--- title: "YAML import of the Code Gaps, Multichoice and Essay questions" canonical: "https://help.skillpanel.com/space/TSG/3033464841/YAML%20import%20of%20the%20Code%20Gaps%2C%20Multichoice%20and%20Essay%20questions" format: markdown --- If your subscription plan includes YAML imports, you can use the structure described below to import Choice, Code Gaps or Essay tasks. ![yaml1.JPG](media://8905aa32-b7f2-4e16-bba7-ee7ec16b7a04) ## Formatting tips Below are a few hints on how to create a perfect YAML import file. 1. Divide tasks with one empty paragraph in between. 2. Markdown can be used for formatting, including the syntax for code blocks: a) For the inline code snippets use backticks around the snippet, like in markdown. b) For the block of code use 3 backticks at the beginning and 3 backticks at the end of code block. ```yaml ``` echo "Hello"; echo "World!"; ``` ``` 3. Pay attention to whitespaces and quoting of special characters - they can break your task, and it will not pass the validation. You can use [YAML linters](https://yamlchecker.com/) to streamline your YAML files creation. There are multiple ways to achieve a line continuation in YAML: - **Folded style** - removes the newlines within the string (but adds one at the end). ```yaml title: >- JavaScript DEMO question ``` - **Literal style** - turns newlines within the string into literal newlines ```yaml title: |- JavaScript DEMO question ``` ## Choice questions ### Correct and wrong answers You can create two types of questions: multiple and single choice questions. It is pretty obvious that in single choice questions there could be a lot of possible answers but one correct, but in multiple choice questions there can be any combination of correct vs wrong answers. For example: 2 correct and 5 wrong; 4 correct and 1 wrong and etc. ![multichoice.png](media://3d8fd495-4bda-40a1-9f2e-7707d06337c6) ### YAML format A YAML file should consist of a list of questions. Every question is a hash, which must contain the following keys. - `uuid` - id of the task. With this id you will be able to update tasks. You can use existing ones or generate unique values using [generators](https://www.uuidgenerator.net/). - `difficulty` - the difficulty level, one of `EASY`, `MEDIUM`, `HARD`. - `duration` - time duration in minutes or in the ISO 8601 duration format. - `points` - default number of points for this task. - `tags` - task tags, ie. what kind of knowledge this questions tests. - `question` - the question which will be presented to the candidate. - `type` - type of a task: `MULTI_CHOICE`. - `action` - put this key to decide whether you want your question be automatically published on addition. Possible values are: `PUBLISH` or `CREATE_DRAFT` *(default)*. - `mode` - add this one with the `SINGLE` keyword if you need a single-choice question, or with `PARTIAL_SCORING_WITH_DEDUCTION`if you would like to enable partial scoring for multiple choices, - `choices` - list of hashes with choices. The key in these hashes can be either `correct`, for correct answers, or `wrong`, for wrong ones. **Single choice question example:** ```yaml - uuid: 8d002491-1e45-4f57-9f2b-149393cbd47d title: JavaScript | Demo question difficulty: EASY duration: 2 points: 5 tags: [JavaScript, SecondTag] question: |- Select the correct statement about JavaScript. type: MULTI_CHOICE action: PUBLISH mode: SINGLE choices: - correct: |- JavaScript is a dynamic programming language, which can be used to write client-side scripts for web browsers. - wrong: |- JavaScript applications are compiled to bytecode that can run on a Java Virtual Machine. - wrong: |- JavaScript was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems ``` **Multiple choice question example:** ```yaml - uuid: 8d002491-1e45-4f57-9f2b-149393cbd47d title: JavaScript | Demo question difficulty: EASY duration: 'PT2M' points: 5 tags: [JavaScript, SecondTag] question: |- Select the correct statement about JavaScript. type: MULTI_CHOICE action: CREATE_DRAFT choices: - correct: |- JavaScript is a dynamic programming language, which can be used to write client-side scripts for web browsers. - wrong: |- JavaScript applications are compiled to bytecode that can run on a Java Virtual Machine. - wrong: |- JavaScript was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems - correct: |- I am also correct. ``` ## Code Gaps questions Code gaps is a multipurpose task. You can provide a snippet of code with gaps in it where the candidate must fill in the blanks to make it complete. ![code_gaps.png](media://8aae8936-71e1-4666-a18f-0f402f0d781b) ### YAML format A YAML file should consist of a list of questions. Every question is a hash, which must contain the following keys. - `uuid` - id of the task. With this id you will be able to update tasks. You can use existing ones or generate unique values using [generators](https://www.uuidgenerator.net/). - `title` - title of a task. - `difficulty` - the difficulty level, one of `EASY`, `MEDIUM`, `HARD`. - `duration` - time duration in minutes or in the ISO 8601 duration format. - `points` - default number of points for this task. - `tags` - task tags, ie. what kind of knowledge this questions tests. - `question` - the question which will be presented to the candidate. - `type` - type of a task: `CODE_GAPS`. - `action` - put this key to decide whether you want your question be automatically published on addition. Possible values are: `PUBLISH` or `CREATE_DRAFT` *(default)*. - `mode` - syntax highlight mode, e.g.: `PLAIN` *(regular text)*, `Dockerfile`, `PHP`, `Java` - `content` - the task code. ### Content field format: Code gaps should be covered with brackets `{{{gap}}}`. If more than 2 choices can be correct, put `||` in front of each correct answer. Each task can have more than one gap. You can also combine rules for code gaps. For example: `{{{|CW|"hello"|CW|'hello'}}}` This means that the correct answer can have `'` or `"` quotes and ignore case + ignore whitespace options enabled. - `|C|` - stands for **ignore case** in the answer. - `|R|` - stands for **regexp** in the answer. - `|W|` - stands for **ignore whitespace** in the answer. If the answer consists only from 1 word no `|W|` is needed. If your task uses `{` and `}` as part of the code, you should use the following format: ``` {{{ {this is all code gap} }}} ``` **Single answer example:** ```yaml - uuid: 4da801c5-b132-43d1-a211-8e5efb43cffa title: DevOps | Running docker containers - cleanup difficulty: EASY duration: 3 points: 2 tags: [DevOps, Docker] question: |- Ensure that the container will be removed when it exits type: CODE_GAPS mode: SHELL action: PUBLISH content: |- $ docker run {{{--rm}}} hello-world ``` **Multiple answers example:** ```yaml - uuid: 54454be6-38f8-4707-871e-31ccedef79f1 title: JavaScript | Some unique task name difficulty: EASY duration: 'PT10M' points: 10 tags: [JavaScript] skills: [Software Development, JavaScript] question: |- Fill in the JavaScript code gap to make the code do this and that. type: CODE_GAPS mode: JAVASCRIPT action: PUBLISH content: |- here goes the code and here goes the {{{|C|gap|C|gaps}}} ``` ## Essay questions Essay is an open-ended and manually evaluated task where the candidate can write a short answer. ![image-20250602-143328.png](media://dcf20cd7-5115-48a9-b335-b4650d3ae6a8) ### YAML format A YAML file should consist of a list of questions. Every question is a hash, which must contain the following keys. - `uuid` - id of the task. With this id you will be able to update tasks. You can use existing ones or generate unique values using [generators](https://www.uuidgenerator.net/). - `title` - title of a task. - `difficulty` - the difficulty level, one of `EASY`, `MEDIUM`, `HARD`. - `duration` - time duration in minutes or in the ISO 8601 duration format. - `points` - default number of points for this task. - `tags` - task tags, ie. what kind of knowledge this questions tests. - `question` - the question which will be presented to the candidate. - `type` - type of a task: `ESSAY`. - `action` - put this key to decide whether you want your question be automatically published on addition. Possible values are: `PUBLISH` or `CREATE_DRAFT` *(default)*. **Example:** ```yaml - uuid: 4da801c5-b132-43d1-a211-8e5efb43cffa title: Soft Skills | Some unique task name difficulty: MEDIUM duration: 30 points: 15 tags: ['Soft Skills'] question: |- Describe a situation when you had to work in a team. type: ESSAY action: PUBLISH ```