Computer Science Coursework
A Level H446 Component 3/4 Programming Project
Candidate Number: 9095
Candidate Name: AMAANI MORESS
Centre Number: 47121
Centre Name: St Marys College, Blackburn
Analysis Section
EPOS systems have become more paramount in recent years, especially within the food industry.
It is not only more time efficient, as it allows staff to quickly take orders from customers or
remove certain items or place customers on empty tables, but it also allows easy access to stock.
This grants the ability to control stock inventory by making the computer think for itself.
The program I will create provides the ability for a small business to use an EPOS system. This
will improve their time efficiency - in sitting down customers and in their service while, also, in
the long run, prove to be cost-efficient. This is due to the fact that only a critical amount of staff
will need to be used as they will be servicing their tables more quickly. Furthermore, the
program will analyse given data and output the most/least ordered items thus increasing and
decreasing the prices of each respectively. It is clear that this program will be multi-functional used for both admin and staff purposes. It is vital that I use computational thinking when creating
my solution. I must formulate my entire program as a computational problem and using
decomposition, potentially create an algorithm to solve it. The algorithms which I create can be
deemed as correct and efficient by ensuring they are tested, logically makes sense and are
improved using user feedback. I will continuously test my program and record the errors that
occur and debug them accordingly, while also asking external members to view the solution in
regular intervals to ask where the program can be made better.
As you can understand, the analysis of large amounts of data is often exposed to human
discrepancies, however, the usage of the program will avoid this problem. If the code is built
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correctly the program can take increasing amounts of data and provide an output within
milliseconds, whereas using a human to do the same problem can take weeks and will more
likely require more than one mathematician to analyse it; this increases cost in requiring to pay
for mathematicians to come in to analyse the data and it may still not be 100% accurate.
Using the traditional method of staff taking down orders with a pen and paper is not only old
fashioned in a world where technology is constantly becoming the normal, but it also falls into
the dangers of typical human errors. If the staff do not write the order in a clear manner then it
cannot be read by the chefs needing to make the food. It also takes time to move from the table
of the customers to the kitchen to give the order. Though it is only a minute or two, this adds up
and means that one staff member can only aid with 2/3 tables. Moreover, as a staff member
writes down the order, if they have accidentally written it incorrectly, it means messily crossing
out the order - and if not done correctly or completely forgoing crossing it out the meal will be
made which will thus increase cost and waste food.
My program will automatically calculate large summations and use various mathematical
protocols to provide an understandable output. This will be shown in calculating: the receipt for
each customer, the number of items in stock, the most and least ordered meals and the amount of
income from each type of item. This will be beneficial for the company as it will be void of any
human errors and it can be carried out in seconds, thus saving time.
My program will also be built to carry out validation checks in the form of If statements. An
example of this being used will be found in my Login page where only accounts that exist will be
allowed to access the Admin page. This will improve the security of my program and will also
increase the accuracy of any outputs, as it will ensure that all inputs are reasonable and can be
accepted by the program. In my Login page, I will also ensure to use hashing to ensure nobody
can access the information of the restaurant without the correct details.
There will be a large amount of data stored in the form of a record and database. All the items of
food that are in stock will be held in a record as will all the transactions made by customers. This
will be useful as it will store all the information in a clear and readable format, while also
allowing the ability to easily delete, add and amend any information.
The software I will use for my program, after carrying out some research, will be Visual Basic.
This will particularly be beneficial for me as I have experience in Visual Basic for a year and a
half and all tools required to create my software is provided by Visual Basic, including inbuilt
functions. My interface will be easy to use whilst using this software and can be displayed in a
clear and concise manner. If I used a different program that I was less familiar with, but had
more inbuilt functions I would fall trap to more errors due to the lack of experience. I will use
Visual Basic 2010 for my program as this is the version that I use in both my college and at
home.
The time it takes to carry out tasks related to waiting and analysing is highly wasted when
completed manually. However, by using a computerised solution we can reduce both the
manpower and time taken to complete these tasks. My computer program is built to show the
availability of the tables, how long a set of customers has been at the table and allows the waiters
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to access a computerised menu which will automatically display the receipt of the transaction
and allow amendments to the order. It will also access the local weather, in order to provide a
computerised solution to increase or decrease prices in accordance to the temperature, humidity
and wind speed. It will also affect the time at which customers are able to stay at their tables. For
example, if it is a cold day the prices on soup will increase and if it is snowing then customers
can stay at the restaurant for longer, therefore I will increase the time customers can remain at
their table, as not many people will come in. Moreover, the admins of the business will be given
an opportunity to access the analysis of all the products in stock and all the items that have been
sold. This will be beneficial for them for various reasons some being as with a click of a button
for the items that are popular/unpopular they may increase/decrease the prices to their choice.
They may also look at their inventory and the items that will expire soon they may decrease their
prices or if they wish any items that are low in stock they may reorder them.
I will also create a button that will make it possible for any waiters/waitresses to contact the
chefs directly from the EPOS system, instead of having to go to the kitchens themselves. This
will be important due to the fact that if a customer has a particular dietary requirement and it is
not clear if he item they have chosen caters for that the staff may contact the chefs and ask them.
I also wish to the take into account the time of day and in accordance make some food items
available and others not, for example, alcohol will not be available until after 5 pm. By taking the
time of day into account the owners of the restaurant can further the program so that they may
create lunch meal deals that will increase the intake of customers.
Not using a computerised solution will not be as beneficial due to the fact that it can be quite
inaccurate to analyse large amounts of data by any human. I have further discussed the issues
regarding running a restaurant using paper-based human methods above. However, it is essential
that humans run the EPOS system and the restaurant rather than having it completely
computerised. One reason is that a restaurant setting is a social place where humans interact with
others. Therefore, it is important that our servers are humans to increase that bond which patrons
will have with the restaurant. Computers cannot mimic a human’s emotions and cannot provide
smiles when greeting a customer etc, thus, it is imperative we continue human involvement in
the business.
It is necessary to use a graphical user interface as it would make it easier for the workers to take
orders from the customers and to handle the customers as a whole. One reason for this is
because, after seating, a timer is set which corresponds with the colours of the table they are sat
at. As the colour varies the workers can easily see when the customers have been sat at a table
for too long and when they should move. The timer for each table will also be displayed
alongside the changing colours to be able to track how long the customers have remained at the
table. I also wish to use a colour scheme when displaying the different types of meals e.g.
Appetizers would be one colour, Mains would be another colour as will Desserts and Drinks.
This will avoid an error when choosing meal items for the customers as it will be easy to
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differentiate between the colours and meals. I also want to create a button which displays the
receipt of the transactions and the ability to print it out. Moreover, I wish to display the analysis
of the business in the form of several graphs. This will make it easier for the admin to compare
and withdraw data in order to make decisions.
As mentioned previously humans struggle with handling large amounts of data and are more
susceptible to mistakes. Therefore, using a computer will eliminate this problem as computers do
not struggle with the speed at which they solve the problem and memory when handling the large
amounts of data. This is especially important when you wish to view the analysis of your records
immediately.
The storage space will not be a large problem as the program has been specifically designed to
run on lower spec devices such as a tablet. The program will be backed up virtually so that if the
power was to cut off at any given time the information has automatically been backed up online.
This also means that the information can be accessed via various devices and is not only
restricted in one location. The only disadvantage of this is that the information may become
compromised, therefore I will need to ensure my encryption for the sensitive information is built
well. However, in addition to this online backup companies use their own safety measures to
ensure hackers cannot access your data.
In various parts of my program, I have removed unnecessary elements and replaced them with
symbols which can still easily be understood by the end user. By doing this I can ensure that my
program will run successfully and reduce the time it takes for me to code the solution. It will also
reduce the computational resources that may have been required otherwise, which will allow my
program to be displayed on a lower spec device such as a tablet which the servers will use to take
orders. If Abstraction was not used then I would be using multiple images, which would mean an
efficient GPU would be required as my CPU would not be able to handle the graphics. However,
this problem is solved by using Abstraction as I am only going to be using one image, the logo of
the company, throughout my program. Abstraction will also ensure that the focus is on the main
purpose of my program and not on any unnecessary function. Despite the benefits of Abstraction,
I will also need to ensure that I do not reduce my program too simplistically as it may lose the
appeal to the end user and the user may not be able to understand it completely. Therefore, I will
still continue to use colour throughout the program so it may look more understandable and
appealing, I will still use an image of the logo to ensure the point is clear for which restaurant the
program is being used by and it makes the program more bespoke for the end user.
A point at which I will use abstraction is in my Server Menu. Here, one should find the record of
the orders made by the customers, buttons which will represent the tables found in the restaurant
and timers created to show how long a customer has stayed at a table. The buttons used will be in
the form of rectangles, despite the fact that in the restaurant there are some tables which are
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circular. The reason abstraction will be used is that the rectangles still clearly represent the
format of the tables. I also will create a simplified version of the setting where the tables are
found - including the kitchen and counter in the form of buttons and labels in order to remove
unnecessary elements which will have no effect on the program.
I will also use Problem Abstraction in my program which will be seen in my table seating. In a
more complex program there should be the ability to reserve tables via the phone or online,
however using abstraction on my program there will be no such thing as reservations.
Data Abstraction will be used in the form of using my image and using APIs etc. This will be
used as when loading the image or using the API, as a user I do not care how it is done - just that
it works and how to use it.
It is essential in my program that I first decompose my problem into several parts in order to
create the solution. This will make it easier for me to debug the smaller problems and manage
and maintain the modules. I wish to decompose by way of my forms and the order at which they
will be displayed on the screen:
1. Main Menu which will either direct to the Admin Login or the Server Menu
2. Login page
3. Server Menu
4. Individual Order form
5. Order Form
6. Admin Page
7. Stock Record
8. Graph Analysis forms
I will then further decompose using a systematic approach to reduce each subtask into further
subtasks until each problem is easy to understand and program. My bottom tier will only contain
subroutines, procedures, functions etc:
1. Login page: Create a User account, Hash Username and Password, Allow access to
Admin page, Delete User
2. Server Menu: Record of transactions, Buttons that direct to Individual Order form,
Timers for each table, API that takes in weather
3. Individual Order form: Start the timer, Stop the timer, Reset the timer, Button directs to
amend Order form, Button directs to create a new order
4. Order Form: Buttons representing each meal, Delete item from receipt, Amend item from
receipt, Print receipt
5. Admin Page: Button to access to Product Record, Button to view graphs for Orders,
Button to view graphs for Products
6. Product Record: Record of products, Button for amendments of prices
7. Graph Analysis forms: Form of graphs for Orders - Most/Least popular order etc, Form
of graphs for Products - Products most/least in stock etc
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To create my solution it is also vital that I use Procedural constructs:
● Statement: A place I wish to use it will be in my Login page - if the details are put in
correctly then they will be allowed access to the Admin page
● Subroutine: Will be found in my Login page - I will call the routine to create a user when
the ‘Create User’ button is clicked
● Procedure: I wish to use this in my Product Record form - Outputs new values for the
prices on the dependence of the weather
● Parameter: Will be seen in my Individual Order Form - Will amend/delete/add items on a
receipt
● Loop(Iteration): Will be inbuilt in my program to affect the Individual Order Form Depending on the time of the day some items will be available and others will not
● Sequence: Will be found when creating the receipt in order to add the SubTotal of the
transaction
● Selection: Will be found in my colour change of tables in accordance with the timer - The
colour of the table will change the longer a customer remains at a table
● Declarations: My variables will be declared as Integer /Single /String /Boolean /Array /
StringBuilder
I will use flow charts in order to break the problem down into smaller components. A flow chart
will allow me to detect points at which code must be run simultaneously or where a function is
dependable on another. Flowcharts will also be easy for me to plan where various codes must be
implemented in order for the program to run smoothly. It will cause fewer errors when actually
coding the program as I have thought of it beforehand. As the entire program is long and
complex it is necessary that I plan everything out before creating it to avoid any confusion and
mistakes.
