Cg4 resistant materials project

CG4 Resistant Materials Project

CG4.1 ANALYSIS

Background

At Slough Grammar School, the Resistant Materials Technology department is involved in the
ordering of materials for students studying the subject at GCSE and A Level. The current ordering
system comprises of a paper based procedure.

The students utilise a printed list of materials, the sizes available, and their respective prices to
create an ordering list for the technician to collect. The students have to produce two copies of this
ordering list for use in their subject coursework. There is no backup plan to replace these ordering
lists should they be misplaced by the technician. The technician then uses the student ordering lists
to create a batch order that covers all the student orders.

The printed list of materials, and their respective details, is annually updated by the technician.
These updates will consist of price changes, the addition, and removal of some of the materials
available to the students to order. These changes in the list result in a new material order list for the
next set of pupils to use.

The creation of a computerised system will benefit the department of Resistant Materials
Technology the most. The system will benefit the students and the technician as it will focus on how
the department deals with ordering, with the aim of increasing its efficiency whilst benefiting the
students also. The computerised system will seek to address secondary issues the department faces,
such as department expenditure involving printing and non-existent backup measures. Nevertheless,
the ordering aspect will remain priority.

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Investigation and Analysis

An investigation into the current system was necessary to fully understand the depth of the issues
the solution will be required to deliver on. This meant investigating the efficiency of the current
paper based system.

The investigation proceedings began with an interview with Tony Smithers, lead technician at the
department. Mr Smithers dealt with producing the batch order, and supplying the materials ordered
to the students. His position meant he was the ideal candidate to question with regards to the
ordering process. The interview transcript is shown below:

What areas of improvement, if any, do you recognize in the current system?
“Well, you see the current method used for updating the material lists takes quite a long time. This
department is also facing new limitations in how much printing is done. So printing off the renewed lists
time and time again is not helping…Another thing is backing up the orders. You know sometimes the
students lose their copies and it takes a while to track their order down and hand over my copy. This
also means that my copy is also at potential risk of being misplaced too.”

Ok. Do you see any ways to improve these areas?
“To backup the orders, I mean, you could have them saved electronically on a document or something.
A method of bringing them up again efficiently would be brilliant. Giving the students access to them
will also help because they can change the orders without having to go through me. For the list, a
couple of years ago I transferred the list to the computer so that I can print them off when prices
changed etc. These new printing limits mean that somehow if the list could be interactive and stay on
the computer for access, which would be ideal.”

You describe feasible improvements to the areas of concern. What is the hardest aspect of the whole
ordering procedure in your view?
The hardest procedure would be…the calculating how many large material sheets to order so that it
would be enough to provide all the students with their orders.

Do you calculate that by the combined individual materials area or by the totalling of material lengths?
“I suppose it could be worked out both ways but I use the combining the individual areas to see how
many student orders will fit on a single sheet and make the batch order from that.”

The calculations are all supposedly calculated by hand yourself?
“Yeah all the calculations for the price and areas are done by me to make sure the student calculations
are correct. It takes quite a lot of valuable time. I suppose if they can be done electronically it will make
sure there are no errors for me to check really.”

Electronic calculations can potentially give inaccurate results. The accuracy of the calculations depends
on the quality of the code and the testing of the system. Thank you for your time and the next visit will
be about the design of the program.

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Analysis of Interview with Technician:

 Updating the Materials list can be very time-consuming.
 Backing-up the student orders is also time-consuming and difficult with the current system.
 The printing limitations are not helping with the efficiency of the current system.
 Identified the student order backups could possibly be available electronically.
 Identified the calculations involved in the orders is the most crucial aspect, and one that
needs addressing the most with the new system.
 Storing the orders would allow for the batch order to be created easier as the technician
would be able to access the student orders easier.

The interview with the technician highlighted the areas of concern. However, students using the
paper based system may well see other areas that they feel deserve more attention. It is important
that the investigation takes into account more than one viewpoint of the current system. Since there
are many students that may not share a collective view of the current system, it was decided a
questionnaire would be more useful to collect information rather than conducting several interviews
which would still not provide a clear picture. To collect the information from the students, an A5
data capture form was produced. The questionnaire, handed to thirty students, can be seen below:

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The questionnaire was completed by students studying the subject at GCSE and at A Level. The
questionnaire was completed and returned by twenty-eight students of the thirty, and the
breakdown of the results is as follows:-

 The majority of the participants said the calculations aspect of the current ordering system
was the most difficult. Twenty-three students shared this view while the rest felt replacing
the order (having to recalculate) was the most difficult. Some students noted next to the
calculations choice about the confusion caused by the calculations.

 All the students made clear that automatic calculations and saving the order in some form
were the most welcome features on a computerised system if there was to be one. The most
popular are of concern was calculations with nineteen votes.

 The students did not see the additional username and password as being a big problem. The
majority also noted how the program may not be used as frequently if everything is stored.
Thus the additional username and password may not be a real problem.

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 Most of the students chose the second option because they would are told never to under-
order any of the materials that would be needed. However eleven students chose the option
to be allowed to add and remove order items. The program is tailored for the technician and
students to use so it is important their needs are seen to.

 In this question the students mentioned mostly about the program being able to help with
the ordering process. Through this it meant that a lot of the calculations are automatic and
using the program is simple.

A table of results has been created to summarise the results of the questionnaire.

