System I designed in order to produce a promotion package for her newly formed company selling music CD's.

Candidate No.- 6071                                        Centre No.- 20860

---

Data File

I obtained my data using my data collection sheets and entered by hand a suitable sample. I received feedback from my family, friends and relatives. I later typed the data up in Microsoft Access.

The table is shown below:

Data File

Below is the data that I typed up in Microsoft Access: -

Data File 1

The data file below is very useful because the customer names are in ascending order by their first name, which makes it easier for the user to find a specific person.

Data File 2

The data file below is in ascending order by the place of birth. It is not very useful because many customers are from the same birthplace so it would be difficult for the user to search a customer’s record.

Data File 3

The data file is in ascending order by the customer’s date of birth. As you can see it is very useful because it shows the date of birth from the oldest to the youngest person in order, the way the customer pays and their address which makes it relatively easy for the user of the system. All the user has to do is to type in a birthdate using the search to find the customers age.

---

Best Data File

I think my third data file was the best because it is the easiest and quickest way for the user to locate a customer. All the user has to do is type in a birth date and it will give a list of birthdates. This depends if the user uses AND, OR, LIKE or NOT in their search. They can also do this to find the customer address or the way in which the customer wants to pay.

I rejected my second data file because if the user used AND, OR or LIKE I their search, there would be a big list say if the user chose to search by Walsall or Tottenham so it would take longer for the user to access a specific customers data.

I rejected my first data file because if say the user of the system typed in ‘Chris’ in their search then ‘Christian’ would also come up too because ‘Chris’ is the first part of Christian. This suggests that the data file is not very reliable to the user.

Changes to the system

After examining and evaluating alternative methods of creating my system I have made a few changes to my databases. I looked at the original data given to me and wrote down the things that I needed to change.

Here are some of the things I need to do/change to the database:

• Create a data structure that holds record information

• Create a database structure that holds customer information

• Add a few extra fields

• Change the layout of the page slightly

• Update the information to the modern day.

CD Sample

This is a bad database. It has only four fields and does not tell you any details of the potential user or how many CD’s are in stock. The data is placed in any order so it is difficult for the user to find the Title of the CD or CD’s they want to order. Also the prices are not in ascending order so the user has to look carefully whether the CD is in their price range or not. Older users of the system tend to like older music and the Year of release is not in ascending order so it is hard for the older user to locate the era in which the CD was produced.  

How the Hardware and Software I used influenced me to my design

The hardware I used influenced me very much. I used a printer, which printed all my database design structures and data collection sheets very quickly. I printed all the structures on a Lexmark Z31 color jetprinter. I also used a photocopier to copy my data collection sheets and for my questionnaires.

Record Information

Design Structure

Design View

Datasheet View

Design Structure 2

Design View

Datasheet View

Design Structure 3

Design View

Datasheet View

Record Information

Design Structure 1

This is a better database design structure because it includes the quantity of CD’s left in stock and the Title is in ascending order, which is easier for the user to find the CD that they are specifically looking for.

Design Structure 2

This is a good database design structure because it has two extra fields. These are the customer ID number and the highest entry of the CD. This is therefore a lot easier for the user to access the database.

Design Structure 3

This is the best database design structure for the record information out of the lot because the price is in ascending order so it will satisfy all users, especially the users that only buy CDs at a certain price.

Customer Information

Structure 1

Design View

Datasheet View

Structure 2

Design View

Datasheet View

Structure 3

Design View

Datasheet View

Customer Information

Structure 1

This is not the best database design structure because it doesn’t tell you all the information about the potential user. It doesn’t include things like the telephone number in case the company needs to get in touch with the user of the system.

Structure 2

This database design structure is slightly better because it gives you a bit more information about the potential user. It gives the system user’s telephone number in case the company needs to get in touch in the case of a problem.

Structure 3

This is by far the best design structure as it tells you a lot of details about the potential user. It gives their ID number, name, address, age, gender, telephone number and what way they would like to pay; either by Visa, cheque or case.

Influences of Hardware and Software available

The software I chose did not help as much as I expected it too much. Microsoft Word is mainly to do with typing text and can’t produce a table like the ones in Microsoft Access. However, Microsoft Access and the Internet were very useful to me. Access helped me quite a lot because the program has wizards, which helped me create the structures. It was also easy to do datasheets because the software is very good at guiding you through the processes.

I used the Internet to find relevant information, including data structures and layouts of them.

