CI441 Systems Development Project

Objectives:

        - to review and implement appropriate principles of design, documentation and coding
        - to learn to use advanced programming features
        - to design and program a complete software system using the Visual Basic language and system-supplied utilities and                      libraries
        - to learn to use MS Access as the principle file/database system
        - to learn to use event-driven programming skills
        - to work in a team environment
        - to learn to use MS Project to manage a software system

Textbook:

Various recommended texts:  Choose one or more to complement those of your teammates.

        ·       Visual Basic 6, How to Program, Deitel & Deitel, Nieto, Prentice Hall, 1999
·       Visual Basic 6.0 Reference Library, Microsoft Press
·       Visual Basic Advanced Topics, Ekedahl, Course Technology, 2000
·       Database Developer’s Guide with Visual Basic 6, Jennings, SAMS, 1999
·       Murach’s Visual Basic 6, Koop, Prince & Murach, Murach & Associates, Inc., 1999
·       Programming with Visual Basic 6.0, An Object-Oriented Approach, Elkedahl & Newman, Course Technology, 1999
·       Visual Basic 6 Environment, Programming, & Applications, Eliason & Malarkey, Que E&T, 1999
·       Bug Proofing Visual Basic, Rod Stephens, Wiley, 1998

Topics:

Program and system design: event-driven programming; advanced VB objects, events, properties, methods; database handling; MDI, Internet interface, report generation; ActiveX, Multimedia; DLLs, Registry, executables, components, packages; documentation; screen design, testing; debugging; program efficiency

Grading:

        Exams (2): 40%  
        Programming project: 60%

Other considerations:

        - all students will participate in a self-evaluation and an evaluation of the team at the end of the term
        - students are responsible for the information covered in CIS341Visual Basic and CIS336 Database Design and                             Implementation
        - there will be no makeup exams; if an exam is missed for a valid reason, the final exam percentage will  be used                              for the missing exam grade
        - deadlines are to be strictly observed; all teams are to hand in their portfolios on the due dates; you will be evaluated on
                          what is presented on those dates
        - each team will need a binder to hold all programs and documentation, each with appropriate marker tabs

Project Calendar:

                 Use Cases, Timeline, Task list - Due Monday, September 17

                              use cases, actions, actors specified
                              task list assigned
                              database tables specified

              System Design - Due Monday, October 1

complete system design:
                                    system narrative
                                    forms layouts
                                    relationships diagram
                                    data dictionaries
                                    program specifications
                                    report formats

File Creation - Due Monday, October 22

menu/flow programs completed
                        file creation
                        data retrieval programs completed

 File Modifications - Due Monday, November 19

add, update, delete programs completed

              Advanced Features - Due Thursday, December 6

advanced features incorporated
                        documentation updated and completed
                        system completely tested and working

August 21, 2001