There were several database software’s available to Group 22 to use however in the Mr Bada’s account it was specifically stated that Microsoft Access was the preferred tool to create the information system.
Another very good tool for database design is Oracle incorporating the programming language SQL (structured query language).
Steps Undertaken In Project Development
The Life Cycle of the project
The Information Systems Life Cycle (Angell & Smithson, 1991)
Phase: Problem Definition
Problem Identification
The client, Mr Abbey needed to improve the efficiency in the office of the Cavendish Student Hall. He decided to computerise the office and asked us to help him. His objectives were to be able to track down students and allocate room’s a lot more efficiently then using the current method.
Information Requirement Determination
Since the office was not computerised there was no existing database to improve so we had to start from the very beginning. What information did we require to be able to build Mr. Abbey a database? First of all we need information about the different rooms, we need information about the students and their parents details.
The user needs broadly were to include tracking of students, room allocation,
Information on students, all to be available via queries or reports.
Feasibility Study
When we got this information we put together a database in Microsoft Access with tables, forms and queries. Mr. Abbey did not require having the staff and wages included in the database.
The database system would need computers with minimum technical specification i.e. at least Pentium one processer, 32MB ram, etc. The operating system software would have to be compatible with database tool.
Staff would require minimal training in the usage of the Microsoft Access.
I would also suggest some form of cost-benefit analysis to see exactly how efficiency would be improved. Possibly even R.O.C.E. (return on capital employed) with pay back period being calculated.
It could be the client’s best interests to specify how much his style of management or structure may change in the near future therefore allowing our designers build some flexibility in to the system by anticipating change.
Phase: Analysis
System Analysis
We now analysed the solutions we came up with in the first phase in more depth.
We made a logical model of the system both as Data Flow Diagram and as and Entity Relationship Diagram.
The Data Flow Diagram shows the way the data is moved in the system, facilitating the client to understand the system and also us as analysers to create the database.
The Entity Relationship Diagram is built by the entities in the system that stores the data we need to process and the relationships between them.
Requirements collection and analysis
Data flow diagram
Context Diagram (Level 0)
Filled lodging form
Room allocated
Deposit to pay
Payment
Tenancy agreement
Payment
Payment confirmed
Level 1
Student data Deposit to pay
Filled out lodging form check availability
Request not available Register
Student data
Request available
Student File
Payment
Confirm Payment Produce
Form
Conceptual DesignIdentifying the things of interest in an organisation (entities)
Properties of those things (attributes)
How those things are related to one another (relationships)
Types/degrees of relationship: one to one, one to many, many to many
Entity- Relational model
Helps to illustrate how to design a conceptual model
Identify things of interest to an organisation (entities)
Entity
Student
Room
Parents
Properties of those things (their attributes)
Attributes of:
Student
ID Number; Title; Name; Surname; Nationality; Student ID; Course; Year; Name of Tutor; Undergraduate/Postgraduate; Room Type; Smoker; Special Needs; Booking Fee Paid; Insurance Paid
Unique Identifier Number = Primary key = Student ID
Room
Room Number; RoomType; RoomFull, Student ID1; Student ID2; Student ID3
Unique Identifier Number = Primary key = Room Number
Parents
Parent ID; Title; Name; Surname; Address1; Address2; Town; Post Code; Telephone
How those things are related to one another (relationships)
Relationships
Student rent room one to one
Student related by ID Number to parent one to one
Rent
ID Number
Phase: Construction
Physical Design
The user interface is a main menu from where you can access the room table, student table; make open queries, open reports.
Programming
We did the coding and the testing of the modules as in the design specification.Phase: Operation
Implementation
Testing the system to ensure it carried out all tasks it had been designed to carry out without error.
Maintenance
Enhancements that can be done is to include the staff and their wages in the database if desired.
User Manual
Parent’s details In the main menu you will see four choices. Parent details, student details,queries and reports.
Click on Parent detail Here you can enter all parent details, the system will automatically allocate a parent ID number, when completed click on student info where you can then enter the students personal details.
Registering Student details
Entering student’s details can be done through parent’s details or by clicking on student in the main menu this will bring you to a further screen. The ID number will be allocated automatically; you may then click on student compatibility, which will give you a further list. After closing this click on allocate room, which will bring you to further screen of room on this screen you can scroll through the rooms via the arrows at the bottom when you find a suitable room, on finding a suitable room please ensure you enter the ID number that the database has allocated and click on room full when it so. To exit the student form click on the door.
Student Queries
Click on Queries. Here you find five options. Undergraduate, female students, male students, and postgraduate and find student.
On entering any of these you will get a list of those students, depending of course on what you are looking for.
Reports
From the main menu again you can click on reports, Here you can view a list of all parents or all students and there details, you may also print the reports from this screen if a hard copy is needed
Bibliography And References
Database Systems (5th Ed), Addison-Wesley Pub Coy. lmasri, R. & Navathe, S.B. (1994) Fundamentals of Database Systems (2nd Ed), Addison-Wesley Pub Coy.
Date, C.J. (1990) An Introduction
E Eaglestone, B (1991) Relational Databases, Stanley Thornes Pub Ltd.
Appendix
Appendix 2