The hardware I used helped me very much. I used a printer to print my structures off and a photocopier to scan my questionnaires. These influenced me very much because they were easy to use.  

The records above are a database for the number of music CD’s in stock. I had taken into account the views of potential users of my system and decided to leave the database how it is, keeping the price of the CD’s in ascending order (from cheapest to most expensive) as it easy for the user to find a specific search price.

Access 2000 System Requirements

Here are the system requirements to run Microsoft Access 2000: -

• PC with a Pentium 75 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor
• Microsoft Windows® 95 or later operating system, or Microsoft Windows NT® Workstation operating system version 4.0 Service Pack 3 or later
• For Windows 95 or Windows 98:
  16 megabytes (MB) of RAM for the operating system, plus an additional 8 MB of RAM for Access
• For Windows NT Workstation:
  32 MB of RAM for the operating system, plus an additional 8 MB of RAM for Access
• 161 MB of available hard-disk space (Number indicates typical installation; your hard-disk usage will vary depending on configuration. Choices made during custom installation may require more or less hard-disk space.)
• CD-ROM drive
• VGA or higher-resolution monitor; Super VGA recommended
• Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft Intellimouse, or compatible pointing device

Additional items or services required to use certain features: - 

• 9600 baud modem; 14,400 or higher-baud modem recommended
• Multimedia computer required to access sound and other multimedia effects
• Microsoft Outlook 2000 or Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 or later required to run Office E-mail
• 8 MB of additional memory required to run Office E-mail

• Some Internet functionality may require Internet access and payment of a separate fee to a service provider

Troubleshooting guide for Microsoft Access

A database will not compact for any of the following reasons:

·        You don't have enough storage space on your disk for both the original and compacted versions of the database. Delete any unneeded files and try again.

·        You don't have Modify Design or Administer permission for all tables in the database. If you don't own this database, contact its owner to find out whether you can be given either of these permissions on all tables. If you own this database, you need to update your permissions for all tables. For more information on assigning permissions, click.

·        If an object in a version 1.x database includes the backquote character (`) in its name, you won't be able to compact the database. Use Microsoft Access version 1.x to rename the object, and then change any references to it in your queries, forms, reports, macros, and code.

Assign or remove permissions for a database and existing database objects

1        Open the database that contains the objects you want to secure.

The workgroup information file in use when you log on must contain the user or group accounts you want to assign permissions for at this time; however, you can assign permissions to groups and add users to those groups later.

2         On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click User and Group Permissions.

3        On the Permissions tab, click Users or Groups, and then click the user or group whose permissions you want to assign in the User/Group Name box.

4        Click the type of object in the Object Type box, and then click the name of the object to assign permissions for in the Object Name box.

Tip You can select multiple objects in the Object Name box by dragging through the objects you want to select or by holding down CTRL and clicking the objects you want.

5        Under Permissions select the permissions you want to assign, or clear the permissions you want to remove for the group or user, and then click Apply. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to assign or remove permissions for additional objects for the current user or group.

6        Repeat steps 3 through 5 for any additional users or groups, and then click OK when you have finished.

Important If you assign or remove permissions for Visual Basic code (forms, reports, or modules), those permissions will not take effect until the database is closed and reopened.

Troubleshoot editing data in a field

There are several kinds of fields in forms or datasheets that you can't edit. The following fields display values just as regular fields do, but if you try to enter data into them, nothing happens:

·        AutoNumber fields. If a field has an AutoNumber data type, Microsoft Access automatically assigns the next consecutive number or unique random number to this field for each record you add. This type of field is often used as a record ID number or primary key. When you start adding a new record, Microsoft Access automatically fills in the field's value for you and you can't edit it.

·        Calculated fields. A Calculated field displays values that Microsoft Access calculates. They are usually based on other fields in your tables, but calculated fields are not stored in tables. You can't edit calculated fields.

·        Locked or disabled fields. If a control on a form has the Locked property set to Yes or the Enabled property set to No, you can't edit the data in the field.

·        Fields in a locked record. If you use Microsoft Access in a multi-user environment and another user locks a record, you can't edit the data in the record. When you move to a locked record, the locked record indicator is displayed in the record selector.

·        Fields in snapshots. While most queries return recordsets that you can edit, some queries return snapshots, which can't be edited.

·        Field in a read-only form or a locked database. If the form you're using has the AllowEdits property set to No or if the underlying data is read-only or locked by another person, you can't edit data in the form.

