Proposed Approach and Considerations May06-04 Collection Inventory Software Abstract Proposed Approach and Considerations 1. Proposed Approach Determine requirements from faculty advisors and phase I documentation Review and analyze phase I source code Plan design changes and feature additions Implement and test collection software Deliver Collection Inventory Software to faculty advisors and client for beta testing Support feedback from testers by fixing reported bugs 2. Technology Considerations Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux Languages: Java* Database Managers: HSQLDB* Development Environment: Eclipse, NetBeans 3. Testing Considerations White box and black box testing JUnit and Clover testing utilities Client and faculty advisor functionality testing * Previously determined by Phase I People enjoy collecting items and need a way to organize and inventory what they have and what they want; whether this collection is music, movies, books, coins, lawn gnomes, bottle caps, or anything else imaginable, both the usual and the absurd.  Some people, in an almost feeble attempt, use hand written lists or occasionally a minimally useful computer spreadsheet that takes more time than its worth.  There should be a simpler, less time consuming and more dynamic way to do this.  The issue is that there currently isn't a computer program out there that can. This project will implement and finalize such a program:  A computerized inventory system which allows collectors to easily record and maintain their collection.  The system must be simple enough so that almost anyone can operate it and dynamic enough that it can be used for any collection.  It will provide templates for a handful of standard items and be operated on any standard platform, from Windows, to MacOS, to Linux.  With an attractive GUI, this software will enable collectors’ greater enjoyment of their hobby through greater control of their inventory. Figure 1. Collection Inventory Software main screen Estimated Resources Figure 3. Financial and Other Resources Figure 2. Personnel Effort Introduction Project Schedule 2. General Solution Approach Simple, graphical user interface Multi-platform consideration Six standard collection templates Importing existing data files 3. Operating Environment Windows, Linux, or Mac operating systems Personal computers with Java runtime 1.5 4. Intended Users Professional collectors Anyone with a collection of anything 5. Intended Uses Efficient collection management Easy data retrieval through searching and sorting Importing/Exporting collection information 6. Assumptions The work and source code from Dec04-01 will be made available Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms Both English and Metric standards to be accepted Multiple collections will be available on one system 7. Limitations The work of Dec04-01 will be used when possible The level of user expertise will range from novice to advanced Collection size will be limited to available disk space on user’s pc. 8. Expected End-Product and Deliverables Fully functional and thoroughly tested Collection Inventory Software. Incorporated user manual and help documentation 1. General Problem Statement Collections range from small and simple to large and complex. As the size of collections increase, managing what is already owned, what is desired, and many other things becomes increasingly more difficult. Many collections have specific software designed to help manage them, while others don’t. There is a need for a general, all purpose collection inventory software. Figure 4. Project Schedule Closing Summary Hobbyists will now have a customizable, easy-to-use, and platform independent solution to assist them with their growing collections. The software will provide end users with the ability to keep track of any type of collection they may have. Because the software is platform independent, this allows virtually anyone with a computer to run the software. The end-product will be comfortable for anyone to come up to and start using, from the expert to the novice. Project Requirements 1. Design Objectives Dynamic collection management Common collection templates provided Operation on Windows, Mac, and Linux Dynamic importing of electronic data 2. Functional Requirements Add, remove, and modify items and attributes in a collection Searching and sorting of collection items Dynamic collection building from electronic data Collection saving and backup functionality Six pre-defined templates available Exporting and printing capabilities for collection data 3. Design Constraints Use of Dec04-01 code when possible Platform independent design Software fully completed and thoroughly tested within two semesters 4. Measurable Milestones Project definition Technology considerations and selection End-product design End-product implementation End-product testing End-product documentation End-product demonstration Project reporting Figure 5. Import Wizard Figure 6. Online CD-Lookup Window Team Members Phase I Members Faculty Advisors Client Dr. David Stuart Eric Anderson, CprE Matt Moeller, CprE Adam Kovar, CprE Brian Steger, CprE Dustin Lunde, CprE Dr. John Lamont Prof. Ralph Patterson III Neil Kronlage Matthew Ring Brian Ross More project information available at: http://seniord.ee.iastate.edu/may0604/