Major Development Activities

Several development activities are carried out during structured design. They are data base design, implementation planning, system test preparation, system interface specification, and user documentation .

1.Data base design. This activity deals with the design of the physical database. A key is to determine how the access paths are to be implemented. A physical path is derived from a logical path. Pointers, chains, or other mechanisms may implement it, as we discuss in Chapter.

2.  Program design. In conjunction with database design is a decision on the programming language to be used and the flowcharting, coding, and debugging procedure prior to conversion. The operating system limits the programming languages that will run on the system.

       When the system design is under way and programming begins, the plans and test cases for implementation are soon required. This means ere must be detailed schedules for system testing and training of the user staff. Planned training allows time for selling the candidate system to those ho will deal with it on a regular basis. Consequently, user would be minimized.

3. System and program test preparation. Each aspect of the system has a separate test requirement. System testing is done after all programming and testing is completed. The test cases cover every aspect of candidate system-actual operations, user interface and so on. System program test requirements become a part of design specifications-a p requisite to implementation.

4. In contrast to system testing is acceptance testing, which puts system through a procedure design to convince the user that the candidate system will meet the stated requirements. Acceptance testing is technically similar to system testing, but politically it is different. In system testing, b are found and corrected with no one watching. Acceptance testing conducted in the presence of the user, audit representatives, or the entire staff.

               Since test cases may be shared by both system testing and accept testing, system testing may be viewed as a dress rehearsal for the acceptance test. The criteria or plan for acceptance should be available in structured specification.

5. System interface specification. This phase specifies for the user information should enter and leave the system. The designer offers the various options. By the end of the design, formats have to be agreed upon that machine-machine and human-machine protocols are well defined prior to implementation.

             Before the system is ready for implementation, user documentation the form of a user or operator's manual must be prepared. The m provides instructions on how to install and operate the system, how to provide input, how to access, update, or retrieve information, how to play or print output, in what format, and so on. Much of this documentation cannot be written until the operation documentation is finalized task that usually follows design.