Why did the size of my database increase significantly more than the size of the object I added?

The amount of information used to represent an object is often greater than the size of the object itself. One way to work around this is to display an icon representing the object instead of the object itself in the form or report. When you display an icon, the OLE server (the application used to create the object) sends only the information needed to display the icon. When you double-click the icon, the OLE server is launched with the data that the icon represents.

My picture becomes distorted when I size it.

To keep a picture's proportions when you size it, use the Picture Size Mode property (for background pictures) or the Size Mode property (for bound object frames, unbound object frames, and image controls). If the picture is a bitmap, it's best to use the Zoom setting rather than the Stretch setting. You should also consider using a metafile rather than a bitmap since you can size metafiles without causing distortions.

For more guidance on any queries, click on help on the menu and click- on either Microsoft Access Help, Contents and index or Microsoft on the Web where you will receive expert on-line guidance.

Troubleshooting guide for Microsoft Word

I changed the fill, border, shadow, or 3-D effect, but when I create a drawing object, I get the old settings.

The default style is being applied to the new drawing object.

·        To change the default settings for new drawing objects, select an object that has the attributes you want. On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw, and then click Set AutoShape Defaults.

Prevent a table row from breaking across pages

1        Click the table.

2        On the Table menu, click Cell Height and Width, and then click the Row tab.

3. Clear the Allow row to break across pages.

Word isn't automatically inserting my text or graphics.

·        To turn on AutoCorrect, click AutoCorrect on the Tools menu, and then make sure the Replace text as you type check box is selected.

·        When you type an AutoCorrect name, make sure to precede it with a space and follow it with another space or a punctuation mark.

How can I get data from another program into Word without starting the source program?

By default, when you insert database information or attach it as a mail merge data source, Word uses DDE to read the data file. DDE automatically starts the source program (such as Microsoft Excel) and then opens the data file.

If you don't want to start the source program, you can use ODBC or file converters instead of DDE to read the data file directly. To do this, insert the database information, or attach it as a mail merge data source as usual. In the Open Data Source dialog box, select the Select method check box before you click Open. Then, each time you insert database information or attach it as a mail merge data source, Word opens the Confirm Data Source dialog box so that you can click the ODBC driver or file converter you want.

Text that I print looks different from text on the screen.

·        Word might be displaying text as draft fonts. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab. Clear the Draft font check box. This option will be available only if you are in normal view.

·        Word might be printing a draft of your text. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Print tab. Clear the Draft output check box.

·        The font in your document might not be available on the printer you're using. Change the font in your document to a TrueType font, or change the font to one that is available on your printer.

·        Animated text effects don't print. If text in your document is animated, it will print with the underlying text formatting ¾ such as bold or italic ¾ but the animated effects will not print.

·        The font in your document might be one that is available on your printer but that doesn't have a matching screen font. Windows substitutes a TrueType font to display the text on the screen. Try changing the font in your document to a TrueType font.

When I try to save changes to a document, I get a message saying the document is read-only.

You can't make changes to a read-only document. To save changes, you need to save the document with a new name. You can use the same name if you save the document in a new or different folder.

My e-mail is very slow or not working correctly.

·        To use WordMail as your e-mail editor, you should have at least 12 megabytes of memory available.

·        Before using WordMail, close any Word dialog boxes that are open.

·        Programs that work in the background, such as virus-scanning programs, may slow down WordMail and Word in general. Use System Monitor ¾ an optional Windows 95 accessory program ¾ to see if you are running programs that slow down your computer's performance and to see which program is using the highest percentage of processor time.

Graphics don't appear when I print.

·        Make sure that you're not using the draft output option, which doesn't print graphics. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Print tab. The Draft output check box should be cleared.

·        Make sure that you're not printing field codes for graphics you've linked from files created in other programs. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Print tab. The Field codes check box should be cleared.

Freehand drawing is hard to control.

·        Try increasing the magnification in the Zoom Control box. It's easier to draw details at 200 percent.

·        Use the Freeform button instead of the Scribble button.  

·        Try setting your mouse to the slowest tracking speed available in Windows Control Panel. You have greater control when you draw at a slow speed.

·        You can adjust the shape of freeform to make them look smoother.

For more guidance on any queries, click on help on the menu and click- on either Microsoft Word Help, Contents and index or Microsoft on the Web where you will receive expert on-line advice.

