"Answers may vary" flag

[dlglin]

Some pg problems have more than one correct answer (e.g. when custom checkers are used), but a MathObject has a single correct answer associated with it that is displayed to users. Can a flag be added to a MathObject that would trigger a message when the correct answers are displayed to say something like "there are other possible correct answers"?

[somiaj]

I like this idea. To expand on this though, most problems can accept multiple correct answers (unless some limited context is being used), such as x + 3 vs (4x + 12)/4, vs (2x^2 + 6x)/(2x), or even just 2/3 vs 10/15. Might want to clarify that this is more than just multiple equivalent forms.

[dpvc]

Note that you can set $mo->{correct_ans} and $mo->{corrent_ans_latex_string} to be anything you want, and these are used for the current answer, so you could put whatever message you want there.

If there are a (small) finite number of correct answers, then parserOneOf.pl provides a means of checking for that without the need of a custom checker, and it sets these correct_ans properties automatically. You could look at the code for that for ideas about how one might use these fields in a multiple-answer setting.

A flag like you are suggestion could be used in this area:

pg/lib/Value/AnswerChecker.pm

Lines 90 to 93 in 9cefdf9

	my $correct = preformat($self->{correct_ans});
	$correct = $self->correct_ans unless defined($correct);
	my $correct_latex = $self->{correct_ans_latex_string};
	$correct_latex = $self->correct_ans_latex unless defined($correct_latex);

to adjust these properties of the answer checker, which are set here

pg/lib/Value/AnswerChecker.pm

Lines 95 to 103 in 9cefdf9

	$ans->ans_hash(
	type => "Value (" . $self->class . ")",
	correct_ans => $correct,
	correct_ans_latex_string => $correct_latex,
	correct_value => $self,
	$self->cmp_defaults(@_),
	%{ $self->{context}{cmpDefaults}{ $self->class } || {} }, # context-specified defaults
	@_,
	);