MOSS Code Similarity Checker

Untested on Windows!

This script was made to organize a "select-all" submissions zip file downloaded from the LMS Pilot. Simply go to the assignment dropbox and press the check mark that highlights all submissions and press download. Wait for the download to finish then move the .zip file to a folder called StudentCode in the same directory as mossScript.

A moss file with execute permissions needs to be in root directory next to mossScript.py. it's contents are whatever you get in the email back after registration.

After running, a folder inside StudentCode named namedFiles should contain all the submissions in the format lastName.fileExtension. Run the moss script on these files(Or just let the code run it ;) ): ./moss ./StudentCode/namedFiles/*.java and the output should be a link to the report.

Registration to MOSS

Email moss@moss.stanford.edu with this email body:

registeruser
mail your_email_here

Save everything below the "--cut here--" line into a file, save it and name it moss. Give it execute permissions chmod ug+x moss.pl. That's the moss script file.

Directory structure

/currentDir/
  | -> moss
  | -> mossScript.py
  | -> /StudentCode/
        | -> all_student_assignments.zip

Typical run

$ pwd
$ -> /Users/alialjaffer/Desktop/Code/moss
$ ls ./StudentCode/
$ -> Project 1 Download Oct 31, 2023 1224 PM.zip
$ python3 mossScript.py
$ -> Use .java file extension? if not, enter the file extension to use (.cpp,.py,etc)yes
$ -> Using .java as file extension and / as directory seperator
$ -> Found 54 submissions.
$ -> Checking files . . .
$ -> OK
$ -> Uploading ./StudentCode/namedFiles/lastName1.java ...done.
$ -> Uploading ./StudentCode/namedFiles/lastName2.java ...done.
$ -> Uploading ./StudentCode/namedFiles/lastName3.java ...done.
                    *********************
$ -> Uploading ./StudentCode/namedFiles/lastNameN.java ...done.
$ -> Query submitted.  Waiting for the server's response.
$ -> http://moss.stanford.edu/results/6/7********8
$ (ctrl+C)
$ mossum -p 50 http://moss.stanford.edu/results/6/7********8
$ -> Generating image for moss_31-10-2023_122901
$ -> DONE
$ open moss_31-10-2023_122901.png