Troubleshooting guide for the Internet

Finding the information you want

You can find information on the Web in a variety of ways.

• Click the Search button on the toolbar to gain access to a number of search providers. Type a word or phrase in the Search box.
• Type go, find, or ? Followed by a word or phrase in the Address bar. Internet Explorer starts a search using its predetermined search provider.
• After you go to a Web page, you can search for specific text on that page by clicking the Edit menu and then clicking Find.

Note

• If a Web address doesn't work, Internet Explorer asks if you want to search for similar Web addresses. You can change this setting so that Internet Explorer searches automatically without prompting. For more information, see Related Topics below.

Protecting your identity over the Internet

You can use a personal certificate to protect your identity over the Internet. A certificate is a statement guaranteeing the identity of a person or the security of a Web site. You can control the use of your own identity by having the private key that only you know on your own system. When used with mail programs, security certificates with private keys are also known as "digital IDs."

Internet Explorer uses two different types of certificates:

• A "personal certificate" is a kind of guarantee that you are who you say you is. This information is used when you send personal information over the Internet to a Web site that requires a certificate verifying your identity.
• A "Web site certificate" states that a specific Web site is secure and genuine. It ensures that no other Web site can assume the identity of the original secure site.

Using accessibility features in Internet Explorer

In addition to Microsoft Windows accessibility products and services, the following features make Internet Explorer more accessible for people with disabilities.

Keyboard access

All features in Internet Explorer are accessible to you by using the keyboard or the mouse.

With Internet Explorer, you can explore the Web by using the keyboard. Just press TAB and SHIFT+TAB to move forward and backward between screen elements such as:

• Links that are text or images
• Hotspots on image maps
• The Address bar
• The menu bar
• The Links bar
• Frames

For more information about keyboard access, see .

Highlighting box

As you move to or click a link or image, a thin border appears around it so you can see what is selected.

Customise the font size, formatting, and colours

You can specify the font sizes, styles and colours, and foreground and background colours of Web pages displayed on your computer screen, even if the author of the Web page has already specified these. You can also specify the colour used to indicate links in Web pages, or a special colour for links that is used only when the mouse passes over the link.

This is useful if you have low vision, need larger fonts, or need high-contrast colours. You can set Internet Explorer to use the colours and fonts you specify, your default Windows colours and fonts, or the settings you specify in your own style sheet.

For more information, see .

Customise the toolbar

You can customise the toolbar by adding or removing buttons, using small or large icons, and showing or hiding the text on the labels.

Just right-click the toolbar and then click Customise.

If you have low vision, you may want to add the Size button for quick access to the relative font size.

If you are using a screen reader, you may want to select Small Icons in the Icon Options list and No text labels in the Text Options list to maximise the amount of screen space available for Web content.

Advanced options that make Internet Explorer more accessible

You can select or clear several options that may make Internet Explorer more accessible. To display these options, click the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the advanced tab.

• Use smooth scrolling and Enable page transitions 

If you use a screen magnification or screen reader program, you may want to clear these check boxes. If you use a voice recognition program, and you experience recognition errors during smooth scrolling and transitions, you may also want to clear these check boxes.

• Show pictures 

If you have low vision, you may want to clear these check boxes to improve performance. If you are sensitive to screen flashing, you may also want to clear these check boxes.

 

• Print background colours and images 

If you have low vision, you may want to clear this check box to improve print legibility.

Advantages and Limitations of Software

The software I used was Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access and the Internet. I used Word to criticise my three databases. Microsoft Access and the Internet were the most useful to me. I used Microsoft Access to create my tables using the Wizard for my databases. I used the Internet to find out information about the latest singles to download relevant information about prices of the CD’s, the Artist’s and the structure of databases used in mail order companies.

Advantages

Microsoft Word

• You can type up your data in this software using different formats of text

• Copy and paste from other files
• Checks any spelling errors
• Gives a clear troubleshooting guide for new users

Microsoft Access

• Wizard for guidance of structuring techniques
• Easy to do datasheets
• Gives you the option of creating your database in design view or on the datasheet itself
• Checks any spelling errors
• Automatically stores created documents
• East to change and update data

Internet

• Download relevant information of the web such as page layouts, data structures and modern day music
• You can open a new window to see another search result with a click of a button
• You can get feedback from companies via the web using the e-mail service.