Question Answers Result
Number 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
1 Calculation
of Order.
Replacing
Order
2 Automatic
Calculations
Amend &
Reprint
3 U+P is a
Problem
U+P is not a
Problem
4 Remove
Items Only
Remove &
Add Items
5 Secure
Orders
Automatic
Calculations

The questionnaire provided a clearer picture of the students’ viewpoint on the current system. It
also provided information that will prove valuable come the designing of the system. But to ensure
the thorough investigation of the current system, personal observation of current practice and a
review of the existing system is needed.

The observation of the current practice highlighted the issues with the current system. The steps
involved in the current practice are:

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1. The technician updates the materials list with the prices, and an ordering form.
2. The students receive the printed list and ordering form.
3. The students use the list to complete the ordering form and calculate charges.
4. The student orders are handed back to the technician.
5. Technician validates the orders and the students’ calculations.
6. The students are charged and pay accordingly.
7. A batch order is produced that includes all the material needed for all the students.

A logical data model representing the procedures in the current system has been produced. This
helps to visualise the steps involved and also better understand the current system at hand.

SYSTEM FLOWCHARTS OF THE CURRENT ORDERING PROCESS

START EACH STUDENT ORDER PROCESS

Material list and ordering forms START
are updated by technician.

The ordering forms and calculations are
The ordering forms and completed by a student. The completed
calculations are completed by the order is given to the technician.
students.

Is the student
Student orders are validated by orders completed
the technician. correctly? NO

YES

Students pay for materials order Student order is validated by the technician.
and batch order that caters for all The student order is filtered and separate
the student orders is produced by materials are grouped to calculate how many
sheets are required.
the technician.

Batch order is sent to schools The separate materials are added to the
batch orders that will be sent off to the
finance department for
material suppliers.
processing and makes its way to
the suppliers.

Has the student
finished the order? NO
FINISH

YES

FINISH

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Data flow modelling involves identifying and documenting how the data moves around in the
current system. This examines the processes, data stores, external entities and data flows in the
current system to help understand where data is input, and visualise the data calculation stages. A
data flow diagram representing the current system at the Resistant Materials Department can be
seen below.

DATA FLOW DIAGRAM OF THE CURRENT ORDERING PROCESS

To identify the relationship between the entities involved in the current system an entity
relationship diagram was produced and can be seen below.

ENTITY RELATIONSHIP OF THE CURRENT ORDERING PROCESS

STUDENT MATERIAL ORDER

TECHNICIAN BATCH ORDER
KEY

One to many
relationship.

One to no more SUPPLIER SUPPLIER ORDER
than one
relationship.

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The ordering system proved to be very lengthy and some orders required weeks before actually
making it through to the suppliers. Further delays such as misplacing orders, or last minute changes
and recalculations could further delay the process. This was crucial as there were department
deadlines to meet for the orders because there is only one financial window per department at the
school. Seeing this further supported the fact that this department would benefit the most at the
school.

The data collected by the system is derived from the materials ordering form. From following details
are collected:

 Student Details (Name, Form)
 Date
 Material Details (Material, Size, Quantity)
 Cost (per Material, Total Cost)

This ‘Materials Ordering Form’ can be seen below. The collected data has already been processed by
the students to calculate the costs. The data from which the calculations are derived from, the
‘Materials List’, can also bee seen further below. The processing of the data involves calculating the
cost of the materials. An example of the calculations involved follows.

The price of a piece of 9mm MDF measuring 480 x 680 (mm) is calculated by:

 ( Unit Cost / Unit Size ) X Order Area

 ( 4.00 / 744200) X (480 x 680) = 1.754367...
Which is rounded and the student would be charged £1.75 for the material

This calculation is performed for all the materials on the order form. The order has do be written out
twice by the students increasing the chances of potential mistakes. This can result in the student
being over-charged and provides the technician enough reason to have to validate the student
orders. An example of a finished student order can be seen below.

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The data processed in the current system uses the collecting data. This includes specifics such as:
 Type of Material
 Depth of Material
 Area of Requested Size (of material)
 Quantity
 Unit cost (per material sheet)

The processing of the data is the calculations (as detailed above) being performed.

Output of the Current System:

The image above is the output from the student (materials ordering form). This order is then used
for the batch order created by the technician. The orders on the forms are validated by the student’s
teacher and the prices are validated by the department technician. The final forms may be changed
from the originals and this may require completing another form as the final copy to place in the
student’s coursework.
Other outputs of the current system include the materials list that is updated. This is also distributed
in the form of paper to the students and threatens the printing limitations the department faces
every term.

A full view of the student ordering form can be seen on the following page.

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Limitations in the Current System:

 The limitations in the current system include being able to efficiently update the student
order. This was identified in the interview with the technician. A computerised system would
easily deal with this limitation as orders would be stored in a flat file where they can be
retrieved for amendments at any given time.

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 Another limitation is the printing availabilities. The department is limited in its amount of
printing and at around 90 students potentially changing their orders on a regular basis, or
making any errors, it results in a high demand for printing. Annual updates and printing of
material lists only add to the problems caused by this limitation. The proposed computerised
system would also deal with this as the order can be stored and amended until the student
is content, ensuring every student need only to print their order once.

 The lack of backup procedure that should store the latest student orders is an additional
limitation. The amount of loose paper in the form of material orders that are exchanged
between student and technician involves the risk of misplacing the orders. This causes a
nuisance to both the student and the technician as it means re-calculating and re-validating.

 The current system is also limited in how it deals with performing with respect to
department deadlines. There is a window in which department finances are dealt with and
should a student order miss this window, it places the risk of jeopardising the continuation
of the course.

