a message will indicate that users can still practice with the code editor
• The code editor is always available for practice regardless of whether an exercise is defined
• Use ---EXPECTED_OUTPUT--- to provide automatic feedback when students complete exercises correctly
• Use ---INITIAL_CODE--- to provide starter code
• Use ---SOLUTION_CODE--- to provide a reference solution
• Use ---LESSON_INFO--- to provide learning objectives and prerequisites in a special information card

Updating the Home Page

After creating new lessons, update the ../content/home.md file to include links to your new lessons in the ---Available_Lessons--- section:

---Available_Lessons---

1. [Lesson Title](lesson/filename.md)

Content Organization

• Store all lesson files in the ../content/ directory (at the parent directory level)
• Use descriptive filenames with underscores instead of spaces (e.g., variables_and_data_types.md)
• Keep lesson files focused on a single topic or concept
• Use consistent formatting and structure across all lessons
• Include practical examples and exercises where appropriate

Student Progress Tracking

The system includes a token-based progress tracking system:

1. A tokens.csv file is automatically generated based on the lessons in the content directory
2. Teachers manually add student tokens and names to this file
3. Students log in using their assigned token
4. Progress is automatically tracked when students complete exercises successfully
5. The system updates the CSV file with completion status for each lesson

To generate the tokens CSV file:

python generate_tokens.py

The CSV file format is: token;nama_siswa;lesson1;lesson2;...

How to Use

1. Access the application at http://localhost:5000
2. Browse available lessons
3. Click on a lesson to view content and exercises
4. Use the code editor to write C code
5. Click "Run Code" to compile and execute your code
6. View the output in the output panel
7. For student tracking, use the token login field in the top navigation bar

Using as a Submodule

This LMS can be used as a submodule in another repository. To set it up:

1. Add this repository as a submodule to your main project:

   git submodule add <repository-url> elemes
   

2. Create a content directory at the root level of your main project:

   mkdir content
   

3. Add your lesson files to the content directory

4. Create an environment configuration file at the root level:

   touch .env
   

5. Run the LMS from the elemes directory:

   cd elemes
   podman-compose -f podman-compose.yml up --build
   

The content directory and environment configuration at the root level will be automatically mounted to the application container.

Production Deployment

For production deployment, additional considerations and configurations are required to ensure security, performance, and reliability.

Production Environment Setup

1. Environment Variables: Use the following environment variables for production:

   • FLASK_ENV=production - Sets the environment to production
   • FLASK_DEBUG=0 - Disables debug mode
   • PORT=5000 - Specifies the port to run the application on

2. Security Considerations:

   • Run the container as a non-root user (already configured in Dockerfile)
   • Limit resource usage with podman/docker resource constraints
   • Use a reverse proxy (like Nginx) in front of the application
   • Implement proper HTTPS with SSL/TLS certificates

3. Performance Optimizations:

   • Use the multi-worker Gunicorn configuration (already configured)
   • Set appropriate worker processes based on your server's CPU cores
   • Configure proper caching mechanisms if needed

Production Deployment with Podman

To deploy in a production environment:

1. Build the production image:

   podman build -t lms-c:prod .
   

2. Run with production settings:

   podman run -d \
     --name lms-c-prod \
     -p 80:5000 \
     -v /path/to/production/content:/app/content \
     -v /path/to/production/static:/app/static \
     -v /path/to/production/tokens.csv:/app/tokens.csv \
     --restart=unless-stopped \
     --memory=512m \
     --cpus=1 \
     lms-c:prod
   

Production Deployment with Podman Compose

Create a production-specific compose file (podman-compose.prod.yml):

version: '3.8'

services:
  lms-c:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "80:5000"
    volumes:
      - /path/to/production/content:/app/content
      - /path/to/production/static:/app/static
      - /path/to/production/templates:/app/templates
      - /path/to/production/tokens.csv:/app/tokens.csv
    env_file:
      - /path/to/production/.env
    restart: unless-stopped
    mem_limit: 512m
    cpus: 1.0

Run with:

podman-compose -f podman-compose.prod.yml up -d --build

Reverse Proxy Configuration

For production, it's recommended to put a reverse proxy like Nginx in front of the application:

Example Nginx configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

SSL/HTTPS Setup

For HTTPS, you can use Let's Encrypt with Certbot:

sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

This will automatically configure SSL certificates for your domain.

