Subject: Java and entering simple formula in elementary chemistry

From: Carl David <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 96 10:13:05 EDT

Forgive the non-comuputational chemistry nature of the enclosed.

In accomodating the physical chemistry computer assisted testing
material to the freshman chemistry environment, I needed to find a
scheme for allowing students to enter simple chemical formula. If one
argues that computer assisted testing should place the least burden on
students (from the point of view of the interface), then it follows that
superscripts and subscripts have to be incorporated in a "natural"
fashion if at all possible. Therefore, I have written a java applet
which one can incorporate in cgi scripts (generating html) which allows
students to input chemical formula in approximately natural form.

Because I know nothing about human psychology, I wonder if members of
this list would be willing to look at this applet, and criticize it,
i.e., tell me how to improve it before (I repeat, before) I get locked
in and the code is so huge and cumbersome that I have a major task of
reprogramming to do. So, if you would be willing to point your java
enabled browser at
http://www.chem.uconn.edu/~cdavid/cwd3Applet.html
you should be able to see the applet, in debug mode, and you should be
able to see how it works (or doesn't).
Any, and I really mean it, any thoughts about improving how this applet
works would be greatly appreciated.
In fact, if you could have students try it, I would be most
appreciative.

If you are interested in the larger project, i.e., computer assisted
testing in physical chemistry (and soon freshman chemistry), you can
point your browser (no java enabling required) at
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~cdavid/chem263.html
where you can enter the system as a guest, and fool around.
Thanks in advance, especially for any criticism of the applet.
Carl David
[email-masked]
p.s. there is a tilde before cdavid in both URL's (above) which
don't print out here on our IBM mainframe.