This highlights the extent of the problems the late changes in prices and the recalculations in student
orders can cause.

Below is the materials list that will need updating if the prices for the materials change.

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The investigation and analysis of the current system highlighted the bigger problems and the views
of the target users of the computerised solution. The analysis also emphasised the limitations that
the computerised solution will be trying to attend to. The current system has been analysed
sufficiently and the information from it is more than enough to create a problem definition and
produce suitable project objectives.

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Problem Definition

The Resistant Materials Technology department at Slough Grammar School has been utilising an old
paper based system for the ordering processes. The department procedures were in need of an
update. The department relies on the department technician, Tony Smithers, to deal with all the
aspects of the ordering. After a thorough investigation of the current system, a clearer picture of
what the computerised system will need to address can be drawn.

The intention is to create a computerised system that the students can utilise to order their
materials. The computerised system should be accessible to students from years 10 to 13 at the
school, studying the subject. The new system should also allow staff and the technician to make any
changes to the materials list. The program should include automated calculations meaning no
manual calculations or validation should be needed. The new system should aim to meet the project
objectives and be tailored to client needs.

The system should allow for separate student and staff logins. The login steps should aim to be
simple and not complicate the process. The staff login will be used for certain aspects of the ordering
process such as accessing all orders and the ability to amend the materials list.

The student login should allow the students access to an ordering form where the actual material
ordering can take place. The solution should be designed to make the process easier than doing the
equivalent on the current system. The form should allow material selection, size and quantity
options, and a relatable interface. Most of the solution will be automated. Ideally, the new system
will be straightforward to use and thus not need any instructions on the input forms etc.

The system will store all the student order details and the updates of the material lists in a flat file.
The system produced will cover all aspects of ordering process and will take into account
amendments may need to be made after the initial order has been created.

Despite these aims, there may be possible limitations in the computerised system produced. The
preliminary limitations may include:

 Keeping track of the latest time and date of the order update.
 Keeping track of when the order was last accessed or amended.
 The delegation of unique usernames and passwords considering the number of students
that will potentially use the solution annually.
 Automatic updates to student orders based on the changes on the material list.
 An efficient password reminder facility that is secure, restricting access to other students
who may try to exploit the facility.

Taking into the account the limitations the initial project may face, the problem definition allows for
the initial project objectives to be written.

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Objectives

The main objective of the project will be to create a replacement system for the ordering process
within the Resistant Materials department. The system will benefit both the department and the
students. A computerised solution will be created using Visual Basic 6.

This will include a user interface capable of allowing the students to:

 Register to use the system if it is the first time they are using it.
 Be reminded of their password.
 Enter their login details to access the materials ordering form.
 Choose materials and the sizes of the materials to enable the program to calculate the
prices.
 Amend a previous order.
 Print the latest order by displaying the total order on a printable form.
 View the latest materials list for information on material availability and prices.

The interface will be capable of allowing the staff to:

 Register to use the system if it is the first time they are using it.
 Enter their login details to access the materials list form.
 Edit the materials list once accessed.
 Access any student order.
 Be reminded of their password.

The system will allow the input of and have the facility to store the following details:

 Student Username, Password and other student details.
 Student Order:
o Material name selected.
o Material Size selected.
o Quantity selected.
o Cost of order.
 Any updates to the Material List.
 Any updates to the Student Order.

The system will allow for the searching of student order by the student login details. The login details
will be stored alongside other data that will ensure the correct order is displayed at the time of
searching. This will also ensure no errors occur during search or more than one order is related to
one student.

The design of the computerised system should be professional and simple to use as students will be
using it as well as the staff members of the department. The appearance of the system should
remain consistent to ensure the program navigation is quick and simple. The computerised system
should be completed within the time provided.

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CG4.2 DESIGN

Output Content and Format

The output of the computerised system will include printed forms that summarise the student
material orders. This will be the main output of the system. The data that will be output from the
system will be the finished orders of the students. These will include all the material information
such as Type, Size, Depth, Quantity and Cost. As well as this, essentials such as student name and
form will be displayed on the form. These will ensure there is no confusion as they will serve as
order identifiers on the printed forms. The data included in the output is essential as it is the
information that is required by the technician and the students’ coursework files. This is why the
data chosen to be included in the output, is included. The form will appear with a white background
to remain printer friendly when it is printed. When the form is printed, the command buttons,
images and time which are all non-related to the order will be hidden. This will leave for an elegant
solution and provide an elegant output from the system.

Below is the design of the output form of the system. (Printable Student Order Summary Form)

ImageBox: Displays an Label: Displays the current
image, that when time. This is also hidden
clicked, takes the user when the form is printed.
back to the previous Time
<
Material Order
form. Hidden when
form is printed. -
Labels: Displays the date.
It is vital this is displayed
Label: Displays the title in the printing form.
of the page. Will display Display Full Name ##/##/####
on the printed form. The number of items
Display Form No. of Items ordered will be displayed.

Labels: Displays the
students name and the
students form in the DataGrid: Displays all the
respective labels. Will material items that have
show when printed. been ordered by the
student. This forms the
main art of the printed
form. Columns of
information will be
Material, Depth, Size,
Quantity, Cost will be
visible. The columns that
store data that links the
orders to the students will
not be visible in the data
grid. This will make for an
elegant output of the
PRINT
Cost: £ Signed………………………… computerised system.

.

