p1-recipes

EECS 183 Project 1: Vanilla Cupcakes — Student Quickstart

Full specification (all details + sample runs): Full Spec

This page is a shorter, student-first version of the full spec. It keeps every requirement, but organizes them for faster onboarding.

Note: you will need to use the details in the full specification to complete the project.

0) Logistics (Dates, Grading, Submissions)

Due date: Friday, September 18, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern (accepted for full credit until 11:59 p.m.)

Autograder: Direct autograder link

Early bonus (autograder score):

• Last submission before Wednesday, September 16 at 11:59 p.m.: +5%
• Last submission before Thursday, September 17 at 11:59 p.m.: +2.5%

Grading:

• 60 points correctness (immediate feedback in the autograder)
• 10 points style (human graded after the due date)

Submissions:

• 4 submissions per day; your best overall submission counts as your score
• You have 3 late days for the whole semester (not 3 per project) — details in the syllabus

1) Big Picture (What You’re Building)

One program, in one file (cupcakes.cpp), that:

• Asks the user how many people they need to serve
• Computes the number of batches of cupcakes (each person eats 1 cupcake; each batch makes 12 — no partial batches, round up)
• Prints a shopping list: whole packages of each ingredient (round up)
• Prints the total expected cost of the ingredients
• Matches the output template exactly, including correct pluralization

2) Files You’re Given

Download the starter files using this link.

pluralize(singular, plural, number) is already implemented for you — use it to print “1 batch” vs. “2 batches”, “1 bag” vs. “3 bags”, and so on.

Add your name, uniqname, program name, and a project description to the header comment at the top of cupcakes.cpp.

3) Key Numbers (Recipe, Packages, Costs)

Each batch needs the ingredients for both the cupcakes and the vanilla buttercream frosting. Combined per-batch amounts:

Full details: Specification

Rules:

• You must make a whole number of batches and buy a whole number of packages — round up. Use the ceil() function with double division to do this; see the worked example in the full spec.
• Put these numbers in named constants; literals like 18 in a formula are magic numbers and violate the style guide.

4) Exact Output Rules (Very Important)

Your output must match the template exactly — spelling, capitalization, and symbols. The autograder ignores whitespace differences, but nothing else. Use a diffchecker like diffchecker.com to compare your output against the sample runs; humans are bad at spotting the differences.

Template (red parts change per run):

How many people do you need to serve?

You need to make: 5 batches of cupcakes

Shopping List for "Best Ever" Vanilla Cupcakes
----------------------------------------------
1 bag of flour
1 bag of granulated sugar
4 pounds of butter
3 containers of sour cream
2 dozen eggs
3 bags of powdered sugar
2 bottles of vanilla

Total expected cost of ingredients: $50.44

Have a great party!

Notes:

• Pluralization must be correct everywhere (1 batch / 2 batches, 1 bag / 3 bags, …) — use pluralize().
• The plural of “dozen” is still “dozen”: 2 dozen eggs, not 2 dozens eggs.
• Trailing zeros in the cost are dropped ($330.6, not $330.60; $10, not $10.00). Default cout settings do this for you — don’t fight it.

Check yourself against all five runs: Sample Runs

5) The Development Cycle (How to Work)

Build one small part at a time, and only move on when it is 100% correct. For each part:

1. Make examples of input and correct output
2. Find the pattern linking input to output (guess, then check against your examples)
3. Write the C++ code
4. Test your code against your examples

The full spec walks through this cycle twice — computing batches, then bags of flour: Development cycle and Your turn: bags of flour

6) Suggested Order of Work

Full details: Roadmap and Timeline

1. Compute number of batches (with correct “batch”/”batches” output)
2. Compute bags of flour (with correct pluralization); repeat for all ingredients
3. Compute cost of flour; add to total; repeat for all ingredients
4. Add header and footer messages
5. Diff your output against every sample run; debug
6. Check the style guide and style rubric
7. Submit to the autograder; debug what it reveals

Submit as soon as you pass one sample run — the autograder can find problems your computer doesn’t show, and working locally does not guarantee working on the autograder.

7) Collaboration

Allowed collaboration:

• Help understanding course concepts
• Discuss the spec and design ideas
• Help debug or interpret compiler errors

Not allowed:

• Copying or deriving code from others
• Sharing your code in any form (public or private)
• Collaborating so solutions are identifiably similar
• Receiving help that tells you what to write

If unsure, ask course staff first. Full policy: Collaboration Policy

8) Style Reminders

Full details: Style Guide and Project 1 Style Rubric

• Top comment with name, uniqname, program name, and description
• No magic numbers — use const variables in SNAKE_CASE
• No non-const global variables
• Call pluralize() where appropriate (not chains of if (batches == 1) ... else if (batches == 2) ...)
• Descriptive, consistently-named variables (camelCase or snake_case, not both)
• Consistent brace style; braces on all conditionals, loops, and functions
• 80 characters per line max; one statement per line
• Comment before the line, not at the end of it

9) Timeline (Fall 2026)

10) Fast Start Checklist

• Download and unzip the starter files; create a project (IDE setup tutorials)
• Add your name/uniqname to the header comment
• Compute batches; test with 1, 2, 12, 13, and 0 people
• Add each ingredient one at a time, testing as you go
• Add costs, header, and footer
• Diff against all five sample runs
• Submit early and often — the file must be named cupcakes.cpp (How to Submit)

11) How to Get Help

Most students need help from staff multiple times each project. We’re here for you!

• Spec questions: Piazza is fastest
• 1-1 help: Office Hours