To truly learn how to build business applications with databases, you need to work on a group project. The group project is simpler than real life cases, but complex enough to illustrate common problems that you may encounter.
The project will reinforce the concepts discussed in lectures, especially database design (ER diagrams, normalization, SQL). By working on the project throughout the semester, you can have a better understanding of the topics.
Project Requirements
This group project (5-6 members each) is to develop a database system for a newly established e-Commerce company. It contributes 30 points (30%) to the course grade. By the end of the project, students should be able to
Non-technical
- Perform a comprehensive analysis on data and functional requirements
- Allocate different tasks to group members effectively as in IT development projects
- Build professional IT documentations
Technical
- Perform data modeling of the application using Toad Data Modeler
- Construct an information system using (SQL) and its extensions (i.e., PL/SQL)
- Compile valuable managerial information from the database using SQL
To fulfill the project requirements, each project group will conduct two demonstrations, a progress demonstration (5%) and a project demonstration.
Important Dates
Project Group Formation
Progress Demonstration
Project Demonstration and Final Report
Deliverables
Progress Demonstration
All project groups are required to demonstrate the progress of their project. It is mandatory for each group to walk-through the project with the instructor during the 8-min demonstration in week 7. This is to make sure the project is developed on an appropriate track.
There will be no make-up demonstrations available. Groups that fail to demonstrate during the specified periods will be scored 0% in the demonstration.
In the progress demonstration, project groups should submit a preliminary version of the final report:
- Conceptual data model β 1 page
You should present the E-R diagram and provide necessary explanations of the model, such as why specific entity classes, relationships, and attributes are modeled in your model. You should state the business rules and assumptions you have made.
- Data dictionary β 2 to 4 pages
You should describe all tables including their attributes, primary keys, and foreign keys.
- Functional requirements β 1 page
You should include a list of functions that you have implemented. Besides a list of basic functions of which you can find from the project case document, you should also list and explain the extra function you have implemented (if any).
- Screenshots of system prototypes β 8 to 10 pages
You should design the GUI layout of your system based on the functions of which you can find from the project case document. You should also show the page flow and indicate all the buttons that required using SQL statements accessing with the database tables.
In addition to a preliminary version of the final report, project groups should also create the table structure physically in the Oracle Database with all the functions.
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Project Demonstration and Final Report
All groups must conduct final project demonstrations to the instructors in week 13. Each group is given 20 minutes to demonstrate all functions of their systems. Details and rules will be given in due course.
After the project demonstration, each project group is required to submit a final report. The report is the formal document of your system. It should integrate all work you have done in this semester, containing the following sections:
- Introduction to the project β 1 page
- Conceptual data model (improved from Progress Demonstration) β 1 page
You should present the finalized E-R diagram and provide necessary explanations of the model, such as why specific entity classes, relationships, and attributes are modeled in your model. You should state the business rules and assumptions you have made. - Logical data model β 1 to 2 pages, landscape
You should map the E-R diagram into relations and normalize the relations into 2NF or 3NF. To prove that the relations are all in 2NF or 3NF, you must list all functional dependencies for every relation. You may consider using Excel to draw the relations, with hand-drawn functional dependencies and referential integrity.
- Data dictionary (improved from Progress Demonstration) β 2 to 4 pages
You should describe all tables including their attributes, primary keys, and foreign keys.
- Functional requirements (improved from Progress Demonstration) β 1 page
You should include a list of functions that you have implemented. Besides a list of basic functions of which you can find from the project case document, you should also list and explain the extra function you have implemented (if any).
- A brief conclusion β 0.5 to 1 page
Summarize the state of your project and any thoughts you have on this project including suggestions and comments for further development.
- Assumptions β 0.5 to 1 page
Document any extra assumptions (in point form) that you make when you implement the project.
Spring 2019-20
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