Labels: Displays cost and Label: Displays the signed text. CommandBox: Prints the form with the
the actual cost of the order. This is for the teacher’s signature. whole order being displayed. This cmdbox
Formatted in currency. This will be displayed on print. will be hidden on the printed form.

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Another output of the system will be an electronic version of the materials list. This will allow
students and staff to view the latest prices.

The form should display the latest prices which may be edited by the technician or staff member.
The form will use a datagrid to retrieve all the information from a database. The datagrid should not
allow any editing to the information when used in this form. This form will not be printable through
the system.

The material information is included in this form because it will be available to both students and
members of staff. Students will use this form to check the prices when considering their material
order and members of staff can check the prices are up to date and accurate.

Below is the design of the output form of the system. (Viewing Materials List and Latest Prices)

ImageBox: Displays an Time
image, that when < Label: Displays the current
clicked, takes the user

Materials List
back to the previous
- time.
form.

Label: Displays the
title of the page. DataGrid: Displays all the
material items and their
prices from the database.
The columns will display
Material, Depth, Unit
Sheet Size, Unit Cost and
any other additional info.

It will be locked as it is
DataGrid: The
available to the students
background colour of
and thus values in the
the datagrid should
datagrid will not be
relate to the colour
editable.
scheme of the form.

This information will be
linked directly to the
database and should
display the latest
information.

Another output form will be available from the main menu of the program. This will be a display
screen for the information about the system. This display screen is essentially to ensure the solution
to the problem is complete and the program is produced properly.

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The form should display information on the version of the software solution, what the application is
designed to do, who it is developed for and who it is developed by. This information will provide the
software version, which if is updated through maintenance, can be updated and replaced.

Below is the design of the output form of the system. (About (the Application) Form)

Time
ImageBox: This will Label: Displays the current

Resistant Materials
display the software LOGO time.
logo, which will
remain consistent
and be displayed in
all the forms in the
Ordering App. PictureBox: With a
system tray. WebBrowser control
Version……………………….. placed inside to load the
GIF IMAGE
GIF animation as VB6 is
Label: Displays the title not capable of displaying
of the page. App Description + Info GIF images otherwise.

Label: Displays the
information about CommandBox: Exits the
the version of the form. A mouseover effect
software. will be applied to the
command button to make
Displays the using the program user
description of the friendly.
app, explaining its Additional Info OK
purpose and who the Clicking this should also
application is tailored make the main menu
to. form useable again.

Any additional info
displayed below.

The output forms designed above will all have similar backgrounds and colour schemes to ensure
the appearance of the program is consistent. This should aid user navigation and make using the
program easier. The background for all the forms will be a custom-made image, consisting of pastel-
light tones for a modern yet professional appearance.

The size of the forms will vary as their purposes vary. The ‘Material Order Print’ Form will be big
enough to fit the screen and space the data so that the printed orders stay elegant. This will also
help the technician as the data printed will be easy to read and key facts will stand out on the
printed page. The size of the ‘About’ form will be smaller as it provides useful, yet little, information
and thus does not need to occupy as much room on screen.

The position of the forms on when displayed on the screen will be set to Centre-Screen position so
that all output forms and display screens load in the centre of the user’s screen. Failure to ensure
this would damage the professional impression the software will be aiming to make.

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Input Content, Capture and Format

There will be many input forms in the new system as the main aim will be to make a program that
satisfies all of its broad objectives. All the designs have taken inspiration from the designs and notes
of Mr. Smithers the technician at the department. They can be seen after the designs of the input
forms.

MAIN MENU FORM

The design of the input form frmMainMenu.

Resistant
Labels: Will display Time
Label: Displays the current
the department
time and displays the
name in front of oval Date date.

Materials
shapes. The font
colour will be black
and the shapes back PictureBox: Displaying

Technology
colour, yellow. ORDERING APP. When
clicked it will display the
ABOUT form which will
include all the information
about program.

Labels: Displays the
information for the
login command CommandBox: Exits the
boxes. Will simply

Student Staff
form. A mouseover effect
display STUDENT and will be applied to the
STAFF. Mouse over command button to make
effects will be applied using the program user
here to make the friendly.
LOGIN LOGIN
form interactive and
make obvious the Clicking this should also
selection on the form. make the main menu
The font colour will form useable again.
be vbBlack and a bold
font will be used.

The input in the form here will be in the form of command boxes. These will allow the user to make
a selection as to how the user logs in. The selections will be ‘STUDENT’ and ‘STAFF’.
The selection here will not be stored but will determine the next form that is displayed. The use of
command boxes here is most appropriate as there are only two choices and any other form of input,
such as textboxes, would not be suitable. The background of the form will remain consistent and be
similar to the output forms. The positioning of similar elements in the form will also remain the
same e.g. Return Image, position of title, display of time etc. The size of the form will be slightly
smaller than the others to differentiate it as a main menu rather than a data capture form. This will
be the first form on display when the program is loaded and its start-up position will be the centre of
the user screen.

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STUDENT LOGIN FORM

The design of the input form frmStudentLogin.

ImageBox: Displays an
image, that when
Time
clicked, takes the user < Label: Displays the current
back to the previous time.
-
form. FrmMainMenu.

Label: Displays the title
Student Login PictureBox: Displaying an
image of a page. To
differentiate form the staff
of the page.
login page, this will have a
book. Also groups the
inputs together.

Label: Displays
`
USERNAME and
PASSWORD in black Username: CommandButtons: The
bold font. button marked “?” when
Password: ? clicked will display the
Textboxes as inputs to
password form that will
the right of the labels.
remind users of their
The most suitable for LOGIN
password in some way.
this type of input.

