Organizational Notes

2 Optional Solutions Organized Notes

Solution 1 Access Database:
Pros:

•  Instantaneously organized data input
• Forms make data input easier
• Reports are easier to print
• Log of meetings is kept
• Form of notes taken during the meeting is recorded

Cons:

• User may need Microsoft Access training.

Solution 2 Excel Spreadsheet:
Pros:

• Training not required
• Possibility of hiring someone to input information manually is also an option

Cons:

• Lots of redundancies for every meeting
• May take longer to update
• You would have to manually specify what parts of the spreadsheet you'd like to print every time you want a report
• May need to setup complicated VLOOKUP functions to create desired views or reports
• If someone is hired, costs for an organizational tool becomes expensive.

Javascript

First of I'd like to mention how funny I think it is that JavaScript is called JavaScript even thought the language itself has absolutely nothing to do with Java. I've always touched on what JavaScript is with friends and co-workers at the IT department, but I never realized the impact of JavaScript on the way we use the internet being essential. To think that Brendan Eich made Javascript in 10 days, a program language that makes the internet experience what it is today, is a crazy thought. Could you imagine the internet without AJAX? AJAX allows web browsers to reload certain parts of web pages without re-building the entire website over again. This makes me wonder what Facebook would be like without it.

JavaScript is the link between the browser and Java. It allows users to have Java Applets etc, on your browser experience. In actuality, it has nothing to do with Java, other than the fact above. In a way, Netscape was riding the wave of coolness Java brought to the table in the 90's, and for that reason, they named LiveScript JavaScript instead.

Feasibility Analysis Draft

The idea's technical feasibility (Can we build it?)

- Familiarity with Functional area - developer familiar with database but not with a complex Graphic user interface.

- Familiarity with Technology - developer has created small databases in the past based on SQL

- Project size - small project

- Compatibility - project manager already has Microsoft Access and light experience.

The economic feasibility (Will it provide business value?)

- Development costs - 5hours to develop.  2hrs+ training of staff.

- Annual operating costs - 0 (free)

- Annual benefits - reduction in time sifting through post-its

- Intangible costs and benefits - a sense of organization and time efficiency

The organizational feasibility (If we build it, will it be used?)

- Project champions - John, Project Manager

- Senior management - Just John

- Users - John

- Other stakeholders - none

- Is the project strategically aligned with the business - Yes, the project helps John organize his thoughts and print summaries for past team meeting updates.

The Importance of a Feasibility Analysis

Dealing with a feasibility analysis reminds me of the many project implementations  that I have witness failing. The reason for the failure was due to the lack of a feasibility analysis.

In this case, the program implementation dealt with a counter that would count the amount of times students would enter the HPU computer lab without an ID. The policy was that you as a student are allotted 3 opportunities to enter the computer lab without an ID. After those three chances were given, students are not supposed to be let into the lab without an ID card.  Although the program in itself was very useable and met the needs of the client, the project was not strategically aligned with the business.  This very essential part of the feasibility analysis was not met, and therefore the project ended in failure. The flaw did not lye with program counting student ID less entries, but with the policy. To deny current students entry into the computer lab for a missing ID is unacceptable. This goes to show that experience and foresight in planning such as Feasibility analysis  are essential to success.

Organized Notes

To say in the lamest terms, the Project manager would like tot have a better way of managing and organizing meeting notes from post-its into an organizable database. Post its may be useful at setting ideas in motion, but once the madness is on the floor, technology can help you sort through it.



So I have started writing user stories for the Project Manager by listing his needs. Here is what I got so far:

Project Effort Estimation

I thought that reading this subject out of the text book is so ironic. I am currently an intern at a company dealing with the implementation of a project. In a way, I was hired to assist in making the project deadline being met. So in my case, the project management decided to sacrifice the cost of the project in order to attain a timely completion of the project. The project management team, in coordination with LAWSON


 is implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning software(ERP). In the end, The Project Team and Lawson coordinated a deadline for the project.

