How do I prove to my professor that I didn't copy pasta another kid's work?

[COLOR="Red"]So, final project time for computer science. My buddy and I decided to work on it together as two minds would make the project work quicker and faster. Whenever we had to code, we coded separately, and compiled and ran it. Then, we saw how the other did what, and depending on who got it correct, we switched our codes to be more correct and functioning. Now, handing in the project, he states that our codes are too similar. I don't even know how to counteract his argument. Sure, parts of our code are similar, but that was to make the project work. Our formatting styles are vastly different. Mine is concise, to the point, and easily readable. His is messy, many non-needed lines of code, etc. He even decided to put in lines of code that would play a music file depending on how the code worked. I didn't. He had all these extraneous lines of code that clogged up the output. My output was really short. His sings and has smiley faces.

Thoughts? [/COLOR]

By telling him exactly what you've said here? Just email that to him and that'll do it.

My buddy and I decided to work on it together as two minds would make the project work quicker and faster. Whenever we had to code, we coded separately, and compiled and ran it. Then, we saw how the other did what, and depending on who got it correct, we switched our codes to be more correct and functioning. Now, handing in the project, he states that our codes are too similar.

Unless you were allowed to collaborate, your professor has every right to be suspicious because you did copy each other in a very real sense.

While Spaz is right, I think you should explain the situation to him the same way you did with us.

I am interested in this program that sings and smiles to you.... Mind sharing?

As previous posters said, tell him exactly what you said here; Unless there's rules against collaboration. Then you're screwed.

[COLOR="Red"]

I am interested in this program that sings and smiles to you.... Mind sharing?

As previous posters said, tell him exactly what you said here; Unless there's rules against collaboration. Then you're screwed.

In this Java program,
He had, System.out.println("ASCII smiley");
It was about 50 lines of System.out, making this smiley face.

And then from somewhere he read online he used this code that with the music files with the slew of programs, in the client class, played those music files. I really didn't take the time to find out how it worked and such.

Well, we'll send him the e-mail and see what he says, we'll be seeing the professor on Friday for our final anyway, which means I have to get a near perfect one the final to get a B in the class. So not what I needed right now. [/COLOR]

I'm guessing that if they were checking for students copying each other, then you weren't supposed to be collaborating in that assignment.

If you weren't given permission to work together from the professor then I think the best thing you can do is it to accept that you were in the wrong and always ask first in future.

[COLOR="Red"]

I'm guessing that if they were checking for students copying each other, then you weren't supposed to be collaborating in that assignment.

If you weren't given permission to work together from the professor then I think the best thing you can do is it to accept that you were in the wrong and always ask first in future.

I guess you are right. I wonder if I can take the blame and let my friend get the points required for the project. I'd rather someone get something for our work. I'm just bummed that now I have to score a near perfect on the final to make up for the lack of points that I lost on this assignment, which is going to be hard since I've never done so well on CS exams. I like where I can take my time and come back to it repeatedly and perfect it... I really hope that the final will be easy enough for me to get that near perfect. Well, live and learn I guess.[/COLOR]

Well, if his professor is like most of them out there, I'm gonna guess the guy isn't there 90% of the time to help the students out (Even during their designated office hours). Asking your fellow classmates for help / working together is basically the only thing you can do most of the time. That's what it's been like for me in college so far. >:|

Most computer science departments have software that scans code for a project and compares them against the other students + code examples from the web etc. It's very very accurate, and in most cases will pick up "academic dishonesty" without problems.

You may have worked together but if he used this software and it came up against you that means your coding styles, classes, methods etc matched too completely. It's very unlikely for two people working alone as they should, to call all their classes the same way and in the same order etc. So I would recommend telling him the exact truth regarding how much you collaborated, and hope he takes it easy on you.