Security Considerations

• The application runs C code in a containerized environment
• Timeouts are implemented to prevent infinite loops
• File system access is limited to the application directory
• Copy-paste functionality is disabled in the code editor to encourage manual coding

Project Structure

• app.py: Main Flask application
• ../content/: Directory for lesson Markdown files (at parent directory level)
• templates/: HTML templates
• static/: CSS, JavaScript, and other static assets
• tokens.csv: Student progress tracking file
• generate_tokens.py: Script to generate tokens CSV file
• Dockerfile: Container configuration
• podman-compose.yml: Podman Compose configuration with env_file support
• requirements.txt: Python dependencies
• test/: Directory containing test scripts and load testing tools
• test/test_production.sh: Production environment test script
• test/locustfile.py: Load testing script using Locust
• test/podman-compose.locust.yml: Podman Compose configuration for load testing

Development

To access the running container for development:

podman exec -it <container_name> /bin/bash

Testing

The project includes comprehensive test scripts:

1. Production Environment Tests: Run the production test script to verify all functionality:

   ./test/test_production.sh
   

2. Load Testing: Use the included Locust configuration for load testing:

   podman-compose -f test/podman-compose.locust.yml up --build
   

Troubleshooting

• If you get permission errors, make sure your user has access to Podman
• If the application doesn't start, check that port 5000 is available
• If code compilation fails, verify that the gcc compiler is available in the container
• If progress tracking isn't working, ensure the tokens.csv file is properly formatted
• If environment variables aren't being loaded, verify that the .env file is in the correct location and properly formatted

Stopping the Application

To stop the application:

If running with Podman Compose:

# Stop the containers
podman-compose -f podman-compose.yml down

# Or if you want to stop and remove containers, networks, and volumes:
podman-compose -f podman-compose.yml down -v

If running with direct Podman command:

# Find the container name or ID
podman ps

# Stop the container (replace <container_name> with actual name)
podman stop lms-c-container

# Remove the container after stopping (optional but recommended)
podman rm lms-c-container

# Or do both in one command:
podman stop lms-c-container && podman rm lms-c-container

Using the access script:

If you're currently in the container shell opened via access_container.sh, you can:

1. Exit the container shell (type exit)
2. Then stop the container from outside:

   podman stop lms-c-container
   

Troubleshooting: Port Already in Use

If you get an error about the port already being in use, it means the container wasn't properly stopped. First, check what's using the port:

podman ps

If you see the lms-c-container still running, stop it:

podman stop lms-c-container && podman rm lms-c-container

Or stop all running containers:

podman stop $(podman ps -q)

Then you can run the application again on the desired port.

API Endpoints

• GET / - Main page with all lessons
• GET /lesson/<filename> - View a specific lesson
• POST /compile - Compile and run C code (expects JSON with "code" field)
• POST /login - Validate student token
• POST /validate-token - Check if token is valid
• POST /track-progress - Update student progress
• GET /static/<path> - Serve static files

Example API Usage

To compile and run C code via the API:

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/compile \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"code": "#include <stdio.h>\\n\\nint main() {\\n    printf(\\"Hello, World!\\\\n\\");\\n    return 0;\\n}"}'

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "output": "Hello, World!\n",
  "error": null
}

In case of compilation errors:

{
  "success": false,
  "output": "error message...",
  "error": "Compilation failed"
}

Load Testing with Locust

The system includes support for load testing using Locust to simulate multiple concurrent users accessing the LMS.

Prerequisites for Load Testing

• Docker/Podman installed on the load testing machine
• Network access to the LMS server

Running Load Tests

1. Prepare the LMS Server

   • Deploy the LMS container on the target server
   • Note the server IP address and port (default: http://<LMS_SERVER_IP>:5000)

2. Configure Locust

   • Update the podman-compose.locust.yml file with the correct LMS server IP address:

     command: ["locust", "-f", "locustfile.py", "--host", "http://<LMS_SERVER_IP>:5000"]
     

3. Run Locust Load Test

   • On the load testing machine, navigate to the project directory
   • Build and start the Locust container:

     podman-compose -f test/podman-compose.locust.yml up --build
     

   • Access the Locust web interface at http://localhost:8089
   • Configure the number of users, spawn rate, and other parameters
   • Start the load test

4. Alternative: Run Locust Directly

   • Install Locust on the load testing machine:

     pip install -r test/requirements.txt
     

   • Run Locust directly:

     cd test
     locust -f locustfile.py --host http://<LMS_SERVER_IP>:5000
     

Locust Test Scenarios

The included locustfile.py simulates the following user behaviors:

• Browsing the home page
• Viewing lessons
• Compiling C code
• Validating student tokens
• Logging in with tokens
• Tracking student progress

Monitoring Performance

Monitor the LMS server's resource usage (CPU, memory, disk I/O) during load testing to identify potential bottlenecks. Pay attention to:

• Response times for API requests
• Compilation performance under load
• Database performance (if one is added in the future)
• Container resource limits

The included locustfile.py simulates the following user behaviors:

• Browsing the home page
• Viewing lessons
• Compiling C code
• Validating student tokens
• Logging in with tokens
• Tracking student progress

Monitoring Performance

Monitor the LMS server's resource usage (CPU, memory, disk I/O) during load testing to identify potential bottlenecks. Pay attention to:

• Response times for API requests
• Compilation performance under load
• Database performance (if one is added in the future)
• Container resource limits