Limitations

Microsoft Word

• Can’t create tables like Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access

• Can’t type data up using different formats of text
• Easy for data to be accidentally altered

Internet

• Downloading files can take time

• Many spelling mistakes in downloaded work

Verification and Validation Techniques

The first stage is the database itself. This is where all the information (records) in the system are stored. It is important that a good understanding of the exact needs of the system is calculated, so that the database can be structured properly.

I have used Microsoft Access to create the database for this system, because my system is based towards a small business environment. It is also widely available and widely used and is pretty simple to setup and manage.

Microsoft Access is a relational database. This means that its structure is made up of tables, or entities. Each of these tables holds rows and columns of data. Each row is called a record or tuple, and each column is called an attribute. All the records in the table are in some way related to each other.

The database required for the system contains two main categories:

1. A category that holds the record information

(2) A category that holds a customer information.

Both databases need fields that have to be unique, such as customer ID numbers. I set the database to handle this by auto generating the customer id number. This creates a new number all the time, in access the AutoNumber option is used for that field. Also in cases like phone numbers, this is selected so that you have to enter the number in the correct format. These are some of the verification and validation techniques that I used.

Example the customer ID field is indexed, and does not allow any duplicates!

How the system could have been improved or created in a more better way

The system could have been created and have been linked directly to the Internet. So all the access to all the data by all users including customers could have been done on the Internet. This could be setup in a way where a programming language like Java is used to connect the Access database to the Internet.

These kinds of internet/web databases follow the client server model. A database engine sits on some central computer somewhere and serves data to multiple clients, which are in the form of an Internet browser.

Within this process, we also have a web server. This handles requests from the web browsers and then forwards them to the database. The web server then waits for the database to respond and then pass on that response to the waiting clients.

In this way normal users of the database, such as the people that enter and process the orders and record information, would login using an ID and password, and they would be given access to the operations that they require. Whereas customers would log on to the Internet site, enter all the find and order the CDs they need, this would be then checked and verified, and the database would be updated, so that the order can be processed.

Diagram of system model:

---

Searches

I will now produce a series of simple and complex searches to demonstrate what the system can do, with clear explanations. The complex searches will include two examples each of AND, OR and NOT.

Searches with AND

1. If you wish to find out the number of males that live in Walsall, the user would do the following search:

m AND walsall

As a result of the search the following data will be shown: -

2. If you wish to find out the number of females that live in Walsall, the user would do the following search:

f AND walsall

As a result of the search the following data will be shown: -

Searches with OR

1. If you wish to search for people living on Newman Street and Milton Street, the user of my system will do the following search:

newman OR milton

 As a result of the search the following data will be shown: -

Notice that I never included ‘street’, as there are other roads that ended in street in my best data file (data file 3).

2. If the user wishes to find out information on the people born in Tottenham and Rome, they will do the following search:

tot OR rom

As a result of the search the following data will be shown: -

Notice that I have used fewer characters in my search, as their no other fields except the address field that begins with ‘tot’ or ‘rom’. This also saves some of the users time.

Searches with NOT

1. If the user wants to find out about females only that were born in the year 1985, they will do the following search:

f 85 NOT m

As a result of the search the following data will be shown: -

The system would first search for females and then look for the number 85. The search would now be complete, as the list above suggests.

2. If the user wants to search for the people who pay by cheque to buy music, they do the following search:

cheque NOT visa NOT cash

As a result of the search the following data will be shown: -

The system browses for the word ‘cheque’ and provides the answer to the search, for the user of the system.

Results of my searches

I have analysed the results of my searches and compared them with the original stated requirements. I found that my searches were successful with AND, OR and NOT, therefore the user can use my system properly. The results show that the user only needs to type in a few characters to get what they want out of the searches.

Comments from third party

Below are the comments made by my friend about the viability of my new system: -

‘Daljit’s work is very thorough and he has very worked hard to create the new system. He has tested it in different ways to see that it functions correctly and has expanded it from the previous system that he created. To show how the system can be improved he has demonstrated ways of linking it to the world-wide web, just as the leading music companies have done, therefore music can be ordered on-line. His system works accurately as his searches proved and any user that uses the system can use it efficiently and effectively.’

The following are the changes that I made as a result of the comment above: -

• I produced annotated hard copy evidence at each stage of my work to show my improvement.
• I asked the views of more than one person about the viability of my system and found that the comments were similar to my friend.
• I included extra fields in my design.