Don’t have an account? ##### The LOGIN button will start
If user does not have
the search for matching
an account a link will
username and password
display frmRegister.
and give the user access
depending on match.

The input in the form will be in the form of textboxes and CommandButtons. These will allow the
user to input their username and passwords, and click to allow access to the users account. From
here the user will be able to access the other features of the program. There is also a command
button that will display the password reminder form. CommandButtons were the most appropriate
methods of input for the described.

Other input in the form will be by input in the textboxes. This is because data entry via keyboard is
required to input the user’s username and password. So textboxes were the most suitable form of
input here. Textboxes also have a ToolTipText feature that displays help on what to enter when the
cursor hovers over the box.

The background of the form will remain consistent and be similar to frmMainMenu. The positioning
of elements in the form will be logical e.g. the return button on the top left of the form. The size of
the form will be slightly smaller than the others to differentiate it as a login screen rather than a
form with a main feature of the system.
The forms start-up position will be centre screen also.

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STAFF LOGIN FORM

The design of the input form frmStaffLogin.

image, that when
Time
-
form. FrmMainMenu.

Staff Login PictureBox: Displaying an
image of a black book. To
differentiate form the
of the page.
student login page. Also
groups the inputs together.

Label: Displays
`
USERNAME and
PASSWORD in black Username: CommandButtons: The
bold font. button marked “?” when
Password: ? clicked will display the
Textboxes as inputs to
password form that will
remind users of their
The most suitable for LOGIN
password in some way.
this type of input.

Don’t have an account? ##### The LOGIN button will start
If user does not have
the search for matching
an account a link will
username and password
display frmRegister.
depending on match.

The input in the form will be in the form of textboxes and CommandButtons. These will allow the
user to input their username and passwords, and click to allow access to the users account. From
here the user will be able to access the other features of the program. There is also a command
button that will display the password reminder form. CommandButtons were the most appropriate
methods of input for the described.

Other input in the form will be by input in the textboxes. This is because data entry via keyboard is
required to input the user’s username and password. So textboxes were the most suitable form of
input here. Textboxes also have a ToolTipText feature that displays help on what to enter when the
cursor hovers over the box.

The background of the form will remain consistent and be similar to frmStudentLogin. The
positioning of elements in the form will be logical and also remain consistent with frmStudentLogin.
The size of the form will be similar to the size of the student login form.
The forms start-up position will be centre screen also.

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REGISTER FORM

The design of the input form frmRegister.

image, that when
Time

Sign Up
-
form. FrmStudentLogin
or FrmStaffLogin.

ComboBox: Displays the
options STUDENT and
STAFF. This ensures no
Label: Displays the title Alias: invalid data can be entered
of the page.
in this box. This also
` determines where the data
Username: SCHOOL USERNAME is stored when the CREATE
ACCOUNT button is clicked.
Password: SCHOOL PASSWORD
Label: Displays
USERNAME and Confirm Password: CONFIRM PASS.
PASSWORD and the CommandButtons: The
other labels in black button marked “?” when
font. clicked will display the
Full Name: FORENAME SURNAME password form that will
TextBoxes: remind users of their
Textboxes as inputs to CREATE password in some way.
Tech. Class: GROUP ACCOUNT
The most suitable for The LOGIN button will start
this type of data input the search for matching
capture. username and password
depending on match.

Margin: Invisible margin on the form to
keep the appearance of the form organised
and easy on the eyes.

The input in this form will require both textboxes and command buttons. The textboxes will be used
to capture the data entry on the form. The data entry will include USERNAME, PASSWORD and
STUDENT DETAILS. The textboxes will also feature ToolTipText so when the cursor is hovered over
the textbox, providing help as to what to enter in the textboxes. Also used for the first time in the
system will be combo boxes. They feature options that the user may choose from. This form of data
capture ensures the user cannot input any invalid data such as characters in a field that requires
integers. The command button on this form will provide a method of checking all fields have data
entered into them before adding the data into the database.

The background of the form will remain consistent and be similar to all the other forms on the
program, using pastel-like shades and colours. The positioning of the return image, title and time on
the form will also remain consistent. The size of the form will be similar to the size of form
frmMainMenu, smaller than the forms that store the order data. The forms start-up position will be
centre screen (VB option).

Page 21 of 303

STUDENT OPTIONS FORM

The design of the input form frmStudentOptions.

ImageBox: Displays
Time
the logout image. LOGOUT
Once clicked will
time.
display the main menu
form. You are logged in as: [ ]
Label: Displays the name of

Welcome
the student that has logged
in. This will call data from
the database and display it
of the page.
in on the form.
` The data for display may be
displayed in a temporary
data form.
NEW ORDER EDIT ORDER PRINT ORDER VIEW MAT.
GIF IMAGE GIF IMAGE GIF IMAGE LIST GIF
PictureBox: Contains CommandButtons: The
IMAGE
the web browser button should display the
control which allows appropriate forms if the
GIF images to be images are not clicked to
displayed and the display the respective
animate. forms.
New Order Edit Order Print Order View List
Mouseover effects will be in
WebBrowserControl: place here to give the
In the navigation impression they can also be
property will display clicked and which choice
the GIF files. the user will be making.

The form frmStudentOptions requires input in the form of selection. No input via textboxes is
needed here. The reason for this is because this form is a method of giving the student options to
access the different features of the program. The command buttons are enough to display the
respective forms. The selections will include NEW ORDER, EDIT ORDER, PRINT ORDER and VIEW LIST.

program, using pastel-like shades and colours. The positioning of the LOGOUT image will have to be
similarly placed on the staff options form. The size of the form will be similar to the size of form

The form will have an appropriate caption. The GIF animations will be still to start with and the
mouse over effect on the forms will include running the animations when the cursor hovers over the
image. This screen will be used the most by all the students. To help the students understand the
options on the form a little description might be displayed at the bottom of the form upon
mouseover.

Page 22 of 303

STAFF OPTIONS FORM

The design of the input form frmStaffOptions.

ImageBox: Displays
Time
the logout image. LOGOUT
Once clicked will
time.
display the main menu
form. You are logged in as: [ ]
Label: Displays the name of

Welcome
the student that has logged
in. This will call data from
the database and display it
of the page.
in on the form.
` The data for display may be
displayed in a temporary
data form.

VIEW LIST EDIT LIST GIF FIND ORDER
PictureBox: Contains GIF IMAGE IMAGE GIF IMAGE CommandButtons: The
animate. forms.
View list Edit List Find Order

The form frmStaffOptions requires input in the form of selection. No input via textboxes is needed
here. The reason for this is because this form is a method of giving the staff options to access the
different features of the program. The command buttons are enough to display the respective
forms. The selections will include VIEW LIST, EDIT LIST and FIND ORDER.

program, using pastel-like shades and colours. The positioning of the LOGOUT image will have to be
similarly placed on the student options form. The size of the form will be similar to the size of form

The form will have an appropriate caption. The GIF animations will be still to start with and the
mouse over effect on the forms will include running the animations when the cursor hovers over the
image. This screen will be used the most by all the staff. To help the members of staff understand
the options on the form a little description might be displayed at the bottom of the form upon
mouseover.

Page 23 of 303

EDIT MATERIALS LIST FORM

The design of the input form frmEditList.

image, that when <
Edit Materials List
- time.
form.

Label: Displays the
title of the page. DataGrid: Displays all the
prices from the database.
The columns will display
Material, Depth, Unit
Sheet Size, Unit Cost and
any other additional info.

It will not be locked and
DataGrid: The
will allow ADD, DELETE,
background colour of
UPDATE any material
the datagrid should
information on the form.
relate to the colour
scheme of the form.
This information will be
linked directly to the
database and should
display updated
information on-the-go.
HELP

CommandButton: When clicked will display
a MsgBox that will inform the member of
staff as to how to edit the list and what sort
of editing can be one on the datagrid.

The data input on this form will take place directly in the datagrid. No input outside this datagrid will
take place. The datagrid will be re-queried on the change property so that any changes are
automatically updated. Simply exiting the form can be done without the need to click a SAVE button.
Then the changes can be viewed on the form frmViewMaterialsList from the staff options.

This is the most suitable method of inputting the data because it is updated on-the-fly. The form will
remain consistent in its appearance and have a similar background as well as keeping the
placements of the items on the form the same.

This will be an important form come every term and the technician will be using this form a lot. It is
important that enough help is provided as to how the form should be used.

Page 24 of 303

NEW ORDER FORM

The design of the input form frmNewOrder.

image, that when <
New Order
- time.
form.

NO. OF ITEMS
Label: Displays the Labels: Displays all the
title of the page. information; NAME,
FORM, NUMBER OF ITEMS
IN BASKET.

DataGrid: Displays all the
prices from the database. CommandButtons: Will
ADD
The columns will display allow the student to add a
Material, Depth, Unit material to the basket.
Sheet Size, Unit Cost and PRINT Will display the print
any other additional info. CLEAR order form. From here the
order can be printed to
It will not be locked and hand to the technician to
will allow ADD, DELETE, make the batch order.
UPDATE any material
PictureBox: Contains the
This information will be comboboxes used to
SUBTOTAL
linked directly to the ensure the order is valid.
database and should Will group the inputs and
display updated also be used for an effect.

The background colour of
the datagrid should relate Label: The label will display the total cost of
to the colour scheme of the order of all the items added into the
the form. basket (datagrid to the left).

The data input on this form will take in the picturebox which will contain comboboxes and
textboxes. These are the most appropriate types of input here because in some areas it is vital the
data is valid to search the database for cost information. Other fields, such as length, will be
captured by using textboxes. These will also be validated to ensure there are no errors or no
erroneous data is entered. When the ADD button is clicked, validation checks will be carried out
before storing the data into the appropriate table in the flat file.
This is the most suitable method of inputting the data because it is updated on-the-fly. The form will
remain consistent in its appearance and have a similar background as well as keeping the
placements of the items on the form the same. This will be an important form and should be
validated correctly. The appearance of the form will remain consistent and information placed in
logical places on the form.

Page 25 of 303

FIND ORDER & EDIT ORDER FORM

The design of the input form frmEditOrder.

image, that when <
Edit Order
- time.
form.

CommandBox: When
NO. OF ITEMS
Label: Displays the clicked will search the
title of the page. database for the
USERNAME and DATE
SEARCH provided in the textboxes
above.
DataGrid: Displays all the
prices from the database. CommandButtons: Will
ADD
The columns will display allow the student to add a
Material, Depth, Unit material to the basket.
Sheet Size, Unit Cost and PRINT Will display the print
any other additional info. CLEAR order form. From here the
order can be printed to
It will not be locked and hand to the technician to
will allow ADD, DELETE, make the batch order.
UPDATE any material
PictureBox: Contains the
This information will be comboboxes used to
SUBTOTAL
linked directly to the ensure the order is valid.
database and should Will group the inputs and
display updated also be used for an effect.

The background colour of
the datagrid should relate Label: The label will display the total cost of
to the colour scheme of the order of all the items added into the
the form. basket (datagrid to the left).

This form will be used by both students and members of staff. It will require input into textboxes to
search the database and retrieve the correct order. From hereon the order can be amended by
either student or technician. The form will be very similar to the new order form because it needs to
allow ADDING, DELETING to the order. So the textboxes used for search will be the only change to
the form. It will also provide a link in the form of a command box to the printing order form.

The form will remain consistent in its appearance and have a similar background as well as keeping
the placements of the items on the form the same. This will be an important form and should be
validated correctly. The appearance of the form will remain consistent and information placed in
logical places on the form.

Page 26 of 303

PASSWORD REMINDER FORM

The design of the input form frmPasswordRem.

image, that when < Label: Displays the current
clicked, takes the user time.
-

Password
form.

of the page.
Label: Description of the
process. Instructions.

PictureBox: Contains School Username: USERNAME CommandButtons: The
animate. forms.

The only input on this form will be the textbox requiring the student username to remind of the
password. The user will not have to log on to use this form. The form may be accessed through the
login form by clicking on the “?” command button. To validate the data entry on the form, the
username will be searched for before displaying the password (possibly through an email).
ToolTipText feature will again be used here to tell the student to input the school username. The
description on the form should provide details on how the password can be retrieved.

program, using pastel-like shades and colours. The size of the form will be similar to the size of form
frmMainMenu, smaller than the forms that store the material order data. The forms start-up
position will be centre screen.

The input and data capture forms have been designed using the technician sketches and ideas,
which can be seen on the next page. The ideas of separate logins and datagrid-like displays on the
forms have influenced the actual designs a great deal.

Page 27 of 303

File and/or Data Structures, Methods of Access

The new ordering system will consist of an easy to use interface which will utilise a database to store
all the input details from the data capture forms. The computers at the school will need to have at
the very least Microsoft Office 2003 edition installed. This is because the database file will be made
using Microsoft Access. Although there should be no need to open the database because the new
system should provide the interface to do so, any additional upgrades made in the future may
require opening the file directly. At least the technician’s computer will need to have Visual Basic
6.0 installed for debugging or maintenance purposes. Fortunately the all the computers at the school
have these software requirements installed.

The new computerised system will utilise a database with the file extension “.mdb”. This is because
Visual Basic 6.0 collaborates well with the older version of Access. The location of the database will
be in the local “M:/” drive (on the server) so that the program will have no problems accessing the
database wherever will be used on the school network.

The solution will not be using any arrays but will use RecordSets for linking and accessing the tables
in the database. The tables whether they require filtering on display or not, will be declared through
SQL statements. The system will consist of four tables.

Data Structure and Method of Access to STUDENT DETAILS:

The student details will be stored and can be accessed from the database file
‘resistantmaterialsdb.mdb’. This is a flat file with all the data that will need to be stored from the
computerised system. The file will hold all of the student details on the table ‘tblStudentDetails’.
The database will allow for many students details to be added as the program continues to be used
each term. The student details can be accessed by the random access method. This will allow the
adding and retrieving of records in the table. The information should also be accessible through the
computerised system.

The system will require the students to include the following details when registering to use the
system; school username, school password, full name and technology class amongst other details.

The data will be structured in the following way:

FIELD NAME DESCRIPTION DATA TYPE LENGTH EXAMPLE DATA
StudentID Each student needs a unique AutoNumber Long 34
identifier. It will be a number. Integer
Alias Type of registered account. Text 7 STUDENT
Username The school username of the Text 20 04lawsonb
student.
Password The school password of the Text 20 Langley5%
student.
Forename The forename of the student. Text 20 Ben
Surname The surname of the student, Text 20 Lawson
StudentYear The yeargroup of the student. Number 2 13
StudentGroup The class initials of the student. Text 3 BGP

Page 29 of 303

 Primary Key: StudentID

Data Structure and Method of Access to STAFF DETAILS:

The staff details will be stored and can be accessed from the database file
‘resistantmaterialsdb.mdb’. The data will be held in the table ‘tblStaffDetails’. The database will
allow for many numbers of staff records details to be added as the program continues to be used
each term. The staff details can be accessed by the random access method. This will allow the
adding and retrieving of records in the table. The information should also be accessible through the
computerised system.

The system will require the staff to include the following details when registering to use the system;
school username, password details.


StaffID Each student needs a unique AutoNumber Long 9
Alias Type of registered account. Text 15 STAFF
Username The username of the member of Text 20 phw
staff.
Password The password of the member of Text 20 Slough23%
staff.

 Primary Key: StaffID

Data Structure and Method of Access to MATERIALS DETAILS:

‘resistantmaterialsdb.mdb’. The data will be held in the table ‘tblMaterialsList’. The database will
allow for as many materials that need to be added. The details will be accessed by the frmViewList
form in the program and will be displayed via datagrid. The details will be accessed by the random
access method. This will allow the adding, updating, deleting and retrieving of records in the table.
The information should also be accessible through the computerised system.


MaterialID Each material needs a unique AutoNumber Long 16
Material The name of the material. Text Variable Plywood
Depth The depths of material available. Text 8 12.00mm
Unit Size The size of the sheets of material Text 10 1020x600
(mm) available.