My program will make usage of processing a number of instructions simultaneously. In order to
take advantage of this and create it in the most readable format, I will use various modules all
run at the same time. This will save time and ensure that my program remains efficient. This
means that multiple orders can be made at the same time.
It is also necessary in my program that I reuse code in order to save time and allow my program
to run as smoothly as possible. In my Login page, I wish to use an inbuilt function of Visual
Basic that will automatically Hash the values for my Username and Password. I will also reuse
my own created code as some code will be repetitive when setting the timer for each table for
example. Advantages of doing this mean that there are fewer bugs than a code which I built
myself or I kept needing to rebuild. It also saves time in my coding so that I may complete all the
tasks necessary to do in the critical time. Reusing code created by other programmers is more
dependable than new software as bugs and faults are already identified. It will also be an
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effective use of specialists as I can develop reusable software that encapsulates their knowledge.
The only problem I may come across is understanding and adapting the reusable components.
I may also need to use Object Oriented Programming methods in my program. If I use this then it
can save programming time as the child classes will inherit the information from the parent
classes and I can build upon this in the child class. It means that code can constantly be accessed
and reused, therefore making the program less complicated and more structured. In this, I may
use Encapsulation which ensures that data is not changed accidentally and the object can be
coded, tested and maintained independently. Also, the data is protected as it can only be accessed
using the methods defined within the object. If needed other programmers with little knowledge
can also edit the code.
Whilst using these methods I can take advantage of concurrent processing so that two tasks can
be carried out asynchronously. In order to take advantage of this, I will need to ensure the tasks
are not dependant on each other. This can save a lot of processing time.
Description of the End User/Stakeholder:
The company which will be using my program is a restaurant called Oasis. The people
specifically using it will be both the waiters/waitresses and the owners of the company. The
system which they asked for is an EPOS system.
It was asked that the servers will have the ability to:
● Start timers which measure the amount of time a customer has sat at a table and using
some sort of message to show when they should be moved along.
● View transactions in an understandable format that can be used quickly and easily.
● Have access to talk to the kitchen staff in case of any questions.
● Take orders from the customers, calculate their total and create/print a receipt.
● Amend and delete items from the receipt.
● Regularly check the weather. However, the system will automatically change the prices
accordingly.
● Use a barcode reader to quickly access the transactions.
● Analyse the number of items sold in a day.
They also asked for the chance that the owners can:
● Use a login feature to protect and access important functions that affect the business.
● Analyse data from their stock records. They will be able to view graphs which show:
How many type of items are in stock, how many type of items are vegetarian and the
income received from each type of items
● View the stock records in an easily readable format.
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When designing the program they wanted to ensure that their name was displayed on most of the
forms and the background maintained their logo. They also asked for a colour scheme in the reds
and oranges in order to fit with their logo. They asked that the tables are in the form of the
restaurant.
Investing existing or similar solutions:
A restaurant which I used inspiration from to create my program is Lightspeed Restaurant POS
Software. This company specialises in the production of EPOS software for multiple companies.
When viewing the features they use for their programs, I was able to create an idea of what my
End User and I are looking for in the final solution.
The company has created the ability for Severs to take orders by clicking on a table which will
then bring up the menu for that table. This is a feature which I wish to take onto my program,
however unlike this interface which shows the tables in the exact form the restaurant layout is in,
including colours and shape, mine will not have this feature. Instead I will be using abstraction,
as stated above, to display the tables where they will all be one shape and colour.
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In this form the servers will have the ability to click items as buttons which will then be added
onto the growing receipt. I wish to take a similar approach to my system in that I will have
different genres of food in different colours in order to avoid confusion and everything is laid out
in a concise and structured manner. This will remove error for the workers using my program as
well. I also hope to build my program so that I can use their usage of buttons to order everything
and send it to the kitchen staff. This will save time as the workers will not have to physically
move to the kitchen to ensure they receive the orders. I will not use their feature of displaying the
orders in various forms of time, product, seat or course as this is not a requirement made by my
End User. Nor will I have the ability to search for the item via the itemID or name due to the
time I have to create the program. It is also not a feature requested by the owners of the
restaurant.
The solution which I
have taken inspiration from has also provided the chance for a server to long press an item’s
button which will then display a large image of said item, including details of the ingredients in
the item and how many are in stock. I will take the idea of providing information about the items,
however I will build this in a Stock record which can only be viewed by admin. This ensures that
no detrimental effects to the menu is caused by those outside of the owners.
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Following from the
previous feature the server then has the ability to add extras onto the item or take certain items
off. It also shows suggestions of what is usually ordered with the item which is not a feature that
I will be using. The customers will have the option of adding extras on to their order if they wish
but will not be provided with suggestions due to the fact that the End User has not asked for that
feature in the time constraint they have provided for me.
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The company has created a record of all the customers which have visited the store and all the
information regarding them, such as their name, number, how many times they have visited the
store, their bill average etc. I will not be using this feature due to time constraints and the fact
that my End User has not requested for this feature in their first solution.
Lightspeed POS also
has created a record structure for their employees in which they can log in and manage their
shifts and view reports of their sales. This is not a function I will be providing due to the lack of
time I have to build the program and I can use this feature as an improvement for the second
solution if the End User
requires us to do so.
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Lightspeed provides the flexibility of allowing the customers to pay in various forms whether
cash, credit, debit etc. They also have created the chance to redeem or sell gift cards for their
business and collect points for their loyalty scheme. This is another feature I will not be taking as
it is not required for this solution, however I will be taking note of doing this for any future
improvements.
For the owners of the restaurant Lightspeed has created the Reporting feature which provides the
chance for the owners to view graphs and records of their businesses in real time. This is a
feature I wish to show in my program which will show multiple graph analysis of items. This is a
specific feature that has been requested by the End User.
The solution allows the owners to modify and add any products of their choice which is
something that I want to integrate into my program. My structure will be in the form of a table
instead of buttons in order to decrease the amount of forms required to build the program.
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Essential Features:
● Main Menu to direct to Admin features or Server features
● Login Feature: The User may create an account with a username and password which
will be hashed for security to allow them access to the Stock Records. They may delete
the account if they wish.
● Save the login accounts to a text file
● Hash (Encrypt) the account details
● Drop down boxes to give the user options for which graph to display
● Graphs that analyse the transactions and the stock
● Update prices in accordance with the stock available
● Store data in record tables of stock and transactions. The information will be held in a
record structure. One for the products and one for the orders which have been made by
the customers.
● Search completed transactions in which the user will type the ItemID for the item they
are looking for and will click a button which will display all of the item’s details.
● Timers to show the servers how long a customer has stayed at their table for and to
automatically update the ‘How many items are sold in the day’ graph.
● Automatically update prices depending on the weather
● Disable specific food items depending on the time of day
● API which is integrated into the code to send a request to BBC weather and receives the
information in the form of a text file
● Barcode creator
● Print and create Receipt
● Save text files and records in a file
● GUI for workers to click certain buttons and interact with the interface to send orders to
the kitchen staff
● Menu to order items in which servers simply click the buttons for the corresponding
items which have been ordered and it is automatically added to the receipt
Limitations of the proposed solution:
I will ensure that the system I create will meet all of the requirements stipulated by the end user.
However, when comparing my solution to those professionally made, I will have some clear
limitations set out:
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● My system will not have the ability to take reservations via the phone or via a website
booking. All seatings will be done at the time and day. This has not been done as a form
of abstraction and a similar solution to my own, My Lahore, does not take reservations
too.
● My program does not yet extend itself so that the staff can input their names and details
and we can retrieve information from their transactions or any of their information. This
function is not created to avoid confusion with the number of records already being built
into the program. This has also not been built in so that I could finish the solution in the
critical time.
● My system will also not automatically order items, via EDI, which are running low on
stock which is a necessary feature on full solutions. This has been avoided for now in
order to avoid complications in making the program too complex.
● I will not be creating the function to keep a record of customer bookings and allow
customers to register with the company: taking their names, addresses and numbers down
etc. In most systems when this feature is available the company can view customer
buying habits and their behaviours may be analysed to suggest deals and other purchases.
I do not think this is necessary for my solution as of yet, therefore I have decided to leave
this feature out.
● Despite the century we live in, I have not created the ability to allow payments to be
taken via electronic payment systems. I decided to leave this for further improvement
after the original solution is created as it is not absolutely necessary customers pay
electronically.
Hardware and software requirements:
Furthermore, my solution will need to use a distributed operating system within a network to
allow multiple tablets to share resources, like the printer. The distributed operating system allows
all the tablets to simultaneously run the program and each input affects every program. This
means that servers are automatically communicating with each other through the program so that
for example, if somebody seats a customer at table 4 another server will be notified via their
tablet that the table is occupied. This is an improvement from using no program at all or a
program that does not use a distributed operating system as there would be a lack of
communication which, therefore, will cause problems within the restaurant.
Moreover, a device driver will need to be used in order to control the devices attached to the
computer/tablet and provide a software interface to access the hardware functions.
The IDE which I will be using is Visual Basic as mentioned previously. One of the reasons I will
be using Visual Basic is due to the fact that it uses high-level programming language. When
coding in High-Level language the instructions are closer to English and so easier to understand,
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debug and code faster. In addition to this, libraries of procedures can be used and selected from
when writing a new program which is much more time-saving. These library routines will also
have been tried and tested. I hope to use a library routine for my barcode generator, due to the
complexity being beyond my current abilities. Visual Basic also uses Bytecode which compiles
and interprets the program. The source code is translated using a compiler into intermediate
language before interpreted into machine code. Using Visual Basic is beneficial as if a line
contains an error, the execution will stop and highlight the problem, whilst also mentioning the
reason as to why the program crashed. The error can be corrected before the program will
continue running. This also creates object code which allows the program to be executed without
the compiler. This executes faster than interpreted code. When programming in Visual Basic
after typing a couple of letters it provides a set of suggestions which you may want to use, which
decreases programming time and helps you to understand what you are writing.
My program will also need access to the internet in order to gain the weather information. I will
need broadband that provides quick internet access and is quite fast as the weather information
will regularly be needed. This will be in the form of an API which will request for the
information and receive it in HTTP format. The API will specify how my software components
should interact.
I will also need A Wireless Access Point, a wireless router, to enable the tablets to access the WiFi. Due to the necessity of needing fast internet access, it may be a more efficient decision and
cost-effective to choose optical fibre broadband.
In my program I wish to use a Barcode Generator, therefore it is vital that I use a barcode reader.
By scanning the barcode, information about the receipt and therefore, order, will be retrieved
such as time of purchase, date of purchase, items purchased, cost etc.
Furthermore, I will need an inkjet printer in order to print out the receipts of the transactions.
This printer is better used for a small business such as my end user as it produces very
high quality black and white as well as colour copies for a very low cost.
Moreover, in order to carry out the orders at each table, it is important the servers have a portable
output device which runs the program. This device will be a tablet as Visual Basic can run on the
tablet and it holds enough storage space to run the program. This device is also lightweight
enough to carry around and easy to learn and use.
Measurable success criteria:
● The program will need an Admin page which stores stock data. My end user would like a
clear view of stock information.
● A login page needed. This will ensure that information and functions available are
protected.
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● Search/Order items. It will make it easier for admin to look for specific items and order
items in accordance with different variables.
● Graph analysis will be needed. It was desired that they can analyse and compare data
from their company.
● Timers will be needed to measure the length a customer has sat at the table. This was
specifically asked to improve the efficiency of the restaurant.
● A function which checks the weather regularly. Necessary so that the prices can be
edited accordingly and the time customers can stay at a table changes.
● A record of the products sold will be needed. End-user wanted to record transactions to
later use for analysis.
● Graph for the amount of items sold in a day. This will make it easy for staff to see the
most popular items sold in a day.
