Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Construction

• The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) has phases: Idea, Planning, Drawing Analysis, Blueprint Development, and Construction Implementation.
• The Construction phase focuses on building the system, including programming, testing, and documentation.
• Documentation is crucial for usability and maintenance. Types include system documentation (for developers/analysts) and user documentation (for end-users).
• System documentation includes reference materials, procedural manuals, and tutorials and is largely a byproduct of the analysis and design process.
• User documentation guides users on system operations, including reference documents for tasks, procedures manuals for broader processes, and tutorials for learning fundamental system aspects.
• The diagrams show how documentation is structured, highlighting topics, tasks, navigation controls, and other components.
• Testing in systems development is vital. Key test types include unit, integration, system, acceptance (alpha and beta).

Construction Phase

• Testing and documentation are crucial, often taking more time than programming.
• Efficient programming relies on careful module assignment, robust coordination, and schedule management.
• Analysts are involved in oversight, testing, and coordinating the development process.

Programming Management

• Systems analysts play a key role in the oversight, testing, and coordination of the development process.
• Efficient programming depends on careful module assignments, robust coordination, and schedule management.
• Documentation is categorized into system documentation (for developers/analysts) and user documentation (for end-users).
• Good documentation is essential for system usability and maintenance. This includes reference materials, procedures manuals, and tutorials.
• Testing in system development ensures the system works as intended, meeting functional and non-functional needs (like security and performance). Test types include unit, integration, system, and acceptance tests.

Testing in Systems Development

• Testing's purpose is to identify discrepancies between expected and actual system behavior.

• Focus is on early error detection to save costs and enhance quality.

• Testing kinds:

  • Unit testing: Tests individual components (classes, methods)
  • Integration testing: Ensures modules work together focusing on data flows and interactions.
  • System testing: Examines the entire system's ability to meet functional and non-functional requirements.
  • Acceptance testing: End-users verify system meets needs (alpha and beta testing). Alpha testing uses test data, beta testing uses real-world data for close observation.

Explore the critical phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in Chapter 12, focusing particularly on the Construction phase. This includes system building aspects like programming, testing, and comprehensive documentation geared towards both developers and end-users. Understand how proper documentation and effective testing contribute to successful system implementation.