QBL (pronounced "Quibble") is a Question Bank Language; it manages a repository of multiple choice questions that can be used to generate exams in a desired format.

Format:

./QBL [-dhilqvw] [-g question_count] [-rtx require/include/exclude_tags] [-o outfile] [question_file ...]

When executing QBL from the command line, you can provide any number of filenames to load from. If a number is provided, it indicates the number of questions to generate for the exam.

The following flags are also available:

Note: All exclusions occur before any questions are included. Thus if a question has both an include and exclude tag, exclusion takes priority. Likewise if it is missing a required tag, it will always be excluded. Multiple tags may be included if separated by commas (no spaces allowed)

Which of the following are rules for QBL question formatting?
#example-tag #second-tag
:options=5   % Pick only 5 answers when placed on exam, including correct one.
* The first character(s) on a line determine the context of that line.
* Tags are placed on on one or more lines, and each tag beginning with a '#'
* Config tags can be intermixed with other tags and begin with a ':'
* Regular answer options each begin with a * or a [*] if it is a correct answer.
* Answers that begin with an extra `>` (e.g., `*>` or `[*>]`) will NOT be shuffled.
* Answers that begin with an extra `+` (e.g., `*+` or `[*>+]`) will always be included.
* Comments must be on their own line and begin with a `%` sign.
* Code-style can be indicated by `backticks` or by
    a line beginning with at least four spaces
* Other lines of text are always linked to either the question
  or the answer on the line before it.
[>] All of the above.

%---- Question break! --- 
T/F: A skipped (blank) line signals the start of a new question:
[*] True
* False

Specifically, the following line formats are available:

The * or [*] at the beginning of the line can also have the * followed by > to indicate that the answer option should not be shuffled, and/or by + to indicate that this option should always be included in random sampling. For example, *>, [*>], *+ or [*+>] are all legal option beginnings.

Certain characters also have special meanings in the middle of a line. These will all begin with either a back tick (`) if we are changing mode or formatting, or a backslash (\) if we are inserting a special character. Anything that does not follow either of those two characters will be translated directly.

Examples of special formatting:

  `*Bold!`*
  ``Code``
  `/Italic`/
  `_Underlined!`_
  `^Superscript`^
  `.Subscript`.
  `~Strikethrough`~

TO IMPLEMENT: If any tags (e.g., keywords beginning with #, ^, or : above) are created outside of a question definition, they will apply to ALL questions that follow, until the end of the current file OR until they are replaced by a new tag block. A # by itself on a line will remove the current tag block.

When running QBL questions can be loaded, manipulated, and re-saved into a format of the users choice. By default questions are saved in QBL format (described above), but alternative formats are typically more useful for providing to students.

Formats include:

(Planned) -i or --interact - Run directly as interactive command line (planned)

Questions can have configuration tags in the form of :options=5 or :alt_prob=0.1. These tags help the question writer fine-tune how the question will be processed by the system.

Available configuration tags are: