Design
Design
Stage-2 Design
Using the list of requirements, the systems analyst now has to design the new system.
In most cases the new system will be computer-based. The ease with which computers can
communicate and process data means that are usually the best tool for the job.
Choosing the Best Data Capture and Data Input Methods for the
System
Collecting data into a form that is ready for input to a computer system can be
done in many ways...
Paper Forms
Form can be a simple ones with spaces for numbers and text to be written in.
The data from this form would then be typed into the computer
Card Reader
Many cards contain data stored on a magnetic strip or in a small bit
of memory (smart cards) which can be captured with a card reader
Camera
Capture still or moving images which can then be input to a computer for processing
In the payroll example, the hours worked by the employees could be captured using...
Form Controls
On-screen forms can have a variety of controls (the little buttons / boxes that you click or type in):
Textbox
Used for normal text input
Buttons
Used to perform an action
Drop-Down Menus
Used to select options from a list
Note that appropriate controls have been used for each field
As data is entered into the form, it needs to be checked for accuracy. Two
techniques help us do this: validation and verification...
Data Validation Techniques
When data is input to a computer, it is a good idea for the computer to check that the data
is sensible (no dates of birth in the future, etc.)
Checks like this are called validation checks (is the data valid?)
Different validation checks can be used on different fields, depending on the type of data being
entered...
Presence Check
Is data actually present in a field, or has it been missed out?
Range Check
Is the data value within a set range?
(E.g. an exam mark should be between 0% and 100%, a month should be
between 1 and 12)
Length Check
Is an item of text too short or too long?
Type Check
Is the data the correct type?
(E.g. the letter ‘A’ should not be allowed in a numeric field)
Format Check
Is the data in the correct format?
(E.g. a date of birth should be entered as dd/mm/yyyy)
If one of the validation checks fails (because the data entered is invalid) the computer should
show a nice, friendly error message such as...
For example, if you are entering a date of birth and you mis-type it…
Correct date of birth: 12/11/1982
Date of birth entered: 12/11/1928
. . . you would not see an error, since 12/11/1928 is a valid date of birth.
To check that data is the correct value, we use a system called data verification.
Double-Entry
The data is entered into the computer twice (preferably by two different
people).
The computer compares the two sets of data to see if they match. If not it
generates an error and a person will need to correct the mistake.
Double-entry takes more time and effort, but it catches almost every mistake.
A common example of double-entry verification is when you are asked to choose a
new password - you are usually asked to type it in twice to make sure you've typed it correctly
(since the actual letters are hidden)
A data structure is an organised collection of data. Most commonly, this will be some sort
of database in which data will be stored as it is being processed.
The designer also need to consider which backing storage device and media will be suitable to
store the data:
Of course, the system designer also needs to design the actual steps
to be followed to processing the data (the algorithm).
Designing an on-screen report is similar to designing an on-screen form (see above). There are a
number of things that the designer should consider.
Text
Images
Bar charts
Pie charts
Animations
Video
Designing a printed report is just like designing an on-screen report (see above), except that the
report needs to fit a piece of printer paper, rather than the screen. The report might also include
page numbers, a header / footer, etc
Printed reports often have features that on-screen reports don't have, such as page headers and
footers (containing page numbers, etc.)