● A form to order items. Borrowed from my research in other restaurants, to improve
critical time and servers.
● A form to view items ordered according to each table and calculate the subtotal. This will
make it easy for the servers to view the receipt before printing.
● A function to print out receipts. A necessity for any transactional data so that the
customer also has evidence of their transaction.
● A barcode generator. Asked for so that when scanned information of that transaction
appears.
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Design Section:
Back End Top-Down design
● Hash username and password will be an algorithm that will help protect the user’s details
so that others cannot access the account.
● I will need to create a file to save the hashed account which will be checked when
deleting the account.
● Deleting the account will simply look in the file to check the hashed value of the inputted
details to the save value and compare then delete.
● Date and time is a simple function that will display the date and time live
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Delete record is a simple procedure that will allow the user to delete any record created.
Next and previous are two procedures that allow users to move between the records.
Add record is another procedure that allows the user to add any record.
Amend record is a procedure that allows the user to update any of the fields of a record.
Save record is a procedure that allows the user to save the changes they have made to the
file.
A new record is a procedure which creates a new set of records.
Read record is a procedure which displays the set of records in the file.
When reading the record the price of the items which have a stock less than 10 increases
Make record is a procedure which reads the set of records in the file.
When making the record a file will need to be created to save the record there
Display record is a procedure which fills in the textboxes with the details read from the
file
● Type of items in least stock will be a procedure which will display a graph so that the end
user can view the stock in an easy format.
● I will first need to count how many items are in stock from each category using a For
loop
● When displaying the graph I will need to colour code each bar to represent the type of
item in accordance to the colours on the menu
● No Vegetarian for each type of item will have reused code from the previous graph to
allow the end user to make sure that they are catering for other dietary requirements in a
fair manner.
● I will need to count how many vegetarian items there are from each category using a For
loop
● Income from each type of item will also use reused code to allow the end user to see
which item is more expensive to buy in comparison to what they are selling it for.
19
● I will need to count the retail price for each type of item and then the purchase price for
each type. From there I would need to calculate the difference in order to work out the
profit that I will be gaining from each type
● Binary search will be an algorithm that will quickly and efficiently go through the records
and display to the user the information regarding the item needed.
● Each order item task will be similar to each other, therefore the code will be reused and
their purpose will be to display each item in an order according to a variable. This will
provide the opportunity for the user to quickly view extremities, for example, items that
are most or least expensive. They will all use the bubble sort algorithm which can be
edited depending on the variable.
● After the items are searched/sorted I will need to display them which will use the same
procedure, but will have different information displayed.
● Creating an API timer and get weather update is a procedure and function respectively
that will check the weather every 15 mins and update accordingly which will then amend
the time at which people can stay at their tables.
● I will need to request the information about the weather from the website using the API
which will then provide me with a text
● In the text I will need to find the words ‘tempmin’, ‘humidity’ and ‘wind’ then the
numbers following from these words will be used to display
● I will need to count how many letters are from the words where the numbers start and
then display them. A message will follow depending on the information such as ‘it’s
going to be a cold day’ etc.
20
● The order record is similar to stock record, therefore all of the features available will be
reused code.
● Both records have been created to provide the user with the ability to view each record in
an easy and understandable format.
● Similar to the graphs in the Stock records I will be using their code as a template for this
graph which will display which type of item was sold in the day and will show servers
their most popular items sold that day.
● The stock timer will be used to tell when to check the item stock in the day and night then
display the graph automatically at night
● The graph will need a for count in two separate occasions to count the stock in the day
and night so that I could calculate the difference in stocks
● Each bar will need to be displayed with a different colour in accordance to the type of
item’s colour in the menu
● Stop timer/Reset timer/Start timer are procedures that will allow servers to measure the
amount of time a customer has remained at a table. This will ensure efficiency in the
restaurant so that others are seated quickly.
21
● Search orders: find correct order is a linear search which goes through each table's orders
and displays the correct order accordingly. This will remove any confusion for the users
when looking at separate table orders.
● Timers for the length of stay are procedures for each table that will change the colour of
the timer depending on how long a customer has sat there. These timers will change
depending on the weather. The display of this will give the servers an easy message of
when the customers should be moving along.
● If the temp < 10 then the time which the customers can remain at the table will increase
and if it is > 10 then it will decrease
● Update item will be a procedure that if there are any discrepancies in an order already
made or any changes wanted then it can easily be done without deleting the order and
then creating a new one.
● Amend Record after update will change the records found on the server menu depending
on how the record was updated
● Amend item order will change the order on the receipt. Only the amount that has been
sold can be amended
● Display order will show the ordered items on the receipt which is a simple procedure
● Delete item is a procedure which will allow a server to easily delete any items if any
accidental orders have been made.
● The item must be first found from the records and then the customer must be asked if
they are sure they wish to delete it
● Reduce stock quantities will be an algorithm that will automatically decrease a stock
quantity after an order has been made. This will help in the graph analysis in the stock
records.
● The system will first check if there is enough of the item in stock before it is added to the
receipt and will display a message if there is not enough of an item.
● The print document is a feature that will print out the receipts to give to the customers so
they too have a hard copy and evidence if anything has gone awry.
● Barcode Generator and Create barcode number are two procedures that have been found
in a library routine which I will use. It will give the servers a chance to simply scan the
barcode so that they may quickly bring up the receipt of that particular transaction.
22
● Amend booking to X is a procedure that will change the table name in the record to have
an X prior to the name. This will allow users to easily see which orders have been
completed and which are still pending.
● Find Price is an algorithm that will loop through the stock records to match the price with
the correct item in the Add order. This will allow the admin to edit the prices in the stock
record and it will automatically show the correct price in the Add Order.
● Find item name is an algorithm that will have the itemID passed through it and will
provide the correct item name.. This will be used when pressing a button to add an item
to the receipt so that rather than displaying the itemID which is confusing the item name
will be displayed instead.
● Disable alcohol is a procedure that will remove the ability to order alcohol until 5. This
will use the date and time displayed before it enables the button, which was asked for by
the end user.
