Lifecycle of the System

7.1 Analysis
• Methods of researching an existing system:

Identify and describe methods of researching an existing system (e.g.

observation, interviews, questionnaires and examination of existing
documents)
Discuss the disadvantages and advantages of the different methods.

• Recording and analyzing information about the current system:

Describe the need to identify inputs, outputs and processing of the

current system
Describe the need to identify problems with the current system
Describe the need to identify the user and information requirements
for the new system.

• Recording and analyzing information about the current system:

Describe the need to identify inputs, outputs and processing of the

current system
Describe the need to identify problems with the current system
 Describe the need to identify the user and information requirements
for the new system

7.2 Design
• Describe how it is necessary to design documents, files, forms/inputs,
reports/outputs and validation

• Produce designs to solve a given problem

• Design data capture forms and screen layouts

• Design report layouts and screen displays

• Design validation routines (including length check, type check, format

check, presence check, check digit)

• Design the required data/file structures (e.g. field length, field name,
data type).

7.3 Development and testing

• Testing designs:

Describe how data/file structures are created and tested

Describe how validation routines are created and tested
Describe how input methods are created and tested
Describe how output formats are created and tested.

• Testing strategies:

Describe the need to test each module

Describe the need to test the whole system
Describe testing using normal data including definition and examples
Describe testing using live data including definition and examples
Describe testing using abnormal data including definition and examples
Describe testing using extreme data including definition and examples.
• Improvements needed as a result of testing:

Describe how it may be necessary to improve the system and make

changes (e.g. data/file structures, validation rules,input methods, output
formats may need to be amended/improved).

7.4 Implementation
• Different methods of system implementation:

Describe the four methods of implementation (direct

changeover, parallel running, pilot running, phased
implementation).

• Methods of implementation:

Identify suitable situations for the use of different methods of

system implementation (e.g. organisations or departments
within organisations which need a quick changeover,
organisations or departments within organisations which cannot
afford to lose data)
Describe advantages and disadvantages of each method of
implementation.

7.5 Documentation
• Technical documentation for an information system:

Explain the need for technical documentation

Identify the components of technical documentation (e.g.
purpose of the system/program, limitations of the system,
program listing, program language, program
flowcharts/algorithms, system flowcharts, hardware and
software requirements, file structures, list of variables, input
format, output format, sample runs/test runs, validation
routines).
• User documentation for an information system:

Explain the need for user documentation

Identify the components of user documentation (e.g. purpose of the
system, limitations of the system, hardware and software
requirements, how to load/run/install software, how to save a file,
how to print data, how to add records, how to delete/edit records,
input format, output formats, sample runs, error messages, error
handling, trouble-shooting guide/help line, frequently asked
questions, glossary of terms).

7.6 Evaluation
• Describe the need to evaluate a solution in terms of the efficiency of
the solution, the ease of use of the solution, and the appropriateness of the
solution.

• Describe the need for a variety of evaluation strategies e.g.

Compare the solution with the original task requirements

Identify any limitations and necessary improvements to the system
Evaluate the users' responses to the results of testing the system.

Tutorial MS Access(2010)
Starting Microsoft Access
As with most Windows programs, Access can be executed by navigating the Start menu in
the lower left-hand corner of the Windows Desktop.

To start Access, click on the Start button, then the Programs menu, then move to the
Microsoft Office menu and finally click on the Microsoft Access menu item. The MS
Office Professional menu is shown below.
 Note that this arrangement of menus may vary depending on how MS Office was installed on
the PC you are using.

Once Access is running, an initial screen will be displayed:

From this initial screen, the user can create a new database (either blank or with some tables
created with the database wizard), or open up an existing database.

In general, the first time one begins a project, a new, blank database should be created. After
that point, use the Open existing database option to re-open the database created previously.
Warning – If you have previously created a database, and then create it again using the same
name, you will overwrite any work you have done.
For the purposes of this tutorial, if you are going through these steps for the first time, choose
the option to create a new, blank database as shown in the above figure.

