This lab assignment requires you to write a few programs. First, run update21. This will create the cs21/labs/03 directory and copy over any starting-point files for your programs. Next, move into your cs21/labs/03 directory and begin working on the Python programs for this lab. The pwd command helps you verify that you are in the correct sub-directory.

$ update21
$ cd cs21/labs/03
$ pwd
/home/your_user_name/cs21/labs/03

We will only grade files submitted by handin21 in this directory, so make sure your programs are in this directory!

As you write your programs, use good programming practices:

• Use a comment at the top of the file to describe the purpose of the program.
• Use variable names that describe the contents of the variables.
• Use def main() to combine the steps of your program into a function.
• Write your programs incrementally and test them as you go. This is really crucial to success: test, test again, and then test some more! Don't assume that if your program passes the sample tests we provide that it is completely correct. Come up with your own test cases and verify that the program is producing the right output.

Write a program named piglatin.py that converts a word typed in by the user into Pig Latin. The rules of Pig Latin that we will use in this lab are as follows:

1. For words that begin with a consonant, we move the first letter of the word to the end and then add 'ay.'
2. For words that begin with a vowel, we simply add 'yay' to the end of the word.

For example, if the user enters 'pig', you would move the 'p' to the end of the word and add 'ay': 'igpay'. If the user enters 'apple', you would just add 'yay' to the end: 'appleyay'.

A few runs of your program might look like this:

$ python piglatin.py
This program converts a word you enter into Pig Latin.

Enter a word: swarthmore

Translated to Pig Latin: warthmoresay


$ python piglatin.py
This program converts a word you enter into Pig Latin.

Enter a word: igloo

Translated to Pig Latin: iglooyay
 

A common first step when performing a Google search is to convert a word into its root form to increase recall of relevant information. For example, Google may convert the words run, running, ran, runs into the root run. This process is also called stemming.

Write a program rootword.py that converts a word to its root form. This can be very complicated, so we'll just handle some common steps for finding root forms. Your conversion should accomplish the following:

• If a word ends in es or s, remove these endings. However, the ending ies should be replaced with a y.
• The prefixes hemi and anti should be removed from the beginning of a word
• The suffixes able, ism, and ion should be removed from the end of a word
• Your choice: pick one common prefix or suffix to modify. Be sure to add a comment explaining your choice.

Some example runs include:

$ python rootword.py 
This program converts your search term into its root word

Enter word: denies
The root word is deny

$ python rootword.py 
This program converts your search term into its root word

Enter word: distraction
The root word is distract

$ python rootword.py 
This program converts your search term into its root word

Enter word: antihero
The root word is hero

If a word has multiple prefixes or suffixes, it's okay if you only take off one. We will not test on words that meet multiple of the rules above (e.g., hemispheres). Speaking of which, we realize that this program is not perfect. There are many words it will fail to properly stem. For example:

• "fable" -> "f"
• "ion" -> ""
• "running" -> "running"

But your program should work for words like these (in addition to the ones shown in the sample runs above):

• "readable" -> "read"
• "peaches" -> "peach"
• "hemisphere" -> "sphere"

A pair of characters in a string is a repeat if the two characters are consecutive and the same character. Write a program called countrepeats.py that asks the user for an input string and then counts how many repeats the string contains. Here are some examples:

$ python countrepeats.py
This program counts the number of repeat characters in a string

Enter string: I like puppies and kittens.
There are 2 repeats in that string.

$ python countrepeats.py
This program counts the number of repeat characters in a string

Enter string: yellow balloons oh my!!
There are 4 repeats in that string.

$ python countrepeats.py
This program counts the number of repeat characters in a string

Enter string: repeat characters are lame
There are 0 repeats in that string.

If the input string has a stretch of more than two consecutive, identical characters, each pair counts as a repeat. For example:

$ python countrepeats.py
This program counts the number of repeat characters in a string

Enter string: Wooohooo!!!
There are 6 repeats in that string.

The central dogma of biology states that the blueprint for all proteins is contained in an organism's DNA sequence. Specifically, DNA transcribes an intermediate molecule, RNA, which is then translated to a protein sequence.

Write a program called translate.py that converts a randomly-generated RNA sequence into a protein. Your program should utilize the following tips:

• We have written some functions to handle the generation of RNA strands, and the translation of codons (see below). These functions just use python strings (e.g., "UAG" or "MetAlaTripSTOP"). To use the provided functions, add the following line to the top of your program before def main but after the top comment:

  from genetics import *
  

• In your main program, call the function getRNAStrand() to retrieve a (randomly) generated RNA strand as a python string. Be sure to store the string and then print it out to the user.
• Translation occurs as follows: each three consecutive bases (a codon, such as "AUG") codes for one protein part (i.e., an amino acid). Call the provided function translateName(x), which takes a three-character codon string (x), and returns an amino acid string. For example, translateName("AUG") will return "Met" for methionine. You should test this function in shell mode to understand it better:

  >>> from genetics import *
  >>> translateName("AUG")
  'Met'
  >>> translateName("GCC")
  'Ala'
  

• do this conversion for each codon in the random RNA strand, accumulating a full protein sequence. For example, "AUGGCCUGGUAA" will result in "MetAlaTripSTOP"

Here are three full examples:

$ python translate.py
The RNA Strand is UCCAUGUAAUGUAUACCUGCCUAAAAC

The final protein sequence is SerMetSTOPCysIleProAlaSTOPAsn


$ python translate.py
The RNA Strand is CACGCAGGCAUGCAGUAAAGUUCUACAUGAGCC

The final protein sequence is HisAlaGlyMetGlnSTOPSerSerThrSTOPAla


$ python translate.py
The RNA Strand is ACUAUGACAUGCCAACGCUAGCGUCCU

The final protein sequence is ThrMetThrCysGlnArgSTOPArgPro

NOTE: when testing your code, you can manually set the RNA strand to the same strand every time by supplying a number from 1-5 to getRNAStrand(). For example:

• calling getRNAStrand(1) always returns "ACU", which should translate to "Thr"
• calling getRNAStrand(2) always returns "CCCUAG", which should translate to "ProSTOP"
• calling getRNAStrand(3) always returns "AUGGCCUGGUAA", which should translate to "MetAlaTrpSTOP"
• calling getRNAStrand(4) always returns "AUGGGAUCAAAGCAC", which should translate to "MetGlySerLysHis"
• calling getRNAStrand(5) always returns "AUGUCGAGCCUAGUGCAG", which should translate to "MetSerSerLeuValGln"

Once you have finished testing your code, make sure the final version of your program calls getRNAStrand() (without a number) to generate a random strand.

Extra Challenge

This does not affect your grade so please only attempt this after completing the rest of your lab.
For those with more biology background, you may recall that translation does not start until we see the sequence AUG and must stop when it hits a stop codon UAG, UAA, or UGA. Add conditions to your solution to produce proteins that meet this definition.

$ python translate.py
The RNA Strand is CGCAUGUCGAGCCUAGUGCAGUAGUCU

The final protein sequence is MetSerSerLeuValGln


$ python translate.py
The RNA Strand is GCACGAAUGCUGUCAAAAUAACCACUCCGG

The final protein sequence is MetLeuSerLys


$ python translate.py
The RNA Strand is UCAAUGGGAUCAAAGCACUAGAUC

The final protein sequence is MetGlySerLysHis 

Remember you may run handin21 as many times as you like. Each time you run it new versions of your files will be submitted. Running handin21 after you finish a program, after any major changes are made, and at the end of the day (before you log out) is a good habit to get into.

Last updated: Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 12:25:29 PM