● Add to order is a procedure that will add the number of items selected to the receipt,
which will make it easy for servers to quickly order large numbers.
● After the items have been added to the receipt and the order has been saved the order will
be added to the Order record for servers to view after
● When adding an order the system will first check if there is an order pending to ensure
the servers are sure they need to add to the correct order or they need to finalise that
order.
● Buttons for menu items are almost the exact same procedures, therefore the code will be
reused and each will use the find price and find item name algorithms to correctly
identify the item being ordered.
● Save table order is a procedure that will save the items ordered and save it in the record
that can be viewed later. It will be seen as pending orders as the X will be missing and
will allow servers to take more orders from other tables without having to worry any
table will lose their transaction.
● A random number will be created to provide that order with an orderID to show which
items are involved with which orders
● The period of the day will also need to be checked so that when the item is added to the
record the period of day can be displayed with it
23
Front End Top-Down design
24
Everything has been broken down to these specific smaller parts for the Front End of the design
as they are all just simply buttons that need to be added or labels etc.
Algorithms
● For the security feature, which will use a login, I have developed the following flowchart:
25
This flowchart will be used to create my login in order to protect certain features from those who
are not part of the admin.
● To create the user I will use the following Pseudocode:
This process will first check if the account already exists and if it is not then it will save the
hashed account in the file, otherwise it will show a message that the file already exists.
● In order to enter a user into the system I will use the pseudocode:
26
This template will hash the inputted details of the user and check these against the hashed details
saved in the file. If it matches then it will allow the user to access the Stock Records, otherwise it
will show the message that the account details are not correct.
● To delete any account I will use this pseudocode:
This will check if the account exists in the file and if it does then the user will have the option to
delete it. If the file does not exist then a message will appear to the user that the account doesn’t
exist.
● This Pseudocode will be used to increase the prices if the stock gets under 10 and reads
the record saves in the file:
27
If the stock is reduced to below 10 then the retail price will increase by 20% otherwise it will
remain at its original price. The procedure will also read the records as long as there are records
saved in the file. When reading the files this will also be used for my Order Record in the Server
Menu.
● These templates will be used to move through the records:
The first pseudocode will be used to move to the next record while the second procedure will be
used to move to the previous record. This will also be used for my Order Record in the Server
Menu.
● In order to add a record to the file I will use the following:
28
This pseudocode will be used to add information about a new record to the file. If any
information has not been added correctly then an error message is outputted. This will also be
used for my Order Record in the Server Menu.
● In order to amend the records I will use this pseudocode:
This will count through the records until the correct is found and the user will be able to amend
any of the information and output to the user that the record has been amended. This will also be
used for my Order Record in the Server Menu.
● To delete a record I will use:
The user is first asked if they would like to delete the record if they say yes then the record is
deleted and the file is read from the next record. This will also be used for my Order Record in
the Server Menu.
● To create a new record this template will be used:
29
In order to create a new record the user is first asked if they would like to make a new one. If the
answer is yes then the record is started from the beginning and the user can start a fresh record
with everything empty in the record. This will also be used for my Order Record in the Server
Menu.
● This pseudocode will be used when an order is added to the record via the Order Menu:
This will add the appropriate fields on the Server Menu’s record when an order is saved.
● To make the files I will use the following:
30
This will be used for each of the items in stock and a similar code will be used for the Order
Records with the fields and information changing.
● To display the graphs I will have to carry out some calculations before the graphs’
calculations are displayed. The template which I can use is the following Pseudocode:
These calculations will be used for all of the graphs with a change in variable. They will be used
to add a type of item on the growing count. A similar pseudocode will also be used on the graph
in the Server Menu, however the difference will be that it will be used in the morning and the
evening then a simple subtraction of these values will produce numbers which will be used in
displaying the graph.
31
● The following Pseudocode will be used to order the items in accordance with a particular
field:
This will be used to first search the length of the records and then record whether a swap has
been made. Until the swap being made is false the algorithm will continue to swap the variables.
It will make use of a temporary variable in order to make the swap. This algorithm is the Bubble
Sort and it will be used for every procedure that is needed to order the items for the admin.
● In order to create my Binary search to find specific items and their information I will be
using the following Pseudocode:
The algorithm will be used so that the owners can quickly find information in a couple of
seconds without having to go through the entire records individually.
32
● The Get Weather Update flowchart will be used to receive the weather from online and
t
h
e
n
display it on screen:
This API will be used so that the prices and duration at which a customer can remain at the
restaurant changes depending on how hot or cold it is.
● In order to get the weather information from the internet I will need an API. This
Pseudocode will make use of that:
33
The pseudocode will receive the information required as text and and finds the word required
which informs the user of the number. This is converted to integer and compared. Depending on
the if statement being used the according message is outputted. This pseudocode will also be
used for humidity and wind speed with the appropriate names being changed.
● When an order has been made, after the order has been saved the following pseudocode
will be used to add the order to the records:
34
This will increase the number of records and then save the different information in the
appropriate fields.
● When an item is being updated from the View Order form the following pseudocode will
be used to update the item in the record:
● The following pseudocode will be used to update the receipt when an item is amended in
the View Order form:
35
This will look through the order records and find the records which need to be amended from the
View Order form.
● The pseudocode below will be used to change a table number to have an X proceeding it
when an order is complete:
When the server is ready to print out the receipt the order will be complete, therefore all the
records in the Order record which involves that particular receipt will have an X proceeding the
table number.
● The pseudocode will be used to display information on the receipt in a clear format:
The pseudocode will be used to go through the information and display certain fields on the
receipt. It will also record whether that table has an order so that the Server is informed if they
would like to continue adding to a live order, or if they have made a mistake.
36
● In order to delete an item from the View Order form I will use the following:
If the Server has made a mistake or the customers weren’t happy with the food and so an items
needs to be deleted from the View Order form the above pseudo code will look for the item
which needs to be deleted and ask the user if they would like to delete the item. If the answer is
yes then the item is deleted and the file is read again.