In Access 2007, click on the round Office button in the upper left corner and choose New from
the drop down menu. Fill in File Name as bankdb.accdb and click on the Create button to create
the database as in the figure below.
In the above file name, bankdb is the name chosen for this particular database and .accdb is the
file name extension given for Microsoft DataBase 2007, 2010 and 2013 files.
It is advisable to keep the name of the database (bankdb in the above example) relatively short
and do not use spaces or other punctuation in the name of the database. Also, the name of the
database should reflect the database’s contents.

Once the new database is created, the following main Access screen will appear:

The screen layout for MS Access 2007 is significantly different from past versions. Most of the
tabs along the top of the screen have been rearranged. In addition, the default main screen after
creating a new database automatically switches to the Design view to create a new table.

The following tabs will appear at the top of the screen:

 Home tab – Controls for changing fonts, performing queries, copy/paste/cut data, etc.
 Create tab – Controls for creating tables, forms, reports, etc.
 External Data tab – Controls for loading data from other data sources into MS Access.
 Database Tools tab – Controls for managing databases (security, switchboard, etc.)
 Design tab – This will appear when designing a new table, form, report, etc.
Note that the interfaces for Access 2007, 2010 and 2013 are all similar although the version that
you use might appear slightly different from the pictures included in this tutorial.

TERMS:
Data is information processed or stored by a computer. This information may be in the form of text
documents, images, audio clips, software programs, or other types of data. Computer data may be
processed by the computer's cpu and is stored in files and folders on the computer's hard disk.

Database is an organized collection of data. A relational database, more restrictively, is a collection of

schemas, tables, queries, reports, views, and other elements.

System consists of hardware components that have been carefully chosen so that they work well
together and software components or programs that run in the computer. The main software
component is itself an operating system that manages and provides services to other programs that can
be run in the computer.

Design is the process of defining the architecture, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy
specified requirements. Systems design could be seen as the application of systems theory to product
development.

Analysis is the process of automatically analyzing the behavior of computer programs regarding a
property such as correctness, robustness, safety and liveness. Program analysis focuses on two major
areas: program optimization and program correctness.

Tutorial on How to Create a Form (MS Access)

To create a form:

1. In the Navigation pane, selectthe table you want to use to create a form. You do not
need to open the table.
 2. Select the Create tab on the Ribbon, and locate the Formsgroup. Click
the Form command.

3. Your form will be created and opened in Layout view.

4. To save the form, click the Savecommand on the Quick Access toolbar. When prompted, type
a name for the form, then click OK.

ABOUT SUBFORMS
If you created a form from a table whose records are linked to another table, your form probably
includes a subform. A subform is a datasheet form that displays linked records in a table-like
format. For instance, the subform included in the Customers form we just created displays linked
customer orders.

We probably don't need to include this subform because we just want to use the Customers form
to enter and review contact information. If you find that you don't need a subform, you can
easily delete it. Simply click it and press the Delete key.
However, subforms aren't always useless. Depending on the content and source of your form,
you might find that the subform contains useful information, as in the example below. In
our Orders form, the subform contains the name, quantity, and price of each item contained in
that order, which is all useful information.

Scientific Step in Problem Solving

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer
questions. Does this mean all scientists follow exactly this process? No. Some areas of science can be
more easily tested than others. For example, scientists studying how stars change as they age or how
dinosaurs digested their food cannot fast-forward a star's life by a million years or run medical exams on
feeding dinosaurs to test their hypotheses. When direct experimentation is not possible, scientists
modify the scientific method. In fact, there are probably as many versions of the scientific method as
there are scientists! But even when modified, the goal remains the same: to discover cause and effect
relationships by asking questions, carefully gathering and examining the evidence, and seeing if all the
available information can be combined in to a logical answer.

Even though we show the scientific method as a series of steps, keep in mind that new information or
thinking might cause a scientist to back up and repeat steps at any point during the process. A process
like the scientific method that involves such backing up and repeating is called an iterative process.

Whether you are doing a science fair project, a classroom science activity, independent research, or any
other hands-on science inquiry understanding the steps of the scientific method will help you focus your
scientific question and work through your observations and data to answer the question as well as
possible.

Importance of a Team or Group

This is because good teamwork or group work creates synergy – where the combined effect of the team
is greater than the sum of individual efforts. ... As well as enhancing organisations' performance good
teamwork benefits individuals too. It enables mutual support and learning, and can generate a sense of
belonging and commitment.