Brainstorm 3 Food client database

a) Project Sponsor -- Ramon Rojales

b) Organizational Need -- in need of a program to keep track of client orders and print invoices. This will allow his food company to keep track of expenses and profits. "Client information that can be organized at your fingertips would work nice as well."

c) Organizational Requirements -- organize categories of a client, food, # of orders, and should be able to print invoices according to orders.

d) Organizational Value -- The organization will gain value in the program or database because it will keep track of clients and what they order. It will also be a way for Ramon to print proper invoices. By creating an application with these capabilities, he should also be able to pick up trends and suggest food orders from previous clients at certain times of the year.

e) Special Issues or Constraints -- the program must be able to print proper invoices. The program must be kept on personal laptop. The program must ensure data integrity

My solution is a simple database on his computer. Either Java or Access implementation. would suffice.

Brainstorm 2 PDF to Excel Conversion

a) Project Sponsor -- Lori Jansn

b) Organizational Need -- she needs a program that can take pdf files from the vendor and be able to import them into microsoft excel.

c) Organizational Requirements -- The system must take pdf file with data and import the data with the same fromat and spacing into microsoft excel

d) Organizational Value --The value of this program is that it will save a lot of time. Excel is always used in the corporate world. A lot of times professionals will only feel comfortable presenting their specs, especially budgets in PDF form. For this reason, for the second company handling this would have to manually import the data back into a manageable data form.

e) Special Issues or Constraints --The application must be secure and stable. It must retain data integrity or else budgets and other vital information could be compromised.This means that the proper recognition of delimiters is vital.


The problem with this request for a program like this is that I have no idea how to make a program like this.

Brainstorm 1 Notes Assistant

a) Project Sponsor -- John Shin

b) Organizational Need -- Lori is a project manager for Hawaii Pacific Health and she needs an application to help her take notes on meetings. She needs a program that will allow her to organize the thoughts of the meeting and the issues being discussed. This program will help her create reports from the meetings to ensure what was discussed is handled.

c) Organizational Requirements -- The application would need to be able to fit criteria under 3 categories, Well, Loose ends, and gonewell. These categories must be able to output proper readable reports that will later be used to make sure that the project team remains on track.

d) Organizational Value -- The benefit from this application would be able to take data from sticky notes, into a readable report

e) Special Issues or Constraints -- This data that will be discussed needs to secure, so it will have to be locally hosted program, and it must be able to import into and export from Microsoft Excel.

My solution to this kind of application would be a simple database with Access used as the interface. This way, Access should be able to import/export data to excel.

Test Driven

Test Driven Programming solution is a very powerful solution to several programming problems. What I've come to find out is, if you program without testing along the way, You will be left with a million compile errors with no idea where to start looking for solutions to them. One of the many solutions to this would be test driven programming. Java is my programming language of choice, and that means that it is object oriented. It makes a lot of sense to test each of these objects separately to make sure each of the methods work as they are supposed to. This method of test driven programming helps me eliminate problem potential segments, and helps me deduce what went wrong with the program logic.

Blog Customization

Upon watching the newest Video from Sam's Class on Software Engineering,



I stumbled upon customization of my blog. By applying a simple theme to the blog, I feel like my blog has completely Transformed. Does anyone have any suggestions on formatting? Please let me know.

By giving my blog a little bit of my own personalization instead of keeping it as simple as possible, I feel much more professional and open minded.

High Quality Routines

I feel like I run into many problems being a programmer. I believe it has everything to do with me being stubborn. In this past reading of "High Quality Routines" the chapter talks about naming your methods appropriately. When I started programming in Java, I found that naming methods with descriptive names really goes a long way. :) The first time I used simple but non descriptive names for my methods. I named my methods numerically starting with 1. I soon found out that I would tend to forget what the "1" method was used for. Rather than "printUppercase". In the end, reading High Quality Routines has really good advise, I just wish I got the advise earlier.

Saas, Ruby, Edx

I just wanted to take this time to talk about my thoughts on Edx. Lately we've been completing this course from Berkly called Edx, and it is some really intense stuff. I feel a little overwhelmed to be honest. At the same time, I always try to stay positive.