● To measure and let the servers know how long a customer has remained at the table the
following will be used:
This will check the timer against the fixed values and change the colour of the tables accordingly
to let the servers know when to move customer along. It will be used for all of the tables.
37
● The following pseudocode will be used to check if there is already a live order on the
receipt:
This will check if there is a live order, if there is then the server is asked if they would like to
continue with the order, if they choose yes then they will be moved to the menu page to add extra
orders, however if they say no then they will continue with the Table Choice page.
● In order to find the name and price from the Stock records and read it into the Menu page
I will use this pseudocode:
This will be used to find the correct information with the word variable changing to Price or
Name depending on what is needed.
● To disable alcohol until after 5 a simple If statement will be used and the following
Pseudocode can be used as a template:
This will ensure that the restaurant provides a safe and professional environment for all its
customers as was requested by the end user.
38
● In order to add to the receipt in the menu page buttons will need to be clicked and the
corresponding item will be added, with information attached. The following pseudo code
displays this:
This will be used to ask the user how many of the item they would like and add it to the receipt.
It will display the necessary information and add VAT at the end before it is saved. It will save
all the information in an array to be used in other parts of the program.
● This pseudocode will be used to Save a table order in the records found in the Server
Menu:
The code will run through the order and if something exists then it will provide a random number
to the order which will act as the orders’ ID. It will check the time and in the records save all of
this information.
39
● The following will be used to either delete an item from the View order or amend it:
The above will be used to amend the quantity or delete an item from the View Order form. The
ItemID in the receipt will have a hashtag proceeding it, therefore the program will look for where
the hashtag occurs and find the itemID by moving back one space. The word change can be
replaced with delete or amend depending on the function taking place.
● The following Pseudocode will show how I wish to reduce my stock quantities in the
stock file, only accessed by Admin:
This will be used to ensure we do not promise to sell anything when we do not have the amount
to sell. It will also help in my graphical analysis to view the amount sold in a day.
● When the order is complete the following pseudocode will be used:
40
When the button is clicked to save an order the document is printed and barcode generated, using
inbuilt functions. It will then find the itemID and set the table number to X in the records found
in the server menu as the order is now complete.
● This will generate random numbers used for the barcode:
This will generate two sets of random numbers and provide give it to the barcode so that each
barcode number is unique and can be identified.
Usability features
The purpose of the features I will use is to avoid any confusion on the part of the servers and the
admin. A lot of it will be based on structure and colour to enhance usability.
● To ensure the correct information is displayed I will use validation message boxes around
my program such as when the server menu loads a message box will pop up with the
temperature, humidity and wind speed, while also displaying a comment: ‘It is going to
be a cold day.’ This will similarly occur with a message box appearing with how much is
in stock at 9 am and again at 11 pm.
● I will also create message boxes which display sensible messages such as when deleting
anything, the user will be asked if they are sure they want to delete it. This will occur
when completing an order, adding and amending records etc.
● I will use a GUI in my entire system for easy access as shown in the annotations below:
41
42
43
44
45
46
Key data structures
I have used arrays when creating records for orders. This has been done in order to make it easier
when creating the receipt for the records. The first array contains the initial data that is created
and the second array will be used to store the content of the text file that contains the orders
made.
I have also used two records one for my stock and one for my orders. The purpose of both
records is to save all the information about the items/orders and be able to quickly amend, delete,
add etc any record. However, the stock record will only be accessed by the admin of the
restaurant, while the Order record will be used by the servers.
BIN files have been used when creating my records and my login accounts. The accounts are
saved in a BIN file and read when somebody wants to access the stock records. In creating the
records there is some information which is hardcoded, which is read from the BIN files and
displayed on the interface.
The records have been made public in order to access them from all of the forms which will be
necessary in order to make the receipt for example. The stock record would need to be accessed
as to find the item and the price, while the order record will be needed so that the order can be
saved. Some functions will also be made public such as Amending the record so as to have an X
proceed the table name. These such functions will be needed in other forms as they will be
needed to call upon. Taking the Amend record to X procedure as an example this will be created
in the Server Menu, however, called upon in the View Order form when completing the order.
Field Name
Data Type
Data Format
Field Size
Description
Example
ItemID
String
XXXX
4
The ID used to reference to
a specific item
P001
Item
String
The name of the item
Hummus
and Pitta
Type of Item
String
What category does the
item fall under
Appetiser
Number In
Stock
Integer
How many of that item is in
stock
6
Retail Price
Single
How much is it being sold
for
8.57
Purchase Price
Single
How much did it cost
6.5
47
Vegetarian
String
Is it vegetarian
Yes
Expiry Date
Date
XX/XX/XX
8
The date which the item
expires
26/3/19
Field Name
Data Type
Data Format
Field Size
Description
Example
ItemID
Integer
The random number
generated with an order to
show which items have
been ordered together
1
Table
Number
String
XX
2
The table that has ordered
that item
T1
ProductID
String
XXXX
4
The corresponding ItemID
P002
Number
Ordered
Integer
How many of that item has
been ordered
1
Sub Total
Decimal
How much was the overall
order cost
34
Date/Time
Date
Date and time it was
ordered
01/01/2019
18:38:00
AM/PM
String
What time of the day was it
EVE
XX/XX/XXXX
XX:XX:XX
18
Global Variables
Variable
Type
Content
DisplayOrder
StringBuilder
Displays the order which has been made by a
table
TableName
String
The name of the table being accessed
PresentOrder
Boolean
Checks if there is a live order
TableOrders(20,3)
String
Holds the data for a given table
Table1TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 1’s timer has
started
Table2TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 2’s timer has
started
48
Table3TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 3’s timer has
started
Table4TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 4’s timer has
started
Table5TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 5’s timer has
started
Table6TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 6’s timer has
started
Table7TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 7’s timer has
started
Table8TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 8’s timer has
started
RegularStay
Integer
When temperature is above 10, amount of time
timer stays green
LongStay
Integer
When temperature is above 10, amount of time
timer stays blue
VeryLongStay
Integer
When temperature is above 10, amount of time
customers stay before timer turns red
ColdRegularStay
Integer
When temperature is below 10, amount of time
timer stays green
ColdLongStay
Integer
When temperature is below 10, amount of time
timer stays blue
ColdVeryLongStay
Integer
When temperature is below 10, amount of time
customers stay before timer turns red
FinalOrderTotalForTable
Decimal
