1. AppointmentmentPeach Appointment Manager
CSCI 6442 Project
Spring, 2018

2. Requirements
Build a WordPress plugin, accessible (and free) for anyone’s use
Plugin provides a shortcode that can be pasted onto a page of a WordPress site
Shortcode adds an appointment manager to that page
Can be used by the organization to allow its clients to schedule their own appointments
Each client sees only their own appointments
Flexible reporting tools

3. Objections This isn’t the latest, fancy buzzword technology
I will have to adapt to a limited database environment
Why do I have to program in PHP?

4. Responses
When you actually work, you’ll often need to adapt to the technology that’s available, not always the very newest
MySQL has the basic capability for a competent data model and reasonable SQL use
Often we have to program in what’s available; and PHP is easy to learn
Note that you also will gain experience in the Web/application hosting environment that is dominating the World Wide Web

5. Introduction
AppointmentPeach: A WordPress plugin to add client appointment self-scheduling to a WordPress Web site for a practice.
Support for : Selection of provider and type of appointment, schedule, reschedule and cancel appointments
Reporting: Clients can see all of their appointments; providers can each see their personal schedule of booked appointments; practice administrator can see all booked appointments and all client actions
Administration: Practice administrator can schedule and reschedule appointments, edit providers, appointment types, appointment lengths, provider schedules

6. Why AP?
Flexible : Can be used to schedule appointments for a variety of groups and individuals
Up-To-Date : Keeps track of all appointments
Quick and Robust : User Friendly Interface
Reporting : Provides convenient on-line and off-line access to schedules
For an example of the capability, see the Scheduler page of Gaithersburg Dental Care.

7. Technical Environment
Web server from a commercial ISP
Staging sub-domain for pre-release versions
WordPress to give us a pre-built UI
MySQL DBMS

8. Getting Started on WordPress
There are two links on the class site for WordPress plugin development:
Intro, followed by more details on OO plugin development
The WordPress Plugin Handbook
There are several books on WordPress plugin development on Amazon

9. Teams and Membership
System Engineering Team : Leads the Project, coordinates with all teams, controls requirements, establishes software development and configuration control environments (2)
Data Administration: Develops and maintains data model and stored procedures (2)
Scheduling Team : Develops functionality for client scheduling and client rescheduling and notification of all appointment changes
Reporting Team : Provides access by providers, administrators and clients to appointments, and access to appropriate change capabilities (change capabilities provided by Scheduling Team). Provides pdfs of schedules.

10. Team Requirement Each team must have a balance of experience levels
SET should have software development experience
DBA team should have significant db experience

11. Project Requirements
A requirements document will be given to the project shortly
Use case forms are on the class Web site
Data model design, code design, software engineering process and environment should all begin at that time
Weekly progress reports due from each person
Accomplishments during the week: specific accomplishments, not just “worked on”
Planned accomplishments for next week
Homework grade is given for each progress report, based on difficulty of assignment and accomplishments

12. Development Environment
Nothing is considered accomplished until it works in a shared environment
Shared environments:
Development—for software that’s undergoing test
Test—for integrated test of the entire product
Staging—release ready for production
Production
SET will establish rules for software release to each environment
Only SET will publish into production environment

13. Development Methodology
Usually software development is design, build, test
That won’t work—we don’t have time
We will conduct design, build, test all at the same time, starting now
SET configures test environments, establishes submission, release procedures
DBA team designs data model, first doing parts needed by development teams
Development teams develop the first plugin with some functions

14. Project Grade Large component of project grade is the final result
High quality UI
Lots of useful function
Of course the whole thing working
Easy for a new person to pick up and use
Easy for an enterprise to sign up and sign up their members
Large component of project grade based on ranking of contribution
Each project member will do a ranking of all participants by contribution to the project
Your position on that ranking will be a factor in your grade
Large component of project grade based on my personal assessment
If the project is a failure no one can expect a good grade from it

15. Communication Biggest problem in projects is lack of communication
Not everyone knows what others are doing, or problems they are having
Use the class list for all project communications—yes, it goes to everyone
Use subject line carefully so that we don’t all read things we don’t need to
This way everyone will have a picture of what’s going on

16. The Key to Success The biggest reason for success is teamwork
Disputes waste time!!
Iron-clad rule: never criticize another project member!
It’s OK to criticize their idea, their approach, even their work
But not the person
Don’t say “you are wrong”. Say “I don’t agree that X, I think Y is correct.” Don’t say “you made a mistake.” Say “I tested your version of X and can’t get it to do Y.”
If you criticize another project member, you get F for the project. Really.

17. Bottom Line The project is doable
The application is of real scale, can be demonstrated during, say, an interview
It will also be very satisfying to produce a useful project that is quite professional
Working closely with the project you will become good friends with some smart people

18. Goal for Next Week
Each team choose a leader. You can keep that leader or rotate leadership
First tables of data model to be designed, agreed by all teams, created by dba team. Test appointment data to be inserted.
Plugin to be created by the Scheduling team so that it creates a shortcode that demonstrably works
Reporting team to produce a pdf of appointments on demand.
All of this to work on the staging site and demonstrated next week