Page 30 of 303

Unit Cost The cost of the sheet of material. Currency 5 £4.80
Additional Additional information on the Text Variable Price per metre.
Info material .

 Primary Key: MaterialID

Data Structure and Method of Access to STUDENT ORDER:

‘resistantmaterialsdb.mdb’. The data will be held in the table ‘tblStudentOrder’. The database will
allow for as many orders that need to be added over the course of its use. The details will be
accessed by the frmNewOrder and frmPrintOrder form in the program and will be displayed via a
DataGrid. The details will be accessed by the random access method. This will allow the adding,
updating, deleting and retrieving of records in the table. The information should also be accessible
through the computerised system.


OrderID Each order needs a unique AutoNumber Long 16
Material The name of the material Text Variable MDF
selected.
Depth The depth of the material Text 8 3.00mm
selected.
Size The size of the material selected. Text 10 1010x540
Quantity The quantity of the material Number 2 3
chosen,
Cost The cost of the size of material Currency 5 £7.29
chosen considering quantity as
well.
StudentID The unique student identifier. Number Long 34
Integer
OrderDate The date the order was made. Date/Time 10 12/02/2011

 Primary Key: MaterialID
 Foreign Key: StudentID

The student order table will use the
primary key from tblStudentDetails
as a foreign key. The fields will also
be related with a one-to-many
relationship. This relationship will
occur when a student orders more
than one material per whole order.

Foreign Key.

Page 31 of 303

Validation

The details of the students, staff and student orders will be entered through the computerised
system. Thus validation for the data entered must be considered. Any invalid data entered may
cause the system to crash. Making the system robust is necessary to avoid any potential crashes.
This will be done by verifying the data meets certain criterion that avoids the saving of invalid data.
These checks will be prompted in command buttons or in real-time data entry.

The following measures will be in place for validating STUDENT DETAILS on frmRegister:

FIELD NAME VALIDATION DESCRIPTION
StudentID This field will not be accessible to the user
None through the form so there’s no need to
validate. The number will be automatically
assigned.
Alias To validate this, a ‘DropDownList’ The student will not be allowed to enter in
style combo box will be used. an option so save. The dropdown box will
require input before other inputs are
 PRESENCE CHECK. enabled. Validation will take place when
prompted before storing via command box.
Username Input via textbox. Length A length restriction of 20 characters is more
restriction placed on textbox. than enough for any name of any student
that has a school account. It will also restrict
 PRESENCE CHECK. deliberate attempts to test the system to its
 LENGTH CHECK. limits by the students, to some extent.

Password Input via textbox also. Length Like the username textbox, a presence check
restriction also placed here. will be present to validate the input initially.
Then a length check will take place that will
 PRESENCE CHECK. avoid the storing of invalid data. This length
 LENGTH CHECK. check may also be placed in a way so that
the input is being validated in real-time.
Forename Limitation in the form of input Valid data in this field would not contain
restriction. integers. Thus the textbox input is restricted
to characters only. Any attempt to enter an
 PRESENCE CHECK. integer into the textbox will result in nothing
 FORMAT CHECK. being input. There will also be a presence
 LENGTH CHECK. check before storing the data.

Surname Limitation in the form of input Very similar in terms of validation to the
restriction. forename textbox. A presence check will be
present when the command button is
 PRESENCE CHECK. clicked. Also there will a length check to
 FORMAT CHECK. avoid invalid password (length more than 20
 LENGTH CHECK. characters.) This also enforces students to
produce a password not to difficult to
remember.
Student Year To validate this, a ‘DropDownList’ The validation will ensure that a valid input

Page 32 of 303

style combo box will be used. is stored in the database. A presence check
when the command button is clicked will
 PRESENCE CHECK. take place.
Student Limitation in the form of input Validation here will use KeyAscii to ensure
Group restriction. the correct data has been input. The textbox
will require no more than two upper case
 PRESENCE CHECK. letters. A textbox will be validated for data
 FORMAT CHECK. presence also.
 LENGTH CHECK.

The following measures will be in place for validating STUDENT/STAFF LOGIN DETAILS on
frmStudentLogin/frmStaffLogin:

Username Input via textbox. Length The username when attempting to login
restriction placed on textbox. must be present to allow access to the
programs features. An additional check will
 PRESENCE CHECK. be made to ensure the data is valid by
 Additional Check searching the database to confirm the
(existence) username is registered; this will allow the
user to access the features of the system.
Password Input via textbox also. Length Much like the username textbox validation, a
restriction also placed here. presence check will be one of the checks
here. The additional check will be to ensure
 PRESENCE CHECK. (if the username is registered) the password
 Additional Check matches the one for the registered
(existence) username. If not, the user will not be able to
gain access to the system.

The following measures will be in place for validating ORDER DETAILS on frmNewOrder:

OrderID This field will not be accessible to the user
None through the form so there’s no need to
validate. The number will be automatically
assigned.
Material To validate this, a ‘DropDownList’ The drop down style combo box will ensure
style combo box will be used. that only the options given to the student by
the comb box will be valid input. The student
 PRESENCE CHECK. will not be able to name the material. A
presence check will be made before saving
the order or enabling the rest of the material
options.
Depth To validate this, a ‘DropDownList’ The options from the combo box will change
style combo box will be used. depending on the material selected. This will
ensure the depth chosen by the user will

Page 33 of 303

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