Sort scoreboard beyond third column, improve CUD validations

app/controllers/scoreboards_controller.rb

@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ def emitColSpec(colspec)
         str += " | "
       end
       str += hash["hdr"].to_s.upcase
-      str += hash["asc"] ? " [asc]" : " [desc]" if i < 3
+      str += hash["asc"] ? " [asc]" : " [desc]"
       i += 1
     end
     str
@@ -318,46 +318,22 @@ def scoreboardOrderSubmissions(a, b)
       # in descending order. Lab authors can modify the default
       # direction with the "asc" key in the column spec.
     else
-      a0 = a[:entry][0].to_f
-      a1 = a[:entry][1].to_f
-      a2 = a[:entry][2].to_f
-      b0 = b[:entry][0].to_f
-      b1 = b[:entry][1].to_f
-      b2 = b[:entry][2].to_f
-
       begin
         parsed = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(@scoreboard.colspec)
       rescue StandardError => e
         Rails.logger.error("Error in scoreboards controller updater: #{e.message}")
       end
 
-      if a0 != b0
-        if parsed && parsed["scoreboard"] &&
-           !parsed["scoreboard"].empty? &&
-           parsed["scoreboard"][0]["asc"]
-          a0 <=> b0 # ascending order
-        else
-          b0 <=> a0 # descending order
-        end
-      elsif a1 != b1
-        if parsed && parsed["scoreboard"] &&
-           parsed["scoreboard"].size > 1 &&
-           parsed["scoreboard"][1]["asc"]
-          a1 <=> b1 # ascending order
-        else
-          b1 <=> a1 # descending order
-        end
-      elsif a2 != b2
-        if parsed && parsed["scoreboard"] &&
-           parsed["scoreboard"].size > 2 &&
-           parsed["scoreboard"][2]["asc"]
-          a2 <=> b2 # ascending order
-        else
-          b2 <=> a2 # descending order
-        end
-      else
-        a[:time] <=> b[:time] # ascending by submission time
+      # Validations ensure that colspec is of the correct format
+      parsed["scoreboard"].each_with_index do |v, i|
+        ai = a[:entry][i].to_f
+        bi = b[:entry][i].to_f
+        next unless ai != bi
+        return ai <=> bi if v["asc"] # ascending
+
+        return bi <=> ai # descending otherwise
       end
+      a[:time] <=> b[:time] # ascending by submission time to tiebreak
     end
   end
 end

app/models/scoreboard.rb

@@ -24,14 +24,17 @@ def colspec_is_well_formed
 
     # The parse will throw an exception if the string has a JSON syntax error
     begin
-      # Quote JSON keys and values if they are not already quoted
-      quoted = colspec.gsub(/([a-zA-Z0-9]+):/, '"\1":').gsub(/:([a-zA-Z0-9]+)/, ':"\1"')
-      parsed = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(quoted)
+      parsed = ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(colspec)
     rescue StandardError => e
       errors.add "colspec", e.to_s
       return
     end
 
+    unless parsed.is_a? Hash
+      errors.add "colspec", "must be a hash object"
+      return
+    end
+
     # Colspecs must include a scoreboard array object
     unless parsed["scoreboard"]
       errors.add "colspec", "missing 'scoreboard' array object"
@@ -60,12 +63,6 @@ def colspec_is_well_formed
           errors.add "colspec", "unknown key('#{k}') in scoreboard[#{i}]"
           return
         end
-
-        next unless k == "asc" && i > 2
-
-        errors.add "colspec",
-                   "'asc' key in col #{i} ignored because only the first",
-                   "three columns are sorted."
       end
     end
   end

app/views/scoreboards/show.html.erb

@@ -4,16 +4,19 @@
   <%= javascript_include_tag "sorttable" %>
 <% end %>
 
+<h4>Scoreboard</h4>
+
 <% if @grades.values.empty? %>
-  <h3>No submissions yet.</h3>
+  <strong>There are currently no submissions.</strong>
 <% else %>
-  <h3>
+  <strong>
     <% if @scoreboard.banner.blank? %>
       Here are the most recent scores for the class.
     <% else %>
       <%= sanitize @scoreboard.banner %>
     <% end %>
-  </h3>
+  </strong>
+  <hr>
 
   <table class="sortable prettyBorder">
     <thead>
@@ -73,19 +76,24 @@
 <% end %>
 
 
-<%= form_for @cud, url: course_course_user_datum_path(@course, @cud) do |f| %>
-<% if @cud.errors.any? %>
-  <div id="error_explanation">
-    <h2><%= pluralize(@cud.errors.count, "error") %> prohibited the data from being saved:</h2>
-    <ul>
-      <% @cud.errors.full_messages.each do |msg| %>
-        <li><%= msg %></li>
-      <% end %>
-    </ul>
+<%= form_for @cud, url: course_course_user_datum_path(@course, @cud), builder: FormBuilderWithDateTimeInput do |f| %>
+  <% if @cud.errors.any? %>
+    <div id="error_explanation">
+      <h2><%= pluralize(@cud.errors.count, "error") %> prohibited the data from being saved:</h2>
+      <ul>
+        <% @cud.errors.full_messages.each do |msg| %>
+          <li><%= msg %></li>
+        <% end %>
+      </ul>
+    </div>
+  <% end %>
+  <hr>
+  <div class="row valign-wrapper">
+    <div class="col s4">
+      <%= f.text_field :nickname %>
+    </div>
+    <div class="col s8">
+      <input id="user_submit" name="commit" type="submit" class="btn" value="Update" onclick="formvalidation(this.parentNode); return false;">
+    </div>
   </div>
 <% end %>
-<hr>
-  <table width=50% class="verticalTable" >
-  <tr><th><h3>Nickname:</h3> </th><td><%= f.text_field :nickname %>  <input id="user_submit" name="commit" type="submit" class="btn" value="Update Nickname" onclick="formvalidation(this.parentNode); return false;"></td></tr>
-  </table>
-<% end %>

docs/features/scoreboards.md

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ The column spec consists of a "scoreboard" object, which is an array of JSON obj
 }
 ```
 
-A custom scoreboard sorts the first three columns, from left to right, in descending order. You can change the default sort order for a particular column by adding an optional "asc:1" element to its hash.
+A custom scoreboard sorts the columns from left to right in descending order, and tiebreaks by submission time. You can change the default sort order for a particular column by adding an optional "asc:1" element to its hash.
 
 **Example:** Scoreboard with two columns, "Score" and "Ops", with "Score" sorted descending, and then "Ops" ascending: