hardware - sites. web viewdue to the recent staff cut backs and existing projects the i.t....

Summary

This project evaluates the operations of Iggesund Paperboard’s timber sales business, looks at the

software development techniques available and evaluates them. Furthermore, this project considers in

detail the different development tools available before analysing the current working procedure of the

Iggesund timber sales operations. Time is taken to thoroughly design and model a database and user

interface that will suitably represent the needs of the organisation. Finally after implementation the

proposed system is evaluated and tested to ensure maximum usability.

At the start of the project I also had several personal objectives that I wanted to achieve:· To gain a practical understanding of database development and implementation in a real life

situation.

· To extend my knowledge of practical database design and a database management systems that I

have gained from DB21.

· To gain practical experience of database driven websites, coding techniques and tools that can

be used to implement the proposed database.

Contents

Acknowledgements iSummary i

1. ABSTRACTION6

1.1 Background to the Problem 6

1.2 Aim and Requirements 61.2.1 Aim Of The Project 6

1.2.2 Minimum Requirements 7

2. Background Research 82.1 System Development Methodologies 8

2.1.1 System Development Life Cycle 8

2.1.2 Structured Systems Analysis Design Methodology 9

2.1 3 The Waterfall Life Cycle 9

2.2 Database Management Systems 10

2.2.1 Microsoft Access 2002 11

2.2.2 Ingres 11

2.2.3 Adaptive Server 11

2.2.4 Oracle 9i 11

2.2.5 IBM DB2 12

2.2.6 Microsoft SQL Server 2000 12

2.3 Web Development Tools 12

2.3.1 Microsoft Front002 12

2.3.2 Macromedia Dreamweaver 13

3. Analysis 14

3.1 Current Systems Procedure 14

3.1.1 Product Details 14

3.1.2 Customer Details 14

3.1.3 Contract Details 15

3.1.4 Order Details 15

3.1.5 Hauler Details 15

3.2 Need For A New System 15

3.2.1.Data Duplication and Data Loss 15

Contents Forestry Management System

- 2 -

3.2.2 Search Difficulties 163.2.3 Update Difficulties 16

3.2.4. Time Factors 16

3.3 User Requirements 16

3.3.1 Order Of Priority 17

3.4 Implementation Tools 18

3.4.1 Scripting Language 18

4. Database Design 194.1 Introduction 19

4.2 Data Modelling 19

4.2.1 Universe Of Discourse 19

4.2.2 Entity Relationship Model 19

4.2.3 Relationship Cardinality ratios 20

4.2.4 Participation Constraints and Existence Dependencies 20

4.2.5 Entity Attributes 21

4.3 Logical Database Design 21

4.3.1 Database Design Issues 224.3.2 Mapping E-R Model to Relational Tables 22

4.4 Database Schema 22

4.5 Normalisation 23

4.5.1 Functional Dependencies 23

4.5.2 First Normal Form 23

4.5.3 Second Normal Form 24

4.5.4 Third Normal Form 24

4.5.5 Boyce Codd Normal Form 24

4.6 Relational Integrity Rules 24

4.6.1 Entity Integrity Riles 24

4.6.2 Referential Integrity Constraint 24

5. User Interface Design 255.1 Current Iggesund Systems 25

5.1.1 Iggesund Paperboard Intranet 25

5.1.2 Iggesund Paperboard Internet 25

5.2 Interface Design 265.2.1. Guessability 26


- 3 -

5.2.2 Text 265.2.3 Template 27

5.2.4 Web Browser 27

6. Implementation 286.1 Introduction 28

6.2 Database Implementation 28

6.2.1 Null Values 28

6.2.2 Relationships 29

6.2.3 Database Diagrams 29

6.3 User Interface Implementation 296.3.1 Template development 30

6.3.2 Website Architecture 30

6.3.3 Database Connectivity 30

6.3.4 Homepage 31

6.3.5 Customer, Product, Order, Contract, Hauler Pages 32

6.3.6 Search Function 326.3.7 Email facility 33

6.3.8 Reviewing Today’s Orders and Contracts 33

6.3.9 Security Issues 34

6.4 Problems 34

7. Testing and Evaluation 35

7.1 Introduction 35

7.2 Testing 35

7.2.1 White Box Testing 35

7.2.2 User Acceptance Testing 35

7.3 Evaluation 36

8. Conclusion 37

8.1 Project Review 37

8.2 Further Improvements 38

8.3 Conclusions 38

Bibliography 39


- 4 -

Appendix A – Personal Reflection

Appendix B – Project Plan

Appendix C – Test Plan

Appendix D – User Manual

Appendix E – Testing and Evaluation

Appendix F – Diagrams and Tables

Appendix G – Active Server Pages and Database Backup


40

41

43

55

74

79

Cd

- 5 -

ABSTRACTION

Iggesund Paperboard is one of the largest manufacturers of virgin fibre paperboard in Europe. The UK

based operation is centred at a medium sized paper mill based at Workington in Cumbria. A key part of

the Workington plants success is that it maintains and manages its own forests in Dumfries and

Galloway, Perthshire and the Highlands. However, Iggesund only use the top two thirds of the Douglas

fir and the Scots Pines which are grown in its Scottish forests. The remaining third is used to produce

timber that is sold to local and national companies for use in construction and carpentry. It is this

particular aspect of the company’s business process on which I would like to concentrate.

Each forest has its own manager who is responsible for the timber sales operation. For several years the

managers of the forests have been wishing to upgrade their paper based filing system to a computerized

system. This system is outlined below. Unfortunately, due to staff shortages in the company I.T.

department they have been unable to find the time to develop a new system. Regrettably, the forestry

manager’s budget is limited and he cannot afford to purchase an off-the-shelf package.

After brief discussions with a member of the I.T. department, and with the manager of the Forest of Ae

(near Dumfries) I decided that I would to like to try and implement a system that would help the manager

of the Forest of Ae keep track of his customers, contracts, orders, products and haulers. Due to the recent

staff cut backs and existing projects the I.T. department have been unable to offer me any type of support

or spend anytime with me to develop the system. However, they agreed it might be beneficial for me to

develop a prototype system that then could be modified by them to suit the specific needs of the forest

manager in the future.

The forestry manager only has basic I.T. knowledge as the company offers no formal I.T. training, but

regularly uses a company laptop for word processing. He also has access to the company intranet, email

system and the internet over a secure ISDN connection and he is familiar with online form systems used

for ordering over the internet. He currently uses a paper based filing system to look after customer

details, orders, contracts, product and hauler information. This system has become increasingly difficult

to maintain, and become a burden on the manager’s time.

The Forest of Ae is over two hours drive from the Workington based I.T. department. It would be

impractical to expect the forestry manager to maintain his own databases, as supporting users at this

distance is a tricky business for the company I.T. department. Therefore, it was suggested by a member

of the I.T. department that it would be sensible for the database to be located centrally, and maintained by

the I.T. department.

1.2 Aim and Requirements1.2.1 Aim of the ProjectThis project will produce a fully working prototype system that provides a suitable solution to the

problem. The system is intended to be a fully functioning web based database system that will allow the

Forestry Manager to improve his productivity by storing and retrieving information more effectively than

his current paper based system.

1.2.2 Minimum RequirementsThe minimum requirements of the project are listed below:

· Examine the tools and methodologies required to gain an overview of the system requirements

for the proposed database.

· Examine suitable database management systems that can be used to implement the proposed

database.

· Evaluate appropriate website authoring and web graphic creation tools that can be used to

develop web based forms for the proposed database

· Produce and apply suitable criteria for evaluating the solution

Introduction Forestry Management System

- 7 -

Chapter 2 - Background Research

2.1 System Development MethodologiesThroughout my time studying Computing at the University of Leeds the importance of using a structured

approach to software development has been stressed. In modules such as SO11, SO12, IN11, SI23 and

SI31 I have developed software using various structured techniques. Therefore, it seems essential that

this project uses a Software Development Methodology to ensure that it the development process is

efficient, and that the appropriate systems analysis procedures are followed. A structured software

development methodology can be defined as:

“a recommended collection of philosophies, phases, procedures, rules, techniques, tools, documentation,

management and training for developers of information systems” [2]

Although no methodology is perfect for use in every situation, there are several that may help me when

developing the proposed database. I will consider several different methodologies including the Systems

Development Life Cycle, the Waterfall Life Cycle, and Structured Systems Analysis Design

Methodology. Initially I will look at the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

2.1.1 System Development Life CycleSDLC is one of the original software development methodologies, and is it still probably one of the most

common techniques used in systems development. It also forms the basis of other methodologies such as

the Waterfall Life Cycle and SSADM. The SDLC is “characterised by a linear sequence of steps that

progress from start to finish without revisiting any step” [15]. These steps can be seen in Fig 2.0.

Unfortunately this linear sequence of steps makes the Systems Development Life Cycle inflexible, as

each stage must be followed in turn. Indeed, systems developed using the SDLC have often failed to

meet management’s needs, been unambitious in design, have led to user dissatisfaction and lacked

control. However, the SDLC is appropriate to situations where there are predictable information system

requirements, and where users have a clear idea of their needs or where there is an existing system in

place. Unfortunately, this does not apply to this project, as the needs of the user are vague, and there is no

existing solution to the problem. Therefore, I will not be using this methodology to develop this database

system.

Background Research Forestry Management System

- 8 -

Preliminary Investigation

Systems Analysis

System Design

System Construction

System Implementation

EvaluationFig 2.0

2.1.2 Structured Systems Analysis Design MethodologyThe Structured Systems Analysis Design Methodology (SSADM), like other structured methodologies,

adopts a prescriptive approach to information systems development in that it specifies in advance the

stages and tasks that need to be undertaken. It was developed in the UK by consultants Learmouth and

Burchett and the Central Computing Telecommunications agency in a bid to standardise the many varied

I.T. projects being developed across government departments. It has been mandatory in civil service

applications since 1983 [3]. The early implementations of SSADM emphasised data modelling and a

hard approach, that is, if it modelled right then the system will work. Later, as the methodology evolved

it became more concerned with relationships. SSADM also encourages a high level of documentation.

Using SSADM a project can be broken down into seven different stages.

1. Feasibility

2. Investigation of current environment

3. Business System options

4. Definition of requirements

5. Technical Systems options

6. Logical design

7. Physical designThe positive aspects of this methodology include the emphasis on documentation, and an increase

influence on user involvement is systems development. However it is relatively inflexible and for a

project of this size possibly too complex.


- 9 -

2.1.3 The Waterfall Life CycleThe waterfall life cycle is system development methodology which has its origins in manufacturing

industries. It is broken down in 5 different components which are shown below:

Needs Analysis & Specification

Program Design

I mplem entation

T esting

Maintenance & Upgrades

Fig 2.1Each activity has to be completed in order to provide the input for the next stage. This means that there is

no easy way to incorporate modifications in previous stages other than returning to the previous stage.

For most systems the specifications are inherently fluid or incomplete and there may be a variety of

reasons which tasks of earlier stages may need to be repeated [1]. If these tasks are not repeated then the

system maybe obsolete before it is even implemented. For complex projects, the iterations in the

Waterfall Life Cycle are considered to be too simplistic, but for small scale projects it gives project

structure, and identifies natural key decision points. It is also more flexible that the SDLC and SSADM,

in that it allows backtracking if severe pitfalls in the design are detected and modifications to the

specifications are required. When large project teams are involved the need for backtracking can result in

disproportionate increases in the cost of the project, but as I will be tackling this project alone it should

be relatively easy to move between the iterations if required.

For these reasons I am going to use the Waterfall Life Cycle as the basis for my system development.

2.2 Database Management SystemsThere are several different types of database management system on the mainstream market. The most

popular products include Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000, Oracle with Oracle 9i, IBM’s DB2, Sybase’s

Adaptive Server, and Computer Associates with Ingres. Another option that must be considered is

Microsoft Access 2002. The “big three” in the industry are considered to be SQL Server, Oracle, and

DB2. In 2001 these three had 13.1%, 31.1% and 29.9% of market share respectively [7]

There are several factors that I need to consider when evaluating these various database management

systems. One important factor is cost to the organisation. As I mentioned earlier, the forestry manager


- 10 -

has a limited budget and was unable to purchase an off-the-shelf package. He also does not want to have

to spend money on an expensive DBMS therefore it would make sense to choose a database system that

Iggesund Paperboard already owns. The DBMS also needs to offer the functionality that is needed to

develop the proposed database.

2.2.1 Microsoft Access 2002Since its introduction in 1992 Access has been one of the most popular database development tools. “For

experienced database programmers and first time database users alike, Microsoft Access 2002, delivers

powerful tools for managing and analysing data” [12]. Iggesund Paperboard already has a site license for

Microsoft Office XP Professional which includes Access 2002, so there would be no cost involved if this

DBMS package were chosen. Despite its popularity, Access is a desktop package and I would not

consider it appropriate for this sort of system as it does not offer the functionality of SQL Server or

Oracle.

2.2.2 IngresDespite the fact that the number of Ingres licenses have increased more than 30% since 1999 it still holds

a small market share compared to the big players in the industry [4]. This dramatic increase in a staid

market is primarily due it being imbedded with other Computer Associates products. Regardless of its

increased popularity I would not consider it to develop this proposed database. I have very little

knowledge of its architecture, and it is not considered an industry standard. Even though it has one of the

lowest costs of ownership in the industry it would still have to be purchased by the forestry manager.

2.2.3 Adaptive ServerAdaptive Server is the leading small footprint database, and it offers innovative and exciting technology

for data-warehousing. However, I will not be using this DBMS for the same reasons outlined for

Computer Associates Ingres system.

2.2.4 Oracle9iThe Oracle9i package has a number of excellent features [4]. It is the leader in the E-commerce segment

of the market, powering database driven websites with its excellent XML support. However, at Iggesund

Paperboard is it only supported by the VMS operating system. I have little understanding of VMS, and

little time to learn. The cost of purchasing a version for Windows is too much to justify, especially when

there are other database management systems which Iggesund Paperboard already own.


- 11 -

2.2.5 IBM DB2IBM DB2 has a high market share, and scores higher than SQL Server and Oracle9i in the Bloors

Research Company’s white paper on Database Systems. It concentrates on data management, rather than

database management, and incorporates several third party products to provide a complete data

management package. As a result, more training maybe required. Due to the short term nature of this

project and my limited knowledge of the product I will not be choosing it to implement this database. It is

expensive, and is not supported at Iggesund Paperboard.

2.2.6 Microsoft SQL Server 2000SQL Server is one of the most popular DBMS’s on the market. “It provides a relational database that is

highly scalable, and multi dimensional cube technology that addresses the complete spectrum of

mainstream database requirements.”[12]

I have experience developing software using SQL server, through the DB21 module I am currently taking

and also during my internship at Iggesund Paperboard. Personally, I find it more intuitive to use than

Microsoft Access 2002. SQL Server also provides extensive database programming capabilities built on

web standards [12], and it also offers easy access to data through the web. This is fundamental for my

project, as the database will be accessed through the company intranet. Furthermore, the I.T. department

at Iggesund already supports several SQL Server 2000 databases. As I mentioned earlier, the I.T.

department is already under strain due to recent staff reductions. It is important that the I.T. department

will be able to support this system efficiently if it is to be successful. Using a database management

system that is already in operation should minimise training costs and allow the I.T. department

effectively support the proposed database. I shall, therefore, be using SQL Server 2000 to develop my

database.

2.3 Web Development ToolsThere are many tools that can be used to develop web pages from simple HTML syntax highlighting

editors, through to ‘What You See Is What You Get’ web development packages. Due to the time

restrictions on this project I am only going to look at the two most popular packages, as the time required

to install, learn and evaluate is beyond the scope of this project. Furthermore, as the Forestry Manager

will not have any direct contact with the web development tools used to produce the proposed system I

can choose a package that I am most comfortable with.

2.3.1 Microsoft FrontPage 2002FrontPage is a powerful program that offers flexibility and adaptability to a web designer [16]. It is an

excellent product for beginners, and throughout my internship with Iggesund Paperboard I used it to edit

and update the company intranet. However, despite its easy of use I found that it wrote messy


- 12 -

html code, and I had problems with the known bugs, such as problems with forms. The web page that I

will be creating will be almost entirely based on forms so it would be a mistake to choose this product to

develop the proposed web pages.

2.3.2 Macromedia DreamweaverDreamweaver offers a simple, easy-to-use interface with a powerful set of tools and features to help you

create engaging Web sites. Macromedia Dreamweaver has a well-deserved reputation for being a capable

Web design package, and contains support for both graphical design and direct coding of HTML [16]. I

have some experience using this software package already, but would like to get to know it further.

Handily I already have a copy of Dreamweaver 4, and a trial version of the new Dreamweaver MX is

available to download from the Macromedia website. Therefore, I shall be using this software package to

develop the HTML structure for this intranet site.

Hardware

· Intel Pentium® 4 processor

· 1 GB Memory

· And other regular hardware devices

Software

· Microsoft Windows XP, 2000® Server

· IBM Web Sphere Studio Application Developer 6.0

· MS SQL Server 2000


- 13 -

Chapter 3 – Analysis

Although the scale of this project is relatively small, to produce a professional solution is it imperative

that the current problem is understood accurately. However, this task has been made doubly difficult by

the lack of support from the company. Thankfully, the forestry manager has been kind enough to spare

me some of his own time to discuss the problem with me further. Therefore, this chapter is concerning

with analyzing the current situation and expectations of the user for this system.

3.1 ModulesThis section describes the current procedures that are followed by the forestry manager in the current

system. Detailed understanding of these procedures was gained through several telephone conversations

during September 2002.

3.1.1 Product DetailsThe forestry manager is provided with a given amount of timber each week from the logging contractors

who work in conjunction with the manager. The majority of this timber is then transported to the

Workington based plant for use in paperboard production. However, for some reason, the base of the tree

is not appropriate of virgin fibre paperboard. The unwanted sections are transferred the forestry

manager’s lumber yard, and this is the product which can then be sold on to wood mills, construction

companies or carpenters. Product differentiation is relatively low, and at any one time, it is unlikely that

there will be more than 6 different products in the yard. These products are usually given a product code,

based on tree type, the age of the wood, and the geometry of the timber. The forestry manager currently

maintains a word processed list of the products which is updated to add new products, or remove

discontinued products. Sometimes, a product description is added to this word processed list to

distinguish between similar products. Furthermore, there is always enough timber in the yard to meet

customer demand, as the significantly more lumber is required for the paper making business.

3.1.2 Customer DetailsThe forestry manager has around 20 customers who he supplies regularly. Due to the nature of the

business, he does not receive many new customers, but relies on the business of his existing customers.

A paper file is created for the customer, recording their name and contact details and it is filed

alphabetically by customer name. To locate a customer file, the right drawer in the filing cabinet must be

searched. What’s more, if amendments need to be made to a particular customer’s details then he usually

must fill in a fresh form. Obviously this is a time consuming process.

Analysis Forestry Management System

- 14 -

3.1.3 Contract DetailsThe forestry manager has contracts with the majority of his customers. That is, he provides them with

either a weekly or monthly delivery of a fixed amount of timber on a given day of the week or date in a

month. He receives correspondence regarding new contracts by telephone, or by fax. Occasionally he

receives written correspondence, and some of his customers now place contracts by email. These

contracts are then recorded on a standard contract form and then filed against appropriate day of the week

for weekly contracts, or against the appropriate date if it is a monthly contract. In order to fulfil these

contracts, the forestry manager has to search through his filing cabinets to locate the contracts due. When

contracts are completed, they are removed from the filing system and discarded.

3.1.4 Order DetailsOrders are one off transactions, and are not repeated. They are requested by customers, usually in

addition to contracts, to be delivered on a given date. Orders are placed using the same channels as the

weekly and monthly contracts. They are recorded on a paper form and sorted by delivery date. If

amendments need to be made a new order form must be filed out, and if the order is cancelled or

completed the form is discarded.

3.1.5 Hauler DetailsThe forestry manager uses local haulers to delivery the lumber to his customers. Due to the nature of the

business, haulers are highly specialized, and given the limited demand for transporting large amounts of

timber it is unlikely that the forestry manager is likely to use any new haulers. In September 2002, the

forestry manager was only using three different haulage companies to transport his goods. Consequently,

their details are well known and only recorded on a notice board in his office.

3.2 Need for a New SystemIt is fairly obvious that this system is dated and is subject to a variety of problems. These problems are

outlined in this section.

3.2.1 Data Duplication and Data LossWhen a new record is added to the current paper based system, no checks are made to ascertain if the

specific record has been previously recorded as it is extremely time consuming due to the way the

records are ordered. This applies not only to contracts and orders, but also to the customer and hauler

records. Therefore, if the record has been previously recorded, two records may contain exactly the same

information. This causes two problems; firstly, the amount of space the record occupies will be


- 15 -

twice as much as if the record was stored just once. Secondly, and most importantly, the prospect of data

inconsistencies occurring increases.

3.2.2 Search DifficultiesIn the current system it is difficult to locate a specific record. Firstly, there may be multiple records for

each customer, thus finding one record does not ensure that this is information is accurate and up to date.

Secondly, contract and order records are sorted by delivery date across several filing cabinets. It is not

possible to locate these records by customer name.

3.2.3 Update DifficultiesAs mentioned earlier, if any updates need to be made to customer, hauler, contract or order details, then a

new form must be filled in to record these changes. However, keeping up to date information is difficult

as there may be several records regarding each customer. As a result, anomalies in customer data occur.

3.2.4 Time factorsMany of the processes in this system are time consuming. For example, searching through a filing cabinet

to locate a specific record and filling out new forms can be time consuming process. The primary aspect

of the forestry manager’s job is to ensure that there is sufficient timber to supply the Workington Paper

Mill. Currently, his secondary timber sales business is taking up far too much time.

3.3 User RequirementsAfter some discussion, it was proposed that the system could include the following user requirements:

· Develop a database system which can store details of customers, haulers and products. In

addition, it should be possible to record information required to fulfil orders and contracts.

· It must be possible to add, delete and update customer records.

· It must be possible to add, delete and edit hauler records.

· It must be possible to add, delete and edit weekly and monthly contract records.

· It must be possible to add, delete and edit product records.

· It must be possible to add, delete and edit order records· It should not be possible to create an order or contract for customers or products which do not

exist.

· It should not be possible to duplicate any records.· It should be possible to view all customer details, orders, contracts, product and hauler

information.

· It should be possible to search for customer, product, contract, order and hauler records.


- 16 -

· It should be possible to show order and contract that are due “today”.

· It should be possible to search orders and contracts by due date.

· Incorporate revenues and expenses

· Review active and completed orders.· It should be possible to select a customer or hauler record, and then create an email this

customer or hauler.

3.3.1 Order of PriorityDue to the time constraints imposed on this project, not all of the requirements listed above can be

implemented. However, the forestry manager suggested that the system should include several key

features to make it functionally viable.

The list below includes the minimum requirements needed to create a solution that would satisfy his

needs. All other features are considered non-essential.

1. Storage of customer details (minimum requirement)

a. Ability to review all customer records

b. Ability to add, delete and update customer records

2. Storage of Product Details (minimum requirement)

a. Ability to review all product records.

b. Ability to add, delete and update product record.

3. Storage of Hauler Details (minimum requirement)

a. Ability to review all hauler records.

b. Ability to add, delete and update hauler records.

4. Storage of Contract Details (minimum requirement)

a. Ability to review all contract records.

b. Ability to add, delete and update contract records.

5. Storage of Order Details (minimum requirement)

a. Ability to review all order records.

b. Ability to add, delete and update order records.

6. Search function (non essential requirement)

a. Ability to search by customer name.

b. Ability to search by order or contract number.

c. Ability to search by hauler name.

d. Ability to search by product name.

7. Email facility (non essential requirement)

a. Ability to email customers or haulers from the system.

8. Review “Today’s” Orders and Contracts (non essential requirement)


- 17 -

a. Ability to review orders and contracts that are due “today”.

b. Ability to review orders and contracts by any given delivery date.

9. Review active and completed orders (non essential requirement)

10. Revenues & Expenses (non essential requirement)

These user requirements could then translated into functional database requirements.

3.4 Implementation ToolsAs discussed in section 2.2.6, I will be using SQL Server 2000 to develop the proposed database, and

using Macromedia Dreamweaver to develop the web front end.

3.4.1 Scripting LanguageTo create a database driven website an appropriate scripting language needed to be selected. As stated in

the background research, this database may eventually reside on a server at Iggesund Paperboard so it is

important to consider that:

· Iggesund Paperboard web server is currently running Microsoft’s Internet Information Server

v5.0.

· The database will be developed in Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000.

· The I.T. department may support this website, or introduce updates.Therefore, the scripting language needs to run well with IIS and SQL Server, and the I.T staff at

Iggesund Paperboard need to have prior knowledge of its architecture.

The two most popular tools for web developers include Active Server Pages (ASP) and PHP. Having

little knowledge of these scripting languages prior to project implementation I was unsure which would

be the best to use. ASP is a Microsoft product which is most suited to working with other Microsoft

applications such as Microsoft Access, IIS and SQL Server. Furthermore, it supports the use of VBScript

and there are plentiful resources on the web to aid developers. On the other hand, PHP is an open source

alternative to ASP, and is supported by multiple platforms, and multiple web servers.

It was brought to my attention that the I.T staff at Iggesund have already developed a database driven

website in ASP allowing users to submit helpdesk requests. Furthermore, as all the servers at Iggesund

Paperboard run Microsoft operating systems, and the database will be implemented in SQL Server this

project will be developed using the ASP standard.


- 18 -

Chapter 4 – Database Design

4.1 IntroductionThe importance of the database design phase is crucial. It is the responsibility of the database designer to

take the information gathered during the analysis process and model a database structure that realistically

represents the requirements of the users [6]. Indeed, a well designed database is likely to be much more

useful, than a poor planned, ill thought out database.

Furthermore, if the appropriate procedures are not followed during the design phase this could lead to all

sorts of problems during system implementation. Ensuring the design is complete and accurate confirms

that all the requirements have been accurately captured and that redundancy and inconsistencies in the

data are kept to a minimum.

“…a database must be both well-designed and well-maintained if it is to be of use.” [13]

4.2 Data Modelling4.2.1 Universe Of Discourse“A database represents some aspect of the real world, sometimes called the Universe of Discourse.” [6].

Any changes that occur in the real world should be reflected by changes to the database. In this case, the

Universe Of Discourse consists of the timber sales operation and is concerned with all business aspects.

By using data modelling, this universe of discourse can be translated into an graphical model, known as

the Entity-Relationship model.

4.2.2 Entity Relationship ModelThe Entity Relationship “model and its variations are frequently used for the conceptual design of

database applications and many database design tools employ its concepts” [6]. This conceptual model

can then be mapped directly into relational database tables.

There are many E-R modelling conventions available. This project will be using the Chen notation

described by Elmasri and Navathe, 2000. This method has been chosen because relationships between

entities can be represented.

An E-R model describes data as entities, relationships and attributes. An entity may be an object

with a physical existence. Each entity will have attributes. These are the particular properties which

describe it. A particular entity will have a value for each of its attributes. A database usually contains

groups of entities that are similar and share the same attributes, but each entity has its own values for

each attribute. A collection of these entities is known as an entity type.

The first stage in E-R Modeling is to identify the entity-types. An entity-type is classified as: •

Something which is in the UoD

Database Design Forestry Management System

- 19 -

· Something which has more than one instance in the UoD

· Something about which we wish to store information [13]For example, Customer is an entity type has more than one instance, has a number of attributes, and more

than one piece of information that need to be stored on it. These attributes include Customer Name,

Address details and telephone number. Therefore, this database will have 5 different entity types. These

entity types are:

1. Customer, 2. Product, 3. Hauler, 4. Order, 5. ContractThe next step in the E-R modeling process is to identify the relationship between the entities. For

instance, in this model, there is a relationship between the customer and order entity. That is to say, a

customer PLACES an order.

4.2.3 Relationship Cardinality ratiosThe cardinality ratio for a binary relationship specifies the number of relationship instances that an entity

can participate in. For example, in the binary PLACES relationship type, Customer: Order is a

cardinality ratio of 1:N. This means that each customer can be related to numerous orders, but an order

can only be related to only one customer. The possible cardinality ratios are 1:1, 1:N, N:1 and M:N.

4.2.4 Participation Constraints and Existence DependenciesThe participation constraint specifies whether the existence of an entity depends on it being related to

another entity via the relationship type. There are two types of participation constraints: total and partial.

For example, an order must be for a product, thus the participation level is total, meaning that every

entity in the total set of order entities must be related to a product entity via the Is For relationship.

Total participation is also known as existence dependencies. On the other hand, there may be a customer

has not yet placed an order. This is known as partial participation. In Chen notation total participation is

represented by double lines, partial participation by single lines.

Entity Type Relationship Entity Type Cardinality Participation

Customer Places Order 1:N Partial

Customer Places Contract 1:N Partial

Order Is For Product 1:1 Total

Contract Is For Product 1:1 Total

Haulers Transport Contract 1:N Total

Haulers Transport Order 1:N Total

Fig 4.0


- 20 -

4.2.5 Entity AttributesIn Chen notation attributes are represented by ellipse shaped boxes. The attributes for each entity types are

given below.

Entity Type Attributes

Customer Customer Name, StreetAddress1, StreetAddress2, Town City, Postcode,

TelephoneNo, Email

Product Product_Name, Product_Description

Hauler Haulier Name, StreetAddress1, StreetAddress2, Town City, Postcode,

TelephoneNo, Email

Order OrderNo, Customer Name, Product Name, Quantity, Delivery Date,

Hauler Name

Contract ContractNo, Customer Name, Product Name, Quantity, Delivery Day,

Delivery Date, Haulier Name

Fig 4.1

Attributes are not included on the E-R diagram (Fig 4.2).

4.3 Logical Database DesignThe next step in database design is the actual implementation of the database, using a commercial DBMS

– for this project: SQL Server 2000. “The conceptual schema is transformed from the high level data

model into the implementation data model” [6]. Its result is a database schema in the implementation data

model of the DBMS.


1 CUSTOMER

N

- 21 -

4.3.1 Database Design IssuesOne of the minimum system requirements is to prevent data duplication. During the development stage it

is became apparent that the attributes for each entity type would not be enough to prevent data

duplication. For example, there may be more than one customer with the same name. Therefore, an

additional unique idenitifier attribute was given to the Customer, Product and Hauler entity types. This

unique identifier is was also set to be the primary key for these entities. The completed database schema

is shown in section 4.4.

4.3.2 Mapping E-R Model to Relational TablesMott and Roberts [13] specified several important rules mapping E-R models to relational tables:

1. Mapping Entity typesEntity types should be mapped into a table scheme with the table fields consisting of entity

attributes. The primary key should be chosen so that it uniquely identifies each record and

prevent data duplication, redundancy and anomalies

2. Mapping 1:1 RelationshipsWhere the relationship between entities has a cardinality of 1:1, this relationship is represented

by inserting the primary key of one entity type as a foreign key in the other entity type table

schema.

For example, in the Product-Order relationship, the primary key in the product table is included

as a foreign key in the Order table scheme.

3. Mapping 1:M RelationshipsRelationships with cardinality of 1:M can be treated in very much the same way as 1:1

relationships. That is, the primary key from the ‘1’ end of the relationship is posted into the

scheme representing the ‘many’ end of the relationship. In this case, the primary key from the

customer table is placed as a foreign key in the order table.

Consequently, the rest of the relationships modeled in the conceptual E-R diagram can be

represented in this manner.

4. Mapping Participation LevelIf participation level is total then every entity of a given entity type must participate in the

relationship. So for the Product-Order relationship the primary key in Order table cannot accept

null values. Furthermore, this means that every foreign key value must match a primary key

value from the other table. So, the Product foreign key in the Order table must correspond to a

primary key value in the Product table.

These rules were applied to all the entities and relationships.

4.4 Database SchemaThe rules discussed above enabled me to draw up a relation scheme. See below:


- 22 -

Customer (Customer_id, Customer_Name, StreetAddress1, StreetAddress2, Town_City, Postcode,

TelephoneNo, Email)

Product (Product_id, Product_Name, Product_Description)Haulier (Haulier_id, Haulier_Name, StreetAddress1, StreetAddress2, Town_City, Postcode,

TelephoneNo, Email)

Order (OrderNo, Customer_id, Product_id, Haulier_id, Delivery_Date, Quantity)

Contract (ContractNo, Customer_id, Product_id, Haulier_id, Delivery_Date, Delivery_Day, Quantity)

4.5 NormalizationThe aim of the normalization process is to reduce the redundant values in tuples, reduce the null values in

tuples and disallow the possibility of generating false tuples, thus “minimizing redundancy and

minimizing the insertion, deletion and update anomalies” [6].

First proposed by Codd (1972), normalisation “takes a relation schema through a series of tests to

‘certify’ whether is satisfies a certain normal form” [6]. Central to understanding normal forms is the

concept of functional dependencies.

4.5.1 Functional DependenciesA functional dependency is a constraint between two sets of attributes in the database [6]. That is, one

attribute in a relation may be functionally dependent on another or set of attributes. The functional

dependencies that exist in this database are listed below:

Customer_id -> Customer_Name StreetAddress1 StreetAddress2 Town_City

Postcode TelephoneNo Email

Product_id -> Product_Name Product_Description

Haulier_id -> Haulier_Name StreetAddress1 StreetAddress2 Town_City

Postcode TelephoneNo Email

ContractNo -> Customer_id Product_id Haulier_id Quantity Delivery_Date

OrderNo -> Customer_id Product_id Haulier_id Quantity Delivery_Date Delivery_Day

4.5.2 First Normal FormNow that the functional dependencies have been identified it is possible to start with normalization

processes. First Normal form, or 1NF, disallows having a set of values, a tuple of values, or a

combination of both as an attribute value for a single tuple [6]. In other words, 1NF only permits single

atomic attribute values. As all the attributes in this database are single valued then this infers that this

database is in 1NF.


- 23 -

4.5.3 Second Normal FormSecond Normal Form or 2NF is based on the concept of full functional dependency [6]. This condition

states that the relation must be in 1NF, and that a functional dependency X -> Y is full functional

dependent if removal of any attribute from X means that the dependency does not hold any more. As all

the functional dependencies for this database only have one left hand side (primary key) attributes they

must be in 2NF.

4.5.4 Third Normal FormThird Normal Form (3NF) is based on the concept of transitive dependency [6]. This condition states that

a functional dependency X -> Y is a transitive dependency if there is a set of attributes Z that is neither a

candidate key nor a subset of any key in the relation, and both X -> Z and Z -> Y hold. In this database

there is no transitive dependency. Consider the Customer table scheme, Customer_id determines

Customer_Name, but Customer_Name may not determine the any of the other attributes as it may not be

unique. This also applies to other table schema in the database, so it reasonable to assume that this

database does not break 3NF.

4.5.5 Boyce Codd Normal FormBoyce Codd Normal Form (BCNF) is a stronger normal form than 3NF, with every relation in BCNF

also being in 3NF but not necessarily vice versa. The formal definition of BCNF differs only slightly

from the definition of 3NF: “A relation scheme R is in BCNF if whenever a non trivial functional

dependency X -> A holds in R, then X is a superkey of R” [6]. There are no cases in this database where

the left hand side of the functional dependencies is not a superkey so BCNF must hold.

4.6 Relational Integrity Rules4.6.1 Entity Integrity RuleThis rule states that “no part of a primary key can be null” [ 14]. This is because the primary key is used

to identify individual tuples in a relation [6]. For example, if the Customer_id field is null for two fields,

then it may be impossible to distinguish between them.

4.6.2 Referential Integrity ConstraintThe referential integrity constraint is specified between two relations and is used to maintain consistency

among tuples of two relations [6]. Essentially, this means that a foreign key must reference a matching

primary key value in another table. For example, in the Order table, the Customer_id must match a value

of Customer_id in the Customer table. Enforcing these Relational Integrity rules is important to prevent

erroneous errors.

As a result of these tests I found no need to change my database design.


- 24 -

Chapter 5 – User Interface Design

Given the lack of input from the organisation’s I.T. department and the limited time spent with the

forestry manager, no strict guidelines for the user interface were in place. However, during system

development the user interface is one of the most important processes.

5.1 Current Iggesund Systems5.1.1 Iggesund Workington IntranetDuring my internship I worked as part of a project team whose primary task was to redevelop the local

intranet. At the time, we spent considerable time looking at the homepage layout. There was a general

consensus that the new interface had to be user friendly. After much deliberation, the final layout

consisted of static menu bars at the top and left side of the page, with only the centre section changing

when links were selected. See Fig 5.0 The experience gained from this process helped me a great deal

when pondering the layout of the user interface.

Fig 5.0Furthermore, when considering the design specifications for the database front end, it seemed important

that the look and layout of this system was familiar to the user. The forestry manager has considerable

experience using the local intranet at Iggesund Paperboard. Keeping the system structure comparable to

the Iggesund’s intranet seemed to make a lot of sense.

5.1.2 Iggesund Paperboard InternetMany organisations have a specific style in which important documents are presented. The importance of

incorporating corporate style into this application should not be underestimated. Consequently, some

time was taken to browse the Iggesund Paperboard homepage [9]. See Fig 5.1. On further inspection of

the site, it became apparent that this site also had static menu bars at the top and left side

User Interface Design Forestry Management System

- 25 -

of the page. Furthermore, the clean white pages, contrasted with black text and minimal pictures made

the site look very professional. It was decided that this professional image should be reflected in the

proposed system

5.2 Interface Design

5.2.1 GuessabilityGuessability relates to how easy to guess the use of the product [5]. If the user can guess how to correctly

use the product in a short time, this means that the product is easy to learn, which is an advantage

because as the user does not need to read the manual. For example, if text changes when the user rolls the

mouse over it, this is a good indication that clicking on this text will do something.

5.2.2 TextThe text font and styles used can have a considerable influence on the usability of an application. Indeed,

the font used should reflect the user preferences, allowing the text to be easily read [8]. Both the

Iggesund Paperboard intranet and internet pages use a font face called Verdana. On a white background

this font is clear and easy to read. Therefore, this font was used throughout the system.


- 26 -

5.2.3 TemplateTo create a consistent look and feel, the site is based around a standard template. This template gives

each page with a menu to the left and border at the top. See Fig 5.2.

Company Logo Site Title

MenuOptions

PageData

Fig 5.2

In keeping with corporate system, a white background with black text was chosen.

5.2.4 Web BrowserAs part of company policy all computers distributed by the I.T. Department need to meet certain

minimum requirements. After a brief discussion with Richard Craker, the I.T. Systems Manager at

Iggesund Paperboard, I found that the current specifications were:

· Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 1)

· Web Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0

· Screen Resolution: 1024 by 768 pixels

Therefore, to ensure that this website is usable it needs to function properly Internet Explorer 6.0 with a

screen resolution of 1024 x 768. Thankfully, there is no need to test it in other browsers.


- 27 -

Chapter 6 – Implementation

6.1 IntroductionThe purpose of this chapter is to detail the implementation of the database design outlined in Chapter 4,

and implementation the website discussed in Chapter 5

The development and testing of this database driven website was carried out on my own PC. For the

purpose of this project the hard disk was partitioned and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server was installed.

Then Internet Information Server 5.0 and a trial version of SQL Server 2000 were obtained from

Microsoft’s website. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 was also installed. This was done to recreate the

specifications of the web server at Iggesund Paperboard, and hopefully making the proposed system

more portable, and reducing potential installation problems.

Another machine running Windows XP Professional and Internet Explorer 6.0 connected to the internet

via 56k modem was used to test the speed of the connection.

6.2 Database ImplementationAs mentioned in section 2.2.6 the database is to be implemented in SQL Server 2000.In SQL Server the first stage in the database development process is to create a new database. Using the

graphical interface this is easily achieved. Then tables corresponding to the schema developed in section

4.4 could be created. The appropriate attributes were added as column names and properties for these

data types were selected from the drop down lists. Some fields were also allowed to accept null values at

this stage. The primary keys were also specified during this process. See Appendix F-3 for further

details.

6.2.1 Null ValuesNull values were allowed on the StreetAddress2 and Email columns in both the Customer and Haulier

tables as occasions may occur where these values cannot be entered. For example, an address of 22

Mayville Avenue, Leeds, LS6 1NQ would not need to use the second street address field. Furthermore, it

is likely that not all customers or haulers will have an email address.

The Delivery_Day and Delivery_Date fields in the Contract table both accept null values. These values

are used to distinguish between weekly and monthly contracts. If a new monthly contract is entered then

the Delivery_Day value is left blank, whereas if a weekly contract is added to the database then the

Delivery_Date field will be null. However, at the application level rules will be created to prevent the

user adding contracts to the database that don’t have a delivery day or delivery date.

Implementation Forestry Management System

- 28 -

Finally, the Product_Description field accepts null value as the forestry manager does not always enter

these. If this field was compulsory it could lead to erroneous entries being made into this field.

6.2.2 RelationshipsThe relationships defined between the entities specified in the E-R Diagram need to be translated from

the design into the actual database. The following primary key – foreign key relationships were created

to model this, maintaining consistency, and hence complying with the referential integrity constraint.

Table Primary Key Table Foreign Key

Customer Customer_id Order Customer_id

Customer Customer_id Contract Customer_id

Product Product_id Order Product_id

Product Product_id Contract Product_id

Haulier Haulier_id Order Haulier_id

Haulier Haulier_id Contract Haulier_id

Fig 6.1Entity Integrity is ensured in SQL Server by setting the 'Identity' property of the primary key field to 'Yes

(Not For Replication)'. See Fig 6.2.

Fig 6.26.2.3 Database Diagram

See Appendix F-2

6.3 User Interface ImplementationNow the database was completed, the next task was to develop the user interface. As discussed in the

previous chapter, the interface is to be split into 3 different sections. This interface was developed in

Macromedia Dreamweaver, with the page being split into HTML frames. Each section, represented by

the dotted line (see Fig 6.3) is a page in itself, so updates only need to be made once, and will be

replicated across the site.


- 29 -

6.3.1 Template DevelopmentWhile Macromedia Dreamweaver does not support ASP, it was a useful development tool that simplified

the efforts involved in creating any HTML and provided a good starting point for webpage development

and saved considerable time in the development process. The HTML code for each page was copied from

Dreamweaver, and pasted to a syntax highlighting text editor called Crimson Editor. As an ASP novice

this editor was tremendously helpful when adding ASP code.

Fig 6.3Each section (represented by the dotted line) is a page in itself, so that any updates to these part of the

page only need to be made once and will be reflected throughout every page in the website.

6.3.2 Website ArchitectureSee Appendix F-1.

6.3.3 Database ConnectivityIn order to display dynamic data content, the Active Server Pages need to be able to pull data out of the

database. To do this, a connection string must be defined to point the pages to the appropriate SQL

Server database. To aid portability, a header which pointed to a connection string file was added to the

pages with dynamic content. This means that if the database was moved to a new server then the

connections string only need to redefined in one file.


- 30 -

Fig 6.5This connection string is then called in each ASP page to open the database connection. In the example

shown below, some SQL code is run by the DBMS and results returned by populating a recordset. This

method is used when returning results from the database – for example, viewing list of all customers.

Fig 6.6

To minimise the time database connections are open, when performing insert, update or delete operations

the connection is only opened to perform the operation. Fig 6.6 shows how this is done.

Set con = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")' Open the connection con.Open data_source ' Execute the SQL con.Execute sql_insert' Done. Close the connectioncon.CloseSet con = Nothing

Fig 6.6

6.3.4 HomepageFrom the homepage (shown below Fig 6.7) links from the side and top menus allow the user to access

all aspects of the system. By clicking on ‘Forestry Management System’ or the Iggesund Paperboard

logo on the top title bar the user can easily return to the homepage, no matter where they are in the

system. From the homepage, it is possible to go directly to the orders and contracts that are due today.

Fig 6.7


Set rs = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset") rs.Open sql_statement, data_source

- 31 -

6.3.5 Customer, Product, Order, Contract and Hauler PagesSelecting the ‘Customer’, ‘Product’, ‘Contract’, ‘Order’ or ‘Haulier’ link from the menu bar takes the

user to the associated Information page. From these pages, it is possible to enter new details, update or

delete existing records. See Fig 6.8.

Fig 6.8The form for inserting a new customer is shown in Fig 6.9. There are similar forms for inserting hauler and

products details.

Further details about inserting, updating or deleting records can be found in the Forestry System User

Manual, Appendix D.

6.3.6 Search FunctionOne of the non essential requirements listed in Chapter 3 was a search function. Fortunately, time was

found during project implementation to develop a simple search function. This search function can be

accessed from the top title bar by clicking on the ‘Search’ link. More details on how to use this function

can be found in Appendix D. This search function uses a simple SQL statement to query the database

and return any matching results.

if dbtable="Customer" thensql_search = "select * from customer where customer_name like

'%" & searchtext &"%' "Set rs = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")rs.Open sql_search, data_source

Fig 6.10


Fig 6.9

- 32 -

The value for ‘dbtable’ is retrieved from the Search Field drop down box, and it determines which table

is searched. ‘Seachtext’ is the search keyword entered into the form. If the search is successful, the

required result then can be selected and updated.

6.3.7 Email FacilityAnother non essential function that was implemented was the email facility. Having prior knowledge of

Iggesund Paperboard’s mail client made this much simpler than initially expected. As the company use

Microsoft Outlook 2002 I found that the simple HTML mailto: command could be used to create a link

that would automatically open a new email message and populate the To: field with the supplied email

address.

Fig 6.11This function can be accessed by searching for a customer or haulier name using the search function, or

by viewing a list of all the hauliers or customers and then simply clicking on the email.

Fig 6.12

6.3.8 Reviewing Today’s Orders and ContractsAs significant progress had been made with the project, time was taken to implement a third non

essential requirement. By using built in ASP functions which take the date from the server’s system clock

it was possible to determine which day and date it was, and then this could be used to query the database.

The orders and contracts that were due on this date could then be found and returned. The code used to

do this is shown in Fig 6.13.


<a href='mailto: "& rs("email") &"'>" & rs("email") & "</td></tr>"

- 33 -

% dim today, thismonth, thisyeartoday = Day(Date) ‘ Gets today’s day thismonth = Month(Date) ‘Gets today’s month thisyear = Year(Date) ‘Gets today’s year

' Declaring variablesDim rs, sql_orders_today, nono = 0

‘SQL query to get order details for the given date sql_orders_today = "select o.orderno, c.customer_name,

p.product_name, o.quantity, o.delivery_date, h.haulier_name from haulier h, orders o, customer c, product p where h.haulier_id = o .haulier_id and o.customer_id = c.customer_id and o.product_id = p.product_id and o.delivery_date like '%" & todaydate &"%'"

' Creating Recordset Object and opening the database Set rs = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset") rs.Open sql_orders_today, data_source

Fig 6.13

6.3.9 Security IssuesThe forestry manager uses a secure ISDN connection with 128 bit encryption to connect into the

Iggesund network. After discussions with Richard Craker, the I.T Systems Manager, he seemed

confident that this connection was secure and that no further security measures would be required.

Therefore, no additional security features will be built into this system.

6.4 ProblemsDuring the development of the user interface no serious problems were encountered. However, some

difficulty was encountered generating appropriate error messages when forms were filled incorrectly.

Further difficulties were stumbled upon during the implementation of the search function. The trial

version of SQL Server being used to develop the project does not allow full text indexes to be

implemented on the fields in the tables. Obviously this is a disadvantage because it meant that an exact

match system would have to be used. Furthermore, it meant that fluff words could not be removed. At

the same, the search function seemed to function well as it would be unlikely that the user would search

using an English Language query. In this case, a search is much more likely to be for a specific customer

name, order number, or product details.


- 34 -

Chapter 7 - Testing and Evaluation

7.1 IntroductionTesting and Evaluation are both extremely important elements in the system development process. By

testing and evaluating the system, the quality of the database and the robustness of the product can be

determined. Furthermore, during the testing process any bugs or defects that are found can be eliminated.

This chapter details the processes used to test and evaluate the database and web pages.

7.2 TestingThe purpose of testing is to ensure that the database and web pages operate correctly and meet the

requirements outlined in section 3.3.1.

According to Krutchen [10] testing should be ongoing process. This reduces the likelihood of severe

problems being discovered late on in the implementation phase. Therefore, during the implementation

stage a test plan was written. The testing not only included navigation, submission of data and page

errors but also the testing of data integrity constraints. This test plan can be found in Appendix C.

7.2.1 White Box TestingTraditionally, there are two main approaches to testing software: black-box (or functional) testing and

white-box (or structural) testing [17]. White box testing uses specific knowledge of programming code to

examine outputs. Therefore, the test is only accurate if the tester knows what the program is supposed to

do [18]. Throughout the implementation process, white box testing was undertaken on each section of

code to ensure it was doing what it was supposed to do. This process has not been included in the test

plan as it proved difficult to document. However, test data was created to uncover errors in the following

areas:

· Data Input / Data retrieval

· Valid / Invalid data handling

· Error handling

7.2.2 User Acceptance TestingGetting the user to test the system is one of the most important tests that software can undergo. Although

Iggesund Paperboard stated that they would not be able to give me any support I contacted the Forestry

Manager directly to see if he would help me with the system evaluation. He agreed to look at it briefly in

his own time. His comments were largely positive, and he seemed to be pleased with the system. He

commented that this system was relatively easy to use, and thought that with

Testing and Evaluation Forestry Management System

- 35 -

practice it would be much faster than the current system. Comments by the forestry manager can be seen

in Appendix E. Two other users also tested the system. Feedback can be seen in Appendix E.

7.3 EvaluationStudies by McCall et al [11] produced guidelines for evaluating any software development. This criterion

evaluates the system in terms of three quality factors, its functional characteristics, its usability and its

maintainability. The criteria include: Reliability, Speed, Integrity, Efficiency, Usability and

Maintainability. The results can be seen in Appendix E.

Overall the results of the testing and evaluation were extremely positive. The system proved to

be more robust than expected, and the performance was exceptional over a slow connection. Efficiency

was also far greater than the current system. Speed for inserting and retrieving data was also far superior.

Comments by the forestry manager were favourable, and other users stated that the system was easy to

use, options were clear and the interface had a nice professional look.

Testing and Evaluation Forestry Management System

- 36 -

Chapter 8 – Conclusion

8.1 Project ReviewAt the beginning of this project several minimum requirements were submitted. It seems rather obvious

to state that the success of the project depends on the extent to which it met these minimum

requirements.

The minimum requirements were specified in section 1.2.2. These were:· Examine the tools and methodologies required to gain an overview of the system requirements

for the proposed database.

· Examine suitable database management systems that can be used to implement the proposed

database.

· Evaluate appropriate website authoring and web graphic creation tools that can be used to

develop web based forms for the proposed database

· Produce and apply suitable criteria for evaluating the solution

To meet these requirements research was conducting to find the various software development

methodologies. After analysing each technique, the chosen methodology was adapted to meet the needs

of this project, and then followed as accurately as possible. Therefore, this project went through the

appropriate development processes thus meeting this requirement

Considerable time was spent investigating the different database management systems currently

available, financial and practical issues were taken into account and a suitable comprise was reached.

However, this requirement was almost entirely governed by the systems currently in place at Iggesund

Paperboard.

The third requirement was to assess appropriate web authoring and web graphic creation tools. As the

budget for this project was extremely limited this meant that the products were limited to freeware,

shareware, or products that were already owned by the developer. The project looked at the different

tools available to the developer and chose the one most appropriate for developing this type of system

hence meeting this requirement.

Finally, to certify database and webpage integrity, evaluation techniques were appraised to establish the

most appropriate procedure for this particular project. This evaluation criterion was then applied to the

developed system.

The main aim of this project was to produce an appropriate solution which would meet the requirements

of the user (see Section 1.2.1) This project not only met all the functional requirements of the forestry

manager, but exceeded them by implementing several of the non-essential requirements listed in section

3.3.1.

Conclusion Forestry Management System

- 37 -

8.2 Further ImprovementsThere is considerable scope to develop this project further. Integration with an accounting system to

include revenues and expenses would be extremely beneficial to the forestry manager. Furthermore, this

system is only intended for use by the manager of one particular forest. It could be expanded to

encompass all the forestry operations.

8.3 ConclusionsThe project encompassed a large amount of research to determine the requirements of the user and assess

the appropriate tools for developing the system. On completion of the website and database testing

showed that all the requirements specified at the beginning of the project had been met. Although there is

still considerable room for improvement and development, this project has been an undoubted success.

Indeed, the website could go live immediately and prove to be extremely useful to the user. As it is, this

project is now being passed onto to the Iggesund Paperboard I.T. department who are free to use it or

modify it at their discretion.

Conclusion Forestry Management System

- 38 -

Bibliography Forestry Management System

Bibliography

[1] Avgeron C. and Cornford T., 1993, Developing Information Systems: Concepts, Issues and

Practice, Macmillan

[2] Avison D. E., and Fitzgerald G., 1995, Information System Development Methodologies,

Techniques and Tools (2nd Edition), McGraw-Hill Book Company Europe[3] Avison D.E. and Shah H.U., 1997, The Information Systems Development Life Cycle: A first

course in information systems. McGraw-Hill Book Company Europe

[4] Bloor Research Company White Paper: Database – An Evaluation and Comparison, 2002,

http://www.bloor-research.com

[5] Department Of Computer Engineering & Information Technology, 2003,

http://www.it.cityu.edu.hk/~hcso, 2003, University Of Hong Kong.

[6] Elmasri R. and Navathe S.B., 2000, Fundamentals Of Database Systems (3rd Edition), Addison

Wesley Longman

[7] Expert Exchange, IT Information that drives enterprise, http://www.experts-exchange.com, 2002

[8] Faulkner, C., 1998, The Essence Of Human Computer Interaction, Prentice Hall

[9] Iggesund Paperboard, http://www.iggesundpaperboard.com, 2003

[10] Krutchen Philippe, The Rational Unified Process: An Introduction (2nd Edition), Addison-

Wesley, 2000[ 11 ] McCall J., Richards P., and Walters G., 1997, Factors In Software Quality

[12] Microsoft, http://www.microsoft.com, 2002

[ 13] Mott P., and Roberts S.A., 2000, DB 11: Introduction to Databases, Module Notes, School Of

Computing, University Of Leeds

[14] Roberts S.A., 2002, DB32: Database Principles and Practice, Module Notes, School of

Computing, University Of Leeds.

[15] SearchVB.com , http://searchvb.techtarget.com, 2002

[16] What You See Is What You Get HTML Editors, http://www.inet-host.com/tutorial/editors.html

[17] White Box Testing, http://www.ddj.com/documents/s=887/ddj0003a/0003a.htm.,2003[18] White Box Testing – Webopedia.com,

http://www.webopedia.com/term/w/White_Box_Testing.html

- 39 -

Appendix A – Personal Reflection

When I started this project I had a number of personal objectives I wanted to achieve. These are listed in

the Summary at the start of this document. I have more than fulfilled these objectives, learning more

during the implementation of this database system than I imagined. Not only have I developed

knowledge of SQL Server and Active Server pages, I gained understanding of Microsoft Internet

Information Server and the processes involved in setting up a web server.

At the outset of this project I had practically no knowledge of Active Server Pages. I knew what

they were supposed to do, but to be honest I didn’t have a clue where to start. Thankfully, the plethora of

ASP resources and tutorials on the web were extremely helpful. Once I had got to grips with ASP I found

it much easier to make progress, and I would now consider myself reasonably competent in ASP

programming.

Looking back on this project I didn’t keep to the schedule I had drawn up. I found that other coursework

constantly took priority over this project because the deadline seemed so far away. Consequently, the

workload began to build up and the implementation of the database and web pages didn’t begin until the

start of March. This meant I had to work extremely hard to complete the software for the meeting with

the Project Assessor. However, taking time to set up Microsoft SQL Server and IIS on my home machine

meant that once the implementation started I was able to make significant progress. If I was to do this

project again, I would definitely have started the implementation earlier.

Throughout the duration of this project I was continually frustrated at not being able to fully involve the

user in the development process. Having only a few telephone conversations to go on made it difficult to

assess whether the user requirements were being fulfilled. Fortunately, it seemed that these discussions

were enough for me to gain understanding of the forestry managers needs.

Finally, this project has helped me gain practical skills in database design and web development that I

otherwise would not have taken time to develop.

Appendix A Forestry Management System

- 40 -

Appendix B – Project Plan

Good project management is essential to ensure that the project is completed on time, and with the

required functionality. At the start of this project, a schedule was devised to guarantee that the project

was completed on time. This initial project schedule is shown below. However, as the project progressed

other work commitments revealed that this plan was unrealistic and from December onwards the

schedule was revised (see below).

Initial Project ScheduleBackground reading and research. Looking at different DBMS

architectures, web development tools and coding

implementation techniques

Requirements gathering and analysis. Considering the project

prerequisites, mandatory components and compulsory

information to be included. Continued background research

December / January Database design and implement

January / February Web based forms design and implementation

February / March Database and web testing, evaluation and report writing

March / April Report Writing

Major Milestones

· End of November 2002 – Majority of background reading and research completed.

· December 12th 2002 – Mid Project Report completed and submitted· End of December 2002 - Database Management System chosen, and majority of systems

requirements and analysis completed

· End of January 2003 – Database design complete and most of implementation in place

· Mid February 2003 – Web based forms design complete and implementation complete.

· End of February 2003 – Web based forms fully implemented

· Mid March 2003 – Complete system implementation and fully tested

Revised Project SchduleJanuary / February Requirements gathering and analysis. Considering the project

prerequisites, mandatory components and compulsoryinformation to be included. Continued background research

March Database design and implement, Web based forms design and

implementation

October / November

November / December

Appendix B Forestry Management System

- 41 -

April Database and web testing, evaluation and report writing

Despite this reduced time scale, this revised schedule proved most useful, and the software was

completed in time for the Progress Meeting at the end of March.

Appendix B Forestry Management System

- 42 -

Appendix C - Test Plan

Page Test Pass (9) / Fail (8) Corrections Required / Comments

Default.asp Page displays correctly.

Clicking links loads appropriate page

in centre frame.

Side.asp Page displays correctly.


in centre frame.

Top.asp Page displays correctly


in centre frame.

Customer.asp Page displays correctly


in centre frame

CustomerInsert.asp Page displays correctly

Data can be entered into appropriate

fields

Invalid data entered produces an

appropriate error message

Appendix C Forestry Management System

- 43 -


CustomerInsert.asp No data entered produces an

appropriate error message.

Data entered into database correctly

All customer entries displayed after

Submit is selected.

CustomerUpdate.asp Page displays correctly

All customer database entries are

displayed

Selected item details are pre-

populated in update form

New data can be entered into forms

Submitting changes updates database

Changes reflected on Customer

update page.

CustomerDel.asp Page displays correctly


displayed

Selecting item and choosing delete

removes item from database.

Changes reflected in Customer list


- 44 -


CustomerShow.asp Page displays correctly


displayed

Selecting email address open default

mail client

Product.asp Page displays correctly


in centre frame

ProductInsert.asp Page displays correctly


fields

Invalid data entered produces


No data entered produces an



All product entries displayed after

Submit is selected.


- 45 -


ProductUpdate.asp Page displays correctly

All product database entries are

displayed





Changes reflected on Product update

page.

ProductDel.asp Page displays correctly


displayed



Changes reflected in product list

ProductShow.asp Page displays correctly


displayed


- 46 -


Haulier.asp Page displays correctly


in centre frame

HaulierInsert.asp Page displays correctly


fields






All haulier entries displayed after

Submit is selected.

HaulierUpdate.asp Page displays correctly

All hauler database entries are

displayed





- 47 -


HaulierUpdate.asp Submitting changes updates database

Changes reflected on haulier update

page.

HaulierDel.asp Page displays correctly

All hauler database entries are

displayed



Changes reflected in hauler list

HaulierShow.asp Page displays correctly

All haulier database entries are

displayed

Order.asp Page displays correctly


in centre frame

OrderInsert.asp Page displays correctly


fields

Drop down lists populated with

appropriate details.


- 48 -


OrderInsert.asp Invalid data entered produces an





All order entries displayed after

Submit is selected.

OrderUpdate.asp Page displays correctly

All order database entries are

displayed







Changes reflected on order update

page.


- 49 -


OrderDel.asp Page displays correctly


displayed



Changes reflected in order list

OrderShow.asp Page displays correctly


displayed

Contract.asp Page displays correctly


in centre frame

ContractType.asp Page displays correctly

Drop down menu offers Monthly –

Weekly option

Clicking Continue loads appropriate

form

ContractInsert.asp Page displays correctly


fields


- 50 -


ContractInsert.asp Drop down lists populated with







All contract entries displayed after

Submit is selected.

ContractInsertW.asp Page displays correctly


fields









- 51 -


All contract entries displayed after

Submit is selected.

ContractUpdate.asp Page displays correctly

All contract database entries are

displayed







Changes reflected on contract update

page.

ContractDel.asp Page displays correctly


displayed



Changes reflected in contract list


- 52 -


ContractShow.asp Page displays correctly


displayed

ContractToday.asp Page displays correctly

Day and Date are correct

Contracts due on date are all

displayed

Contracts due on day are all displayed

All details are correct

OrderToday.asp Page displays correctly

Day and Date are correct

Orders due on date are all displayed

All details are correct

SearchForm.asp Page displays correctly

Drop down box populated with table

names

Search criteria shown with results

Search results are relevant and

accurate

Email facility available for Customer

and Haulier search results.


- 53 -

Quick System TestsTest Pass (9) / Fail (8) Corrections Required / Comments

It should not be possible to create two customers

with the same name

It should not be possible to create two products with

the same name

It should not be possible to create two haulers with

the same name

No results found in search should not produce error

message.

This test was run through until all errors were eliminated.


- 54 -

Appendix D – User Manual

FORESTRY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

User Manual

Appendix D Forestry Management System

- 55 -

Contents1. Getting Started

1.1 Accessing the Forestry Management System 1.2 Navigating the System

2. Customer Information2.1 The Customer Information Page 2.2 Inserting a new Customer Profile 2.3 Deleting a Customer Profile 2.4 Updating a Customer Profile 2.5 Viewing all Customer Profiles

3. Product Information3.1 The Product Information Page 3.2 Inserting a new Product3.3 Deleting a Product Profile 3.4 Updating a Product Profile 3.5 Viewing all Product Profiles

4. Haulier Information4.1 The Haulier Information Page 4.2 Inserting a new Haulier Profile 4.3 Deleting a Haulier Profile 4.4 Updating a Haulier Profile 4.5 Viewing all Haulier Profiles

5. Order Information5.1 The Order Information Page 5.2 Adding a new Order5.3 Deleting an Order5.4 Updating an Order5.5 Viewing all Orders5.6 Viewing Today’s Orders

6. Contract Information6.1 The Contract Information Page 6.2 Adding a new Contract6.3 Deleting a Contract6.4 Updating a Contract6.5 Viewing all Contract6.6 Viewing Today’s Contract

7 . Sea rch7.1 Search Form

Page33

4 4 5 5 6

7 7 8 8 9

10 10 11 11 12

13 13 14 14 15 15

16 16 17 17 17 18

19


- 56 -

1. Getting Started

1.1 Accessing the Forestry Management SystemThe Forestry Management System can be accessed through any computer which has Internet access by typing the following address in the URL path:

h ttp : //80.6.182 .66/forestry

n.b. Eventually it should only be accessible to the Iggesund Paperboard Forestry employees via the Iggesund Paperboard intranet, but at the moment it is running on a test machine, and is accessible from any PC with internet access.

The homepage looks like Fig 1.1

Fig 1.1

1.2 Navigating the SystemWhen the homepage loads you will see that the the Forestry Management System is broken down into three main section: the top title bar, the side menu, and the main page.

The top title bar (Fig 1.2) includes the Iggesund Logo, the page title and a link to the Search function. The Iggesund Logo and the page title both are hyperlinks which reload the homepage, giving a quick and easy way to return to the homepage regardless of location in the system.

The side menu bar is shown in Fig 1.3. The hyperlinks on the side bar give the user access to different areas of the Forestry Management System. When the mouse is rolled over one of the links (e.g Customer) the text will become underlined. Clicking on this link will then load a new section the Forestry Management System in the centre section of the main page.Both the side and top bars are always available, no matter the location in the system, so the different areas of the system can be accessed very quickly and easily.From the homepage it is possible to view Today’s Orders (see section 6.6) and Today’s Contract’s (see section 7.6).


Fig 1.2

of

- 57 -

2. Customer Information

2.1 The Customer Information PageChoosing the Customer hyperlink on the side menu bar will load the Customer Information page in the main section of the system. This pages gives the user several different options. The layout of this page is shown in Fig 2.1. From this page it is possible to create a new customer profile, update customer profiles, delete customer details and also to view all the customer that the Forestry Manager has.

Fig 2.1

2.2 Adding a new customerAdding a new customer is very simple. To do this, click on the “Add a new customer to customer list” hyperlink and this will load the New Customer Form (Fig 2.2)

Fig 2.2The customer details then need to be entered into the form. The compulsory fields are

o Customer Nameo Address (first box only)o Town / Cityo Postcodeo Telephone Number

If these fields are not entered then customer details will not be added to the database when the Submit button is clicked. Also an error message asking for these fields to be filled will also be entered will be generated.

The second Address box and the email can be field in if required, however it is okay to leave these blank.


- 58 -

If the customer name already exists in the database then another error message will be generated because duplicate customer names are not allowed. However, if everything is okay then the customer name should appear in the list of customers (Fig 2.3).

2.3 Deleting a Customer ProfileTo delete a customer profile, select the Customer link from the side menu bar and then choose the Delete a Customer Profile hyperlink from the Customer Information page. This will bring up a list of all Customer currently in the database (see Fig 2.4).

Fig 2.4

Select the customer whose details you wish to delete by selecting the radio button which is on the same

line as the customer’s details. Then click the Delete button. The page should reload however the customer’s details who you have just deleted will not be displayed.

WARNING!: Make sure you are certain you want to delete the selected customers details because once the details are deleted they cannot be recovered as they are permanently deleted from the database.

2.4 Updating a Customer ProfileTo update a customer profile, from the Customer Information page choose the link Update a Customer Profile. This will load a page with a list of all customer records as shown in Fig 2.5.Choose the customer details to update by selecting the radio button on the same row as the customer details, and then click the Update button. This will load another page which should pre-populate all the fields with the existing information for this customer. See Fig 2.6.

Fig 2.5


Fig 2.3

- 59 -

Enter the appropriate details into the form, making sure to include all the compulsory fields (see section 2.2 for details). Then click on the Submit button to confirm the changes that you have made.

Fig 2.6

The updated Customer information will then be displayed in the Update Customer Page (Fig 2.7).

2.5 Viewing all Customer ProfilesTo view all customer profiles, simply click on the View All Customer Profiles link on the Customer Information page. This page will then display a list of all customer profiles.

If the customer has an email address this will appear as a hyperlink. Then when this link is selected it will open the users default email client, and create a new mail message with the customer email address in the mail’s address path.


Fig 2.7

- 60 -

3. Product Information

3.1 The Product Information PageThe Product Information Page (Fig 3.1) is very similar to the Customer Information Page. It has four hyperlinks which allow new product details to be added to the product list and lets product details be updated. It also lets the user delete any products which are no longer produced, and view a list of all products.

Fig 3.1

3.2 Adding a new ProductTo add a new product to the product list simply click on the link “Add a new product to product list”. This brings up the New Product Form (Fig 3.2). The Product Name then needs to be entered into the form. A product description may also be added if required, however it is not compulsory. When the details are complete, pressing the Submit button should insert the new product details into the database. A list of all products should then be displayed, with the newly entered product in the list (Fig 3.3).

Fig 3.3


- 61 -

3.3 Deleting a Product ProfileTo delete a product profile, select the Delete Product Details link from the Product Information page. This should open a page with a list of all the products currently being produced (Fig 3.4). To delete a product, select the radio button from the right hand side which corresponds to the product that needs to be deleted then click on the Delete button. The product details will be removed from the list of products.

WARNING!: Make sure you are certain you want to delete the selected product details because once the details are deleted they cannot be recovered as they are permanently deleted from the database.

3.4 Updating a Product ProfileTo update a product profile simply click on the Update product list information link on Product Information page. This will bring up a list of products (Fig 3.5), and by selecting an appropriate radio button and choosing the Update button, an Update Product Form should appear (Fig 3.6). The new product name, or product description can then be entered. To confirm the updates the Submit button needs to be pressed.

Fig 3.6

Some error messages may be generated if the product name is changed to a value that already exists in the database, or if the product name field is left blank when the Submit button is pressed.

3.5 Viewing all Product Profiles


Fig 3.4

- 62 -

By clicking on the link View All Products it is possible to view a list of all the products that are currently in the database. The page that loads will contain all the information about the product including the product description. See Fig 3.7.

Fig 3.7


- 63 -

4. Haulier Information

4.1 The Haulier Information PageIf the Haulier link on the side menu bar is chosen, then the Haulier Information Page is loaded in the main centre section of the webpage. This page gives access to all the insert, update, and delete facilities regarding Haulier Information. This page can be seen in Fig 4.1 and is very similar in structure to the other information pages.

Fig 4.1

4.2 Inserting a new Haulier ProfileTo insert a new haulier profile, select the “Add a new Haulier to haulier list” hyperlink. This will bring up the New Haulier Form (Fig 4.2) in the main section of the system.

The Haulier details need to be entered into the form. The compulsory fields areo Haulier Nameo Address (first box only)o Town / Cityo Postcodeo Telephone Number

If these fields are not entered then haulier details will not be added to the database when the Submit button is clicked. Also an error message asking for these fields to be filled will also be entered will be generated.

The second Address box and the email can be field in if required, however it is okay to leave these blank. If the haulier name already exists in the database then another error message will be generated because duplicate haulier names are not allowed. However, if everything is okay then the haulier name should appear in the list of hauliers

4.3 Deleting a Haulier Profile


- 64 -

Choose Delete a haulier profile from the Haulier Information page to delete a haulier. This will bring up a page with a list of all the hauliers in the database (Fig 4.3). Choosing the radio button which corresponds to the haulier that needs to be removed from the database, and then clicking the delete button will delete the haulier details.

Fig 4.3

WARNING!: Make sure you are certain you want to delete the selected haulier details because once the details are deleted they cannot be recovered as they are permanently deleted from the database.

4.4 Updating a Haulier ProfileTo update a haulier profile, from the Haulier Information page choose the link Update a Haulier Profile. This will load a page with a list of all haulier records as shown in Fig 4.4. Choose the haulier details to update by selecting the radio button on the same row as the haulier details, and then click the Update button. This will load another page which should pre-populate all the fields with the existing information for this haulier. See Fig 4.5.

Fig 4.4

Enter the appropriate details into the form, making sure to include all the compulsory fields (see section 4.2 for

details). Then click on the Submit button to confirm the changes that you have made.The updated haulier information will then be displayed in the Update Haulier Page (Fig 4.6).


- 65 -

Fig 4.6

4.5 Viewing all Haulier ProfilesTo view all haulier profiles, simply click on the View All Haulier Profiles link on the Haulier Information page. This page will then display a list of all haulier profiles.

If the haulier has an email address this will appear as a hyperlink. If this link click it will open the users default email client, and create a new mail message with the haulier email address in the mail’s address path.


- 66 -

5. Order Information

5.1 Order Information PageThe Order Information page can be accessed by clicking on the Order hyperlink on the side menu bar. From this page, new orders can be added, orders can be updated and orders can be deleted. It is also possible to all current orders and also the orders due today. The Order Information page is shown in Fig 5.1

5.2 Adding a new OrderTo add a new order click on the hyperlink Add a new order to order list from the Order Information page. This will bring up the New Order Form. This page is shown in Fig 5.2.

Fig 5.2

From the drop down boxes, select a Customer Name and a Product Name. These drop down lists will contain a list of current customers and products. Then enter an Order Quantity. The Delivery Date then needs to be specified, by choosing the day, month and year from the drop down box. By default it is not possible to enter a delivery date that has already occurred. Then choose a haulier from the drop down box. This drop down box will list all of the hauliers currently in the system. If any of these boxes are left at their default values, e.g. Select a haulier, then the order data will not be submitted into the database and an error message will be generated. However, if the form has been filled in correctly then the data will be added into the database and the new order will be shown on the screen (Fig 5.3)


- 67 -

Fig 5.3

5.3 Deleting an OrderAn order is deleted in the same way as customer, product or haulier profiles are deleted. From the Order Information page click on the link Delete Order details. This brings up a list of all Order records. Simply select the appropriate radio button and click on the Delete button. See Fig 5.4.

Fig 5.4

WARNING!: Make sure you are certain you want to delete the selected order details because once the details are deleted they cannot be recovered as they are permanently deleted from the database.

5.4 Updating an OrderTo update an Order simply click on the Update order information link. This will bring up a list of all the current orders. Select the order that needs updating by clicking the appropriate radio button and then click on Update. This will load the Update Order Form (Fig 5.5).

All the fields should be pre-populated with the current order details. The customer name cannot be altered but all other details can be amended and then updated by selecting the Submit button.


- 68 -

5.5 Viewing All OrdersTo view all orders, click on the View All Orders link. This will bring up a list of all the orders currently in the database. This will include details about the Customer, Product, Delivery date, Quantity and Haulier.

5.6 Viewing Today’s OrdersClicking on the View Today’s Orders link from the Order Information page, or from the Orders Due Today link from the system homepage opens the Today’s Orders page (Fig 5.6). This page show the current date at the top of the page, and then a list of all Orders due today. Like the View All Orders page it includes all the relevant information for the orders that are due today.

This page also allows you to select another delivery date using the drop down boxes at the bottom of the page. Clicking on view should then bring up the delivery details for the selected date.


- 69 -

6. Contract Information

6.1 The Contract Information PageThe Contract Information page (Fig 6.1) has links to all the details regarding contracts. To get to this page click on the Contract link on the side menu bar. From this page it is possible to add new contracts, delete and update contracts as well as viewing all contracts. It is also possible to view the contracts that are due today.

6.2 Adding a new ContractTo add a new contract click on the Add a new contract to contract list link. As there are two different types of contract – Weekly and Monthly – the type of contact needs to be chosen

before the details can be entered. See Fig 6.2.

Select the contract type from the drop down list, and then click Continue to proceed.The type of contract chosen will affect the layout of the New Contract Form.

The different between the Weekly and Monthly contract is illustrated in Fig 6.3.

Fig 6.3

From the drop down box select the appropriate customer and product details. These drop down boxes contain all the customers and products that are currently in the database. Enter the quantity in the Order Quantity field, then select the Delivery Day of Month, or Delivery Day depending on the type of contract chosen. A haulier can also be selected from the Haulier drop down box.

If any of these fields are left at their default value, or not filled in then error messages will be generated and changes will need to be made to the order details. When all fields

Fig 6.2


- 70 -

are filled in correctly clicking on the Submit button will add the contract details to the database. A list of all contracts should then be displayed.

6.3 Deleting a ContractTo delete an terminated Contract, or completed Contract, click on the Delete contract details link on the Contract Information page. This will display a list of all the contracts. Using the radio buttons select the contract that is no longer required, and then choose the Delete button. This will delete the contract, and it will no longer be displayed in the contract list.

WARNING!: Make sure you are certain you want to delete the selected contract details because once the details are deleted they cannot be recovered as they are permanently deleted from the database.

6.4 Updating a ContractTo update a contract from the Contract Information page select the Update contract information link. Like every other Update page this will generate a list of current contracts. By selecting a contract using the radio buttons and then clicking on the Update button the Update Form is brought up which contains fields pre-populated with the existing contract information. See Fig 6.4.

Fig 6.4The contract details can easily be amended using the drop down boxes. It is also possible to change the contract type from weekly to monthly or vice versa, by selecting either the Delivery Date, or Delivery Day fields. However, it is not possible to submit a contract that has the delivery date and the delivery day field populated.


- 71 -

6.5 Viewing all ContractsTo view all contracts, click on the View All Contracts link. This will bring up a list of all the orders currently in the database. This will include details about the Customer, Product, Delivery date or day depending on contract type, Quantity and Haulier.

6.6 Viewing Today’s ContractClicking on the View Today’s Contract link opens the Today’s Contract page (Fig 5.6). This can also be accessed from the Homepage by clicking on the Contracts Due Today link.

This page show the current date at the top of the page, and then a list of all Contracts due today, dividing them into weekly and monthly contracts. Like the View All Contracts page it includes all the relevant information for the contracts that are due today.

Fig 6.5

This page also allows you to select another delivery date for a monthly contract, or delivery day for a weekly contract using the drop down boxes at the bottom of the page. Clicking on view should then bring up the delivery details for the selected date.


- 72 -

7. Search7.1 Search FormThe search function is accessible from the top title bar. Clicking on the Search link opens the Search page.

Fig 7.1It possible to search on the customer, product, haulier, contract or order fields. The search criteria is specific to the search field. For example, a search on the customer field has to be for the Customer Name (or at least a part of it) otherwise it will not return any values. These criteria are listed below:

o Customer - enter customer name as keywordo Product - enter product name as keywordo Haulier - enter haulier name as keywordo Contract - searches by contract numbero Orders - searches by order number

If the search is successful, then the results are displayed. For the contract, order, product and haulier search fields it is possible to update any of the returned details by selecting the appropriate radio button, and then clicking on the Update field (Fig 7.2).

The customer field offers further option, as by clicking on the Customer Name will give show all the contracts for that customer, if there are any. If there are none it will display the message shown in Fig 7.3.

Fig 7.3Clicking on the Order details link on the Contract Details Page should display all Order details for this customer. See Fig 7.4


- 73 -


- 74 -

Appendix E – Testing and Evaluation

E-1 TestingAs part of the testing and evaluation process the system was tested by several users with differing

abilities. This section includes the feedback received from the users, including the comments made by

the forestry manager – the intended end user.

User 1User 1 has modest computer skills. Although proficient using Microsoft Word, has little experience

using the internet and is unfamiliar with web based forms.

User 2User 2 is an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering, studying at the University of Leeds. User 2 has

good computer skills, is proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, has some knowledge of Microsoft Access,

and is a competent Matlab programmer. Furthermore, User 2 is extremely familiar with web forms and

uses the Internet on a daily basis.

After using the system for about 10 minutes, each user was asked to perform a task to determine system

usability. This task was to add a new customer to the database. The results of this test can be seen in

Appendix E-2. The users were then asked for their comments on various parts of the system

Section User 1 comments User 2 comments

Homepage “The homepage is clear and

uncluttered and looks professional.

I wasn ’t sure exactly what I was

supposed to do to get to diferent

pages, but when I moved the mouse

over the options on the left hand

side of the screen they were

underlined so I knew to click on

them ”

“Yeah, it looks good. It’s

surprisingly professional. It

seems to be laid out pretty well

too. The links seem pretty

obvious – Customer takes you to

stuf about customers, Product

takes you to stuf about

products…that makes sense. I

like the way the title and logo

takes you back to the homepage”

Adding a new

customer

“It was quite easy to add a new

customer. After looking at the user

manual I just clicked on Customer,

“I had no problems adding a

customer to the database. I just

clicked on the links until I got to

Appendix E Forestry Management System

- 75 -

and then add a new customer, and

typed my details into the boxes and

pressed the submit button. Then

they appeared in the list. It couldn’t

have been much easier really ”.

the insert new customer form. It ’s

just like when you order stuf

from the internet really. ”

Search Form “The search function confused me a

bit to start with. I wasn’t sure what

I was supposed to search by, but

once I realised that you had to

choose an option from the list it was

quite easy to search ”.

“The search function wasn’t as

obvious to use as the rest of the

system, but it seems to work quite

well. ”

Overall opinion “It was easy to use even though I

wasn’t sure what to do. I had to

read the user manual to start with,

but once I had spent some time

using the system I got used to it ”.

“I thought that the system was

very intuitive to use. I didn’t

really need to look at the user

manual, as things seemed to be

where they should be. It was

good that the pages weren’t

cluttered with pictures, and the

text was easy to read. I liked the

fact that you could always get to

where you wanted to go as the

side and top bars never

changed ”.

Forestry Manager’s Comments“This system seems to ofer nearly everything that I would like it to. It lets me add new orders and

contracts, and ofers all of the functions that I asked for…...the layout means that you can get to every

section even if you’re not at the homepage. This is good…..I can now see how a system like this could be

useful. It would certainly be faster once I got used to using it. There are a few minor things I would

change, but on the whole it seems to be a good website”


- 76 -

E-2 Evaluation

ReliabilityData input was tested by the developer and by two other independent users. Throughout the testing

process all data input was successful. Furthermore, all data retrieval was successful.

SpeedA test machine was used to check the speed of the database. This machine connected to the internet a 56k

modem. This is slower than the connection the Forestry Manager uses so it would be reasonable to

assume that if the connection speed is acceptable at 56k it should be satisfactory over an ISDN

connection. Although the homepage took a few seconds to load, the access speed to the database was not

noticeably slower than on the web server. As the database increases in size this performance may

diminish slightly but nevertheless the performance was excellent.

IntegrityThe constraints implemented in the user interface to prevent integrity constraints being violated worked

successfully. Throughout the testing process, database integrity was not violated at anytime.

EfficiencyTo determine how efficient the system was the time taken to insert a new customer. This test was taken

by the developer, and two users (mentioned in Appendix E-1) who were not familiar with the system.

The times taken are given below.

Developer User 1 User 2

38 seconds 2 mins 33 seconds 1 min 04 seconds

After discussing these results with the forestry manager he confirmed that this was much faster than his

current system. It usually takes at least 3 minutes to locate the appropriate form and fill in the details.

UsabilityAlthough it is difficult to determine the usability of the system, remarks from people who helped in the

testing process were constructive. Indeed, one user observed “that the system was very intuitive to use. I

didn’t really need to look at the user manual, as things seemed to be where they should be ”. It would

certainly be interesting how the system would hold up to full time usage.


- 77 -

MaintainabilityThis system should need minimal maintenance. However, should maintenance be needed the Iggesund

Paperboard I.T. staff are highly trained in SQL Server and Active Server Pages, and should be able to

look after this system without any difficult. Certainly, it is far simpler than any other system they

maintain.


- 78 -

Appendix F – Diagrams & Tables

F-1 Website Architecture

Appendix F Forestry Management System

- 79 -

F-2 Database Diagram

F-3 Database Table DesignTable Name Column Name Data Type Allow Nulls

Customer Customer_id (PK) bigint No

Customer_Name char No

StreetAddress1 char No

StreetAddress2 char Yes

Town_City char No

Postcode char No

Email char Yes

Haulier Haulier_id (PK) bigint No

Haulier_Name char No

StreetAddress1 char No

StreetAddress2 char Yes

Town_City char No

Postcode char No

Email char Yes

Contract ContractNo (PK) bigint No

Customer_id bigint No

Product_id bigint No

Haulier_id bigint No


- 80 -

Quantity bigint No

Delivery_Day char Yes

Delivery_Date char Yes

Order OrderNo (PK) bigint No

Customer_id bigint No

Product_id bigint No

Haulier_id bigint No

Quantity bigint No

Delivery_Date bigint No

Product Product_id (PK) bigint No

Product_Name char No

Product_Description char Yes


- 81 -

hardware - sites. web viewdue to the recent staff cut backs and existing projects the i.t....

Documents