Assignment
You are about to create an application to manage your CDs / DVDs collections at home/work. The application to keep track of the inventory (in/out), who borrowed what and when it is due back (no money transactions please), the system should be able to produce at least 3 reports such as inventory list, items due, most active user and most borrowed item.
What are the steps you are going to take to complete the development process.
You should include a detail requirements (5 pages max), suggested design and ER diagram (you can use MS Word for the diagram)
Notes from instructor:
This weeks assignment has you developing two items that are very important in the process of Software Development. The first item is the Systems Development Document. The idea behind this document is to be able to define before you start, exactly what you are going do. This is talked about but rarely done. When done, the success rate of the project goes up dramatically.
The first step to completing this important document is to ask in your world if there is a template for this activity already in use. In many cases, you will find a template that has already been created. If not, fear not as you will not have to create one. The reason that you will not need to create one is due because there are many free templates online that are already designed and all you have to do is fill in the blanks. What if you do not know what to fill in the blanks??? In most cases, the " blanks" will have directions for each section as to what the contents should be.
How do you find these templates??? Use Google and use the following search pattern, " Systems Development Template" . I just did and this time, I came up with 35,400,000 results! Think you can use at least one of these? In many cases, local, city, state, and federal agencies will have their forms available online for their projects but these are great templates to get ideas for you and this assignment.
When I did the above search, one link came back that looked promising! The link took me to a site " Hud.gov" specifically in the " System Development Methodology Templates and Checklists" and in that list was a template titled, " Data Requirements Document" which had both a template and a checklist. When I pressed on the checklist link, a seven page document opened up with tables to fill in. Now, you will not fill in all the information, you pick and choose exactly what you need.
When I pressed on the template link, an 18 page document opened up that lists all kinds of requirements for any Systems Development project. Again, pick and choose what you need for the assignment due this week. For some of you who may have never done this type of document, this will give you ideas on what goes into a requirements document for a database project.
To find resources on how to draw an ERD diagram, use this search term in Google, " How to draw an ERD and tutorial" and you will come up with over " 3,380,000" hits. Usually the first four or five hits will be the best ones. Most ERD diagrams will use Visio or a drawing tool similar to Visio and will have tutorials on how to draw the ERD.
Why do you need to have an ERD? Good question! An ERD will help you to figure out what goes where and how to connect the information later on when forms, reports, and queries need to be written and you need to figure out where you get the information.
In closing, there are many sources such as just described that will give you ideas needed to finish the assignment.