7 Different Forms of Documentation

There are 7 Differing forms of documentation you need to know about for completing this assessment:

- Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD's)
- Table Templates
​- Query Design
- Wireframe Sketches
- Testing Documentation
​- Code Commenting
​- Relevant Implications

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Important note for those aiming for Excellence:
It is essential that you demonstrate that you have used efficient tools & techniques, this means:

• Planning FIRST and demonstrating that you planned BEFORE developing the outcome
• Version control - this means keeping different versions of your final product
• Your testing takes a planned approach and isn't just trial and error. This means showing that you have thought through what you are going to test and you have a clearly written plan for how you will test this. Not just checking for a problem and fixing it.
• Labelling buttons and functions accurately and clearly so that other people looking at your code know exactly what links to what, as well as what it is for.

Entity Relationship Diagrams

Entitiy Relationship Diagrams (ERD's) show the over all structure of the database and how the different fields connect together.

Here is an ERD for a Candy database

Notice the ERD contains a display for ALL tables in the database.

​Also notice how the Tables are connected together

​We use single lines and Crows feet for different reasons

Many

Many relationships are usually always connected to foreign Keys

One

Notice the Vertical line...

This means that the Candy MUST have a Colour

A Candy in this diagram MUST have a type and a colour,

Sometimes you will leave it without a line as the object doesn't need the relationship

Task: Create an ERD diagram for the School database

Make sure the teacher checks it to see if it is okay

​User Draw.io and look for Entity relationships under software.

Relationship:

Which Way Around

Think of it this way:
Green Arrow - A Colour may be used in many candy's
Red Arrow - A Candy can only have one colour

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Table Templates

Table Templates are pretty simple

You put in the name of the field and the Data type.

The description should explain what the field stores along side any restrictions.

Task: Create a table template for both the student table and any other table.

​Create the table in Microsoft Word

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Query Templates

Query Templates are a little more complicated

For each query you have (this includes update, insert and delete) you need to fill out a query design form

Each line is the data field, which table you want to get that information from, what the condition of that is and whether it is viewable or not.

Task: Complete a query design for one of your queries in Microsoft Word

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Wire Frame Sketches

Wire frame sketches show the basic outline of the form you are going to create.

For a merit grade, you will need to create your wire frame sketches, then get feedback on them, and create new ones.

​This is part of iterative development

In Draw.io Select Layout to get the basic wire frame template.

Task 1: Finish off the diagram I have created on the right for the student form. Make it match the one that you created in Access.

Task 2: Create a wireframe for a new user form. Do some research on other sign up/new user forms on websites for ideas on what inputs to have.

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Testing documentation

Data Validation

Simply test a variety of different data inputs and outputs, you only need to show a sample of tests so three will suffice.

I will be judging your database as a whole to see if it is properly tested.

Also record your feedback from your users for Merit, but we will get to that later.

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Code Commenting

You don't need to go overboard with commenting, as this is not a programming assessment,

However we should have programming on every piece that we do

Here is a sample on the right.

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Relevant Implications

When completing the assessment you will need to talk about why 4 implications are relevant to your database and how your database meets the implication.

Health and Safety, intellectual property are not a relevant implication,

The most relevant implications are: Functionality, end-user considerations, privacy, legal, ethical, aesthetics.

To be safe do the following:
1.) Explain the implication
2.) Explain why it is relevant
3.) Give an example of how your database meets the criteria