Project 1, SI204, Fall 2002: Rate Tables

Run of the program	File output.html in browser
	$5 $15 $25 $35 $45 5% 431 79 44 31 24 6% 6327 82 45 31 24 7% * 85 46 32 24 8% * 89 47 32 25 9% * 93 48 33 25 10% * 98 49 33 25

Part 1

Write a program that reads from the user a loan amount, an interest rate, and a monthly payment, and prints out the duration of the loan in months. Assume that the format is $amt rate% $pmt, where amt is the loan amount in dollars (clearly!), the interest rate is an annual percentage rate that is to be compounded monthly, and pmt is the monthly payment amount in dollars. Remember, monthly compounding at interest rate r% means that every month the balance B increase to B = B*(1 + r/12). A typical run of your program is expected to look like this:

Input: $1000.00 7.0% $35.00 Duration of loan is 32 months

If the loan will never be paid off (i.e. interest accrues as fast or faster than your payments) the program should print a warning. Hint: Solve this problem problem by simulation, i.e. set up the balance and simulate interest acruing and payments coming in month-by-month. However many months it takes for the balance to make it to zero or below, that's the duration of the loan!

Part 2

Write a program (really just modify your Part 1 solution!) that reads from the user a loan amount, a range of interest rates, and a monthly payment, and prints out the duration of the loan at each interest rate in months. Assume the format is

$amt from ri% in n steps of stp% $pmt

where amt is in dollars (obviously), ri is the base interest rate, n is the integer number of steps to be taken (and is not negative!), stp is the size (in percentage points) of each step in the interest rate, and pmt is the amount of the monthly payments.

Input: $1000.00 from 6.0% in 2 steps of 2.0% $25.00 6% 45 months 8% 47 months 10% 49 months

Part 3

Write a program (really just modify your Part 2 solution!) that reads from the user a loan amount, a range of interest rates, and a range of monthly payment amounts, and prints out the duration of the loan in months for each interest rate - monthly payment combination. Assume the format is

$amt from ri% in n steps of stp% $pmt

where amt is in dollars (obviously), ri is the base interest rate, n is the integer number of steps to be taken (and is not negative!), stp is the is size (in percentage points) of each step in the interest rate, and pmt is the amount of the monthly payments. Just print the numbers to the screen, separated by tabs. Here's a sample run of such a program:

Part 4

Write a program (really just modify your Part 3 solution!) that solves the problem posed at the beginning of the project, i.e. that reads from the user a loan amount, a range of interest rates, and a range of monthly payment amounts, and an output file name, and writes to that file the html-code needed to produce a table showing the duration of the loan in months for each interest rate - monthly payment combination. Assume the format is

$amt from ri% in nr steps of stp_r% from $pi in np steps of $stp_p filename

where amt is in dollars (obviously), ri is the base interest rate, nr is the integer number of steps to be taken (and is not negative!), stp_r is the size (in percentage points) of each step in the interest rate, pi is the base monthly payment, np is the integer number of steps to be taken (and is not negative!), stp_p is the size (in dollars) of each step in the monthly payment amount, and filename is the name of the file to which the output is to be written. All you need to know about html and html-tables is available in HTML-Tables. The project intoduction gave you an example of what the output should look like.

What to turn in and when to turn it in

You may submit a solution to exactly one of (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4) of the above. Ideally you will all simply submit a solution to Part 4, the complete assignment. Whatever you submit, that program must work! We will not accept submission of a project that does not compile! No matter to which of the 4 Parts you submit a solution, your solution must correctly read input in the format given for that part, and produce output in the format given for that part. You will submit to your instructor:

1. A signed copy of this cover page.
2. A printout of the source code (i.e. the .cpp file) for your program. You are responsible for making sure that this printout looks good! If lines wrap around, text is illegible, or the printer messes up formatting, you will lose points. Reformat to make sure these things don't happen.
3. A screencapture of your program running with the following input:

   If you submit Part 1	$3000.00 11.5% $55.50
   If you submit Part 2	$3000.00 from 4% in 5 steps of 2.5% $55.50
   If you submit Part 3	$3000.00 from 4% in 5 steps of 2.5% from $10.50 in 4 steps of $40.00
   If you submit Part 4	$3000.00 from 4% in 5 steps of 2.5% from $10.50 in 4 steps of $40.00 table.html

   and if you are submiting Part 4, a screen capture of your browser rendering the file table.html produced by the above run of your program.
4. An electronic copy (via e-mail) of your source code. The file must be e-mailed as an attachment, and it must be the same .cpp file as the one you submit as a printout. The project is not deemed to have been submitted until both parts have been submitted.

Grading