The final cost of an order including VAT
NewTableOrder(20,3)
String
Array which holds the orders made by a table
Local Variables
Variable
Type
Location
Content
Path
String
Login.vb
Stores the location where the hashed
account details will be stored
49
FinalString
String
Login.vb
Holds the converted hashed value into
string
Account
String
Login.vb
The hashed value of the account
Product
ProductRec
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the product record
Stock()
ProductRec
StockRecord.v Holds the product record
b
ServerMenu.vb
AddOrder.vb
IndividualOrder
Display.vb
NoRecords
Integer
StockRecord.v The amount of records found
b
ServerMenu.vb
IndividualOrder
Display.vb
P
Integer
StockRecord.v The position the record is to be
b
displayed
ServerMenu.vb
Answer
Integer
StockRecord.v The message which is displayed when
b
deleting or making a new record
ServerMenu.vb
TableChoice.v
b
AppetisersNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of appetisers in stock
MainsNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of mains in stock
DessertsNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of desserts in stock
DrinksNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of drinks in stock
ExtrasNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of extras in stock
AppetisersV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of appetisers which
are vegetarian
50
MainsV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of mains which are
vegetarian
DessertsV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of desserts which are
vegetarian
DrinksV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of drinks which are
vegetarian
ExtrasV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of extras which are
vegetarian
AppetisersRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the appetisers retail
price
MainsRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the mains retail price
DessertsRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the desserts retail price
DrinksRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the drinks retail price
ExtrasRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the extras retail price
AppetisersPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the appetisers
purchase price
MainsPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the mains purchase
price
DessertsPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the desserts purchase
price
DrinksPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the drinks purchase
price
ExtrasPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the extras purchase
price
AppetisersDiffe Single
rence
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the
appetisers purchase and retail price.
i.e.income
MainsDifferenc
e
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the mains
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
Single
51
DessertsDiffere Single
nce
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the desserts
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
DrinksDifferenc Single
e
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the drinks
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
ExtrasDifferenc Single
e
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the extras
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
Temp
ProductRec
StockRecord.v
b
Holds a record whilst a swap is being
made
SwapMade
Boolean
StockRecord.v
b
Checks to see if a swap has been made
SearchLength
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
The length of the record being ordered
Pointer
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
The position where the item has been
found in the search
Midpoint
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
The middle index of the record being
searched
NoofStockRec
ords
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Number of records present in stock
AddOrder.vb
NewOrder
Sale
ServerMenu.vb Used to create the initial date for the
orders
Orders()
Sale
ServerMenu.vb Stores the content of the text file for the
orders
DataBack
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the data returned from the API
request
mintemptodayI
NT
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds min temp every 30 min
humidityINT
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the humidity every 30 min
windspeedINT
Decimal
ServerMenu.vb Holds the wind speed every 30 min
GoURL
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the URL address of the API
request
request
HttpWebRequest
ServerMenu.vb Requests for a HTTP response to the
weather
52
Positionoftemp
min
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Will locate the word "tempmin"
Positionofhumi
dity
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Will locate the word "humidity"
Positionofwind
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Will locate the word "wind"
texttocheck
String
ServerMenu.vb The text which is being searched for the
weather
mintemptoday
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of the minimum
temperature
humidity
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of the humidity
windspeed
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of the wind speed
RecordPointer
Integer
ServerMenu.vb The position of the record being
amended
xtn
String
ServerMenu.vb Places an X infront of the table which
has an order completed
IntTableOrders
(20,7)
String
ServerMenu.vb The record which contains the correct
table number’s order is copied into this
array
NumberOfOrde Integer
rs
ServerMenu.vb Number of orders made by that table
AppetisersAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of appetisers in stock
in the morning
MainsAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of mains in stock in
the morning
DessertsAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of desserts in stock in
the morning
DrinksAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of drinks in stock in
the morning
ExtrasAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of extras in stock in
the morning
AppetisersPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of appetisers in stock
at night
53
MainsPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of mains in stock at
night
DessertsPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of desserts in stock at
night
DrinksPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of drinks in stock at
night
ExtrasPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of extras in stock at
night
AppetisersDiffe Integer
rence
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of appetisers sold in
the day
MainsDifferenc
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of mains sold in the
day
Integer
DessertsDiffere Integer
nce
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of desserts sold in the
day
DrinksDifferenc Integer
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of drinks sold in the
day
ExtrasDifferenc Integer
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of extras sold in the
day
CountAM
Boolean
ServerMenu.vb Checks if the number of the type of item
in stock has been added in the morning
SubTotal
Decimal
AddOrder.vb
The amount of money the order costs
IteminOrder
Integer
AddOrder.vb
The position in the array where the order
is being added
displayout
Stringbuilder
AddOrder.vb
Displays the information about the order
TempPrice
Decimal
AddOrder.vb
Holds the founded price of an item from
the stock record
TempName
String
AddOrder.vb
Holds the founded name of the item from
the stock record
Quantity
Integer
AddOrder.vb
Holds the amount of an item that has
been ordered
ItemSubTotal
Decimal
AddOrder.vb
Holds the worked out value of the
subtotal of an order
54
rn
Random
AddOrder.vb
Holds a random number generated by
the system for the ItemID
nrn
Integer
AddOrder.vb
Holds the next random number
generated by the system for the ItemID
currentdate
Date
AddOrder.vb
Holds the present date and time
periodofday
String
AddOrder.vb
Shows the period of day which the order
has been made at
TempReceipt
Integer
AddOrder.vb
The number on the receipt to refer back
to it
BarcodeNumb
erx
Integer
IndividualOrder When an order has been completed it is
Display.vb
the generated barcode
OrderForTable( String
20,7)
IndividualOrder It will store: ItemