Challenge Overview

Project Overview

TopCoder and the TopCoder community have worked hard to get the platform to its currently level of maturity, but we're far from done. It's time to take the platform to the next level. TopCoder is going to start taking some steps to open up the platform API to the outside and community developers so they could incorporate it in their websites, applications or build their own applications (web, mobile or desktop).

The ultimate goal is to open up and build an "API" that is targeting all different type of audiences - Software and Studio Competitors, SRM/MM competitors, Copilots, Admins and TopCoder partners - each audience will have different interests and usages of the API, so it will be a huge project and we need to make sure that we are in the right direction from the beginning.

This contest is going to split the Search Challenges API.

Competition Task Overview

 Currently, we have provided installation guide for different environments, like CentOS 6.x, Ubuntu, Mac OS and Windows. please check https://github.com/cloudspokes/tc-api/wiki

The updated code must still deploy and work on heroku - any submission which can't be deployed on heroku successfully will be failed in screening phase - primary reviewer must check this.

The implementation will base on the node.js version of TC platform API - https://github.com/cloudspokes/tc-api. Please follow the existing actionhero pattern for your development.

Search Challenges API

The existing search APIs use one complex query for develop / design challenges and support all status (Active, Open, Upcoming and Past).

It could avoid code redundancy and easy to maintain. But this also make the query complex and slow since because the data needed for each track / status is different.

for example, we don't need to join the appeal and review phase for past challenges. The outer join invovles large data set.

So we are going to split the search challenges API in this challenge to improve the performance (please don't delete the existing apis, we will clean the code after front end team switch to new apis).

API Endpoint:

/:apiVersion/design/challenges/active

/:apiVersion/design/challenges/open

/:apiVersion/design/challenges/upcoming

/:apiVersion/design/challenges/past

/:apiVersion/develop/challenges/active

/:apiVersion/develop/challenges/open

/:apiVersion/develop/challenges/upcoming

/:apiVersion/develop/challenges/past

Hints:

  1. ALL #1 - No individual prize, Just a total final prizes and a total checkpoint prizes.
  2. ALL #2 - simplify count query, can remove many subqueries/outer join (for example, we don't need to query prizes, etc).
  3. UPCOMING # 1 - adding checking project_info 32 not null/0 and reg open date > current to filter out.
  4. UPCOMING # 2 - no need to query registrants/submissions.
  5. UPCOMING # 3 - no need for current phase, current phase end.
  6. PAST # 1 - no need for current phase, current phase end.
  7. ALL #3 - for phase dates, we only need reg open, reg end, sub end and checkpoint sub end.

Standarize Query Naming Convension

we like to use the underscore approach in all SQL queries under the queries directory, please follow same approach.

Notes, for the JSON data returned, we will use camelCase approach.

Testing

The API Framework supports tests. Use supertest with mocha. Don't install mocha globally.

you must use mocha BDD style (which is the default), within that, you can optionally use chai.

Please check Test Creation Guide page in wiki

Code Format

All code must pass jslint. You may use "nomen: true".

Winner Only

Winner will create pull request against the main github repo in final fix phase and help merge with master. The changed files should be unix style, you can use dos2unix command to convert it before commiting.

Virutal Machines (VMs)

VM specific information is found here: http://www.topcoder.com/wiki/display/docs/VM+Image+2.5

Upon registration as a submitter or reviewer you will need to request a VM based on the TopCoder systems image. The VM will be active through aggregation review, after which it will be terminated except for the winner's and the reviewers'. To request your image, please post in contest forum.

Before requesting your VM, you need to ensure that you have an SSH key created and in your member profile. Instructions to do so are here: http://www.topcoder.com/wiki/display/projects/Generate+SSH+Key, and instructions to connect afterwards are here: http://www.topcoder.com/wiki/display/projects/Connect+Using+SSH+Key.

Please realize that VMs are currently issued manually. We make every attempt to issue the VM as soon as it is requested, however, there may be delays of up to 12 hours depending on time of day when you request. We encourage everyone to request a VM as soon as possible to minimize any such delays.

Technology Overview



Final Submission Guidelines

Submission Deliverables

Below is an overview of the deliverables:

  • Source Code, be sure to include the commit hash, that your submission based on
  • Deployment guide to configure and verify the application.

Final Submission

For each member, the final submission should be uploaded to the Online Review Tool.

ELIGIBLE EVENTS:

2014 TopCoder(R) Open

REVIEW STYLE:

Final Review:

Community Review Board

Approval:

User Sign-Off

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