1. Software Support Framework
Abstract
Abstract
Project Requirements
The Ongo08 senior design team is designing applications to assist school districts in raising their students’ problem-solving skills. During development, it was discovered that each application needed to perform similar tasks, such as keeping track of a student’s progress. To prevent each sub team from having to code the same functionality, our team is providing a set of functions common to all applications. This will allow the other sub teams to focus more on their specific applications and provide a more maintainable end product.
Design Objectives
Shall support current and future applications
Shall function on current PHP and Apache server systems
Shall provide database modification methods
Functional Requirements
Shall provide methods to support educational software
Shall provide methods for storing and implementing quizzes and grades
Shall interface with a MySQL database
Design Constraints
Shall have constraints and limitations inherited by the use of PHP and MySQL
Shall be supported only on selected versions of PHP and MySQL
Shall utilize functionality that is included with the PHP language package
All applications built using the framework shall follow the model shown in Figure 4
Milestones
Train and assist sub-teams in how to use the framework developed last semester
Determine new functionality and data storage requirements for framework
Submit requirement recommendations to other sub-teams for approval
Code newly defined functions
Perform testing on the new code
Introduction
General Problem Statement
The other Ongo08 sub teams are looking for a standard set of functions to aid in the development of their educational software.
General Solution Statement
A framework must be developed to facilitate the creation of the educational software
The framework must manage student, parent, teacher, and administrative access
The framework must provide a method for quizzing students
The framework must record and track student grades
Operating Environment
The framework will exist and run on a Linux server
The framework code will be stored on a server in an environmentally controlled room
Figure 1 below demonstrates environment interactions
Intended Users and Uses
Table 1 below shows the descending access levels of the major user groups:
Assumptions
The framework shall be composed of PHP library files and documentation
The framework shall be utilized by developers to create future educational applications
PHP will be available on all server platforms running the software
The application server shall never be overloaded or compromised
Limitations
The object oriented features of PHP are inferior to those in other languages such as Java
It is impossible to foresee all future applications that will utilize the PHP framework
Response time of the PHP framework will be limited to the speed of the internet connection between the client and the server
Expected End Product
Set of functions common to all current applications, encompassing:
Timing functionality for quizzes
Problem categorization
Improved authentication
Support for functions and their implementation
Documentation for implementation and future development
Figure 4: Three Tier Database Application Structure
Proposed Approach and Considerations
Figure 1: Framework Integration Diagram
Proposed Approach
Perform analysis to determine needs that framework must meet
Divide needs up into easy-to-manage functions
Request feedback from other sub-teams on the analysis obtained
Create code for functions
Perform testing on functions using a variety of testing methods
Technologies Considered
Scripting Language Selection
ASP.NET
PHP (chosen)
Database Engine
SQL Server 2000
MySQL (chosen)
Server Modules
Apache Server Modules (chosen)
IIS Server Plug-in
Testing Considerations
White box testing (individual functions)
Black box testing (entire system)
Boundary value testing
Beta-testing by other sub-teams
User Group
Uses
Definition
Developers
Development and testing
Members of the Ongo08 senior design project team
Administrators
Use data to compare students
School faculty in managerial positions
Coordinators
Add problems to database
School faculty in charge of generating course content
Teachers
Judge student performance and add problems to database
School faculty directly involved with teaching students course material
Students
Run applications and view scores
Third through sixth graders using the Ongo08 software
Parents
View children’s scores and class average
Guardians of the students
Guests
Run application and browse example records
Anyone outside the groups above
Table 1: Intended Users and Uses
Schedule
Estimated Resources
Figures 2 and 3 below show the estimated resources required for this semester’s development of the framework.
Figure 5: Estimated Timeline
Summary
The Software Support Framework will provide a set of common functions that the other sub-teams can use in the development of their applications, as well as thorough documentation and references describing these functions. These functions will aid in the development of new teaching software by increasing its reliability and development speed. The framework will be written using the PHP scripting language and will communicate with a MySQL database to store the data generated by the applications.
Figure 2: Estimated Budget
Figure 3: Estimated Effort, hours
Project Team Information
Ongo08d
Team Members:
Mark Klein CprE
Jason Wilkinson CprE/ComS
Parik Advani CprE
Nichole Burgett CprE/ComS
Nate Gordon CprE
Client:
Ames Community Schools
Ongo08 subteams
Project Web Site:
Advisors:
Prof. Ralph Patterson III Dr. John Lamont