Coding Challenge 3.0 - Spring 2017

Questions and Answers

When contestants send us questions, we'll post the answers here so everyone can read them.

Question: I was confused about what I would include in my "set-up" instructions.

Answer: The setup instructions should be an installation guide to tell a website administrator how to deploy your submission as a new website from source code. Assume that the website administrator knows how to set up the server software (Apache, IIS, Node.js, etc., and SQL Server or MySQL), and just explain what files / directories go where in relation to the web document root, what to do to set up the database and database connection, and anything special needed to get the site running. Assume that the reader of your setup instructions is a technical expert.

It is not sufficient to provide a link to an existing website that you have set up.

Question: Is there any restriction or limitation on which method to use to identify the visitor's geolocation?

Answer: No there is no restriction. HTML5, referred to in the Detailed Specifications for Coding Challenge Submissions, is one option, but is not required to be used. The visitor's IP address will be used along with any open source third-party Geolocation API in order to fetch its associated coordinates. Entries that use open source third-party Geolocation API which are subject to licensing requirements MUST comply with the following requirements of the Official Contest Rules , and MUST be accompanied by all appropriate licenses and releases at the time of submission:

Question: Should the IP data provided in the csv file appear on the map?

Answer: The IP addresses from the csv file should be available only for the admin. By default the map should show current visitors (within 5 mins of current system time stamp). E.g. if admin logs in at 2pm, the map should display all locations of visitors from 1:55pm.

Question: I wanted to use the range slider that jQuery UI provides, but I think jQuery UI is a plugin. Am I allowed to do this, or should I look for an alternative solution?

Answer: There is no limitation on what tools you choose to use as long they are open-source and comply with the rules. The plugins prohibited in the rules are those that need to be installed on the user's computer, such as Java or Adobe Flash, as they are separate from the web browser. jQuery, jQuery UI, and other JavaScript libraries are allowed, as long as they do not require one of these plugins to be installed.