I thought this would be a good way to get some of my questions answered. Does anyone know if were going to go past week 4? I'm currently working on the 2nd homework and installing "roku" or whatever it's called, and I cant help but wonder if I'm going to be able to do the homeworks. On the plus side, I saw that there is a certification to have after you finish Edx. I just wanted to let my fellow peers know, if your having a hard time programming on Edx, YOUR NOT THE ONLY ONE. Also, don't forget to go on skype to ask for help. Do not be a fool and spend time trying to figure things out by yourself.

week 4 and 5 Ruby Thoughts

Hello Everyone,

I'm sure everyone is doing well on the assignments. I personally am having a hard time programming. I have a basic Java level programming. I do not plan on becoming a programmer in this lifetime. I understand that programming will help me become a better IT. What I really had a hard time grasping was that one question on Week 4 numbers quiz was number
"7. Print a sequence of number pairs "x,y" such that x ranges from 0 to 3 and y from 5 to 7 "

I understand that i have to use something 0.unto(3), or something close to that effect. 

Although I can sit here and complain how I really suck at programming, I can't help but marvel at the genius of Ruby. To make everything a method instead of having multiple data types really opens the possibilities. This method of programming will allow you to change the internal rules by assigning differences in methods. For example, you can make 5+6 different from 6+5. 

So all in all, Ruby is a double edged sword in my opinion. 

p.s. I just thought the picture of the ruby looked cool. LOL!

Likes/Dislikes Week 2 CSCI 3211

Hello Everyone,

This will be my weekly blog, and I decided to talk about my likes and dislikes of this weeks assignments. Starting with my likes, I found that using skype and being able to chat with the class and receive help from the teacher turned out to be really helpful. I wish more professors would use skype to get in contact with students. This class has also pushed me into signing up for Linkedin. I should have signed up for that a long time ago, but never got around to it. Making it a requirement gave me the push I need to finally sign up for it. I know that Linkedin may help me find a job in the future.
In contrast to what I really liked about this  week, I continually ran into a lot of problems. My first problem was when Firefox kept throwing errors on Ruby. I should remember to step back and take a look at the big picture as a better programmer. The solution was found by Sam and myself to switch to Google Chrome. My second problem then became the Git tutorial. I ran into a similar problem, in where it asked me to sign up for Git, which I did, but then the tutorial wouldn't let me past the part where it asked me to sign up. I decided to look at the chat and found that Bronson Tanaka found a solution by closing it out and continuing through Code School. The solution worked and I was able to finish. So although I did run into a lot of technical issues, the technical issues in turn taught me to be a better programmer by thinking out of the box.

Thanks for listening,

-Josh

Sockekt Programming

Hello Everyone,

So this week I have to do a programming assignment for my other class  using java. I will have to create a program to ping a "server" which will actually just be another java class file. I am so excited! I feel like It's a simple program though, so I shouldn't have to worry. It is just demonstrating time delay within the ping. I think that is so awesome. So I am going back and forth between this and writing the code. Just finished. The time is only 2.23 second delay. Did you know that the average user will only wait 8 seconds for a webpage to load. That average time delay for a webpage to load goes down every year. It seems that everyone is getting more and more impatient. But when Professor Malica told the class this fact, I was able to contradict her statement and prove to her that indeed people will wait for longer than 8 seconds as long as the webpage being loaded is facebook.

The Perfect Program

So reading about Pragmatic Paranoia made me think of one thing over and over again. Programming AI (artificial intelligence). I understand man's pursuit of the perfect code, but the code simply does not exist. Hence defensive programming. But while I was thinking of all the methods, I couldn't help but think of an evolving algorithm. Such as the flu. If man in the future could design an evolving algorithm which can think for itself such as UI, maybe a program may become perfect. This eventually got me to thinking about "The Matrix".

 

So if the AI would constantly think of defense mechanisms around the perfect program, the program would be ever evolving. But then this leads to the question of What is the definition of perfect, and that we will save for another topic. In man's quest for the perfect program, will man create a situation such as the matrix? Only time will tell.