Problems And Exercises Chapters 8 And 9

Problems And Exercises Chapters 8 9chapter 8 Problemsexercises

Imagine the worst possible reports from a system. What is wrong with them? List as many problems as you can. What are the consequences of such reports? What could go wrong as a result? How does the prototyping process help guard against each problem?

Given the guidelines presented in this chapter, identify flaws in the design of the Report of Employees shown below. What assumptions about users and tasks did you make in order to assess this design? Redesign this report to correct these flaws.

Transform the E-R diagram of Figure 9-21 into a set of 3NF relations.

Using the guidelines from Chapter 8, evaluate the usability of the page design depicted in PE Figure 8-1. How would you incorporate help into the interface? How could cookie crumbs be used? Are cookie crumbs desirable? Sketch a layout for the Order History page similar to PE Figure 8-1, and discuss how template-based HTML could be leveraged in system design.

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The evaluation and design of system reports, user interfaces, and data models are critical components in developing effective information systems. When considering the worst possible reports generated by a system, several common issues may surface. These often include redundancy, inaccuracies, lack of clarity, irrelevant data, poor formatting, and missing critical information. Such deficiencies can result in misinformed decision-making, delays in operations, increased workload for staff, and potential financial losses. For example, an overly complex or cluttered report can lead to misinterpretation of data, and inaccuracies can compromise strategic planning.

The role of prototyping in guarding against these issues is substantial. Early prototyping allows designers and stakeholders to identify usability issues, logical errors, or inappropriate data presentation before final implementation. By iteratively refining prototypes, designers can ensure reports meet user needs, are clear, concise, and accurately represent the data, thus mitigating downstream problems. This process facilitates user feedback, improves understanding of their tasks, and ensures the system supports decision-making effectively.

Regarding the assessment of flawed report designs, it is essential to understand the underlying assumptions about users and tasks. Common flaws may include poor layout, inconsistent formatting, lack of filtering options, or insufficient detail for decision-making. These flaws often stem from assumptions that users prefer minimal data, that reports should be static, or that users are familiar with the system. For instance, a report that provides no summary or filtering options assumes users can interpret raw data directly, which may not be valid. Redesigning involves making the report more user-centric by incorporating clear headings, summaries, filtering capabilities, and customizable views to enhance usability.

Transforming an Entity-Relationship (E-R) diagram into Third Normal Form (3NF) relations involves systematic normalization steps. From Figure 9-21, the process includes identifying entities, their attributes, and relationships, then breaking down tables to eliminate redundancy and dependency anomalies. This process typically involves decomposing tables to ensure that all non-key attributes are fully dependent on the primary key, and that transitive dependencies are removed. Proper normalization enhances data integrity and simplifies maintenance, which are crucial for scalable database design in systems such as Petrie’s Electronics case.

Evaluating the usability of интерфейсных страниц, such as depicted in PE Figure 8-1, hinges on principles like clarity, simplicity, consistency, and ease of navigation. A good interface minimizes user effort and reduces errors. Incorporating contextual help is vital; this could involve tooltips, help buttons, or embedded guidance that assist users without cluttering the interface. Cookie crumbs (breadcrumb navigation) can significantly enhance navigation by showing users their current location within the system hierarchy, facilitating easy backtracking and exploration.

Cookie crumbs are generally beneficial in hierarchical systems with multiple levels of information. They provide a visual trail of the user’s navigation path, helping prevent disorientation. However, their usefulness depends on the system’s complexity and user familiarity. Excessive or overly detailed cookie crumbs may clutter the interface, reducing usability. Proper implementation involves ensuring they are visible, intuitive, and contextually relevant.

For the Order History page, a similar layout to PE Figure 8-1 could include a header banner displaying the page title, a sidebar with filtering options (date range, order status), and a main window listing order details such as date, items, total cost, and status. To improve readability, data could be presented in tabular format, with sortable columns and pagination controls. Using consistent templates for such pages ensures uniformity and simplifies maintenance.

Leveraging template-based HTML in the “No Customer Escapes” system allows for dynamic content generation, facilitating customization, faster development, and easier updates. Templates can define consistent layouts, headers, footers, and component placements, while data is injected dynamically. This approach ensures that all pages maintain a uniform look and feel, increasing user comfort and system coherence. Proper use of templates also reduces coding errors and streamlines the process of implementing interface updates across multiple pages.

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