Pfcreator

Pfcreator is a handy tool built with Rust and Zig that simplifies the creation of lab practical records. It automates the process of compiling code, running it, and neatly organizing the results into a .docx file. You can customize the look of your record using a straightforward format.toml configuration file.

Note

Pfcreator currently supports only .cpp and .py.

What It Does

• Automatically runs your .cpp or .py code files.
• Creates a well-structured .docx practical record.
• Lets you customize the formatting with a format.toml file.
• Uses a questions.txt file to organize your practical questions.

How to Use

1. Installation

Linux and MacOS

1. Run the installer via

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/UndiedGamer/pfcreator/refs/heads/main/install.sh | sh

2. Source your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.) or create a new terminal instance to use the pfcreator command.

Windows

1. Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
2. Open Ubuntu or your distro of choice in Windows Terminal or from Start Menu.
3. Follow Linux steps.

Important

WSL ships with gcc/g++ but it does not ship with python, you might have to install python inside WSL.

2. Set Up Your Files

1. Code Files: Put all your .cpp or .py files into a single folder.

Important

Pfcreator works with either .cpp (C++) or .py (Python) files at a time, not both simultaneously.

2. questions.txt: In the same folder, create a file named questions.txt. Write each practical question, followed by a line of --- to separate them. Like this:

   Question 1
   ---
   Question 2
   ---
   Question 3
   

3. format.toml: Also in the same folder, create a format.toml file to define how your record should look. Here's an example:

   [header]
   size = 14             # Font size (optional, default is 12)
   bold = true           # Bold text (optional, default is false)
   text = "Task {n}"     # {n} will be the question number
   align = "center"      # Text alignment (optional, default is left)
   
   [question]
   size = 17
   bold = true
   text = "Q) {question}" # {question} will be taken from questions.txt
   
   [solution]
   size = 12
   text = "{solution}"   # {solution} will be your code
   
     [solution.title]
     size = 14
     bold = true
     underline = true
     text = "Code:"
   
   [output]
   size = 12
   text = "{output}"    # {output} will be the program's output
   
     [output.title]
     size = 14
     bold = true
     underline = true
     text = "Output:"
   
   # Optional footer
   [footer]
   size = 10
   text = "Made by Hemanth"
   align = "right"

3. Create Your Record

1. Open your terminal and go to the folder with your files.

2. Run this command:

   pfcreator <file_extension> <folder_path>
   • Replace <file_extension> with cpp or py (depending on your code files).
   • Replace <folder_path> with the path to your folder.

   For example:

   pfcreator cpp my_cpp_practical

   or

   pfcreator py my_python_practical

Your .docx practical record will be created inside the folder you specified (my_cpp_practical or my_python_practical in the examples).

Placeholders in format.toml

These are special tags in your format.toml that Pfcreator replaces:

• {n}: The question number.
• {question}: The question from questions.txt.
• {solution}: Your code.
• {output}: The output of your code.

Note to self: add windows deprecation in future section here