Notes on Project

These comments are assembled from various e-mails I sent out the class regarding pitfalls and other issues that came up in my reading of student work.

• In your use cases and screens, you will have edit screens. Those will typically includ add and update operations. They generally should not include a delete function. Deleting from a database is rather rare due to the need to preserve referential integrity (avoid dangling references). Typically, if there is a data record that should no longer be used (e.g., a user), the data record will have a status flag that will make the record inactive. The login screen will no longer work for that inactive user but the reports on what that user did within the system are still valid.

• There has been some confusion in both this class and the distance class on the D5 and D10 deliverables. Your D5 deliverable included initial drafts of screen shots. For D10 you are expected to modify your screens (and your use cases), based on input from me and your teammates, and to integrate your screens with those produced by your teammates. The integration will involve creating links or navigation from screen to screen. That is what is meant by working prototype. Other than than that you have no additional coding in this semester.
• During the weeks that individual deliverables are due, the entire team should continue to to individuals on their work, updating use cases and screen shots to respond to my feedback and to generally improve your description of the system requirements, and working toward an integrated set of requirements. This may involve some redistribution of individual assignments, due to splitting, merging, and introduction of new use cases and screens. If any individuals fall behind on their individual deliverables, that will impact the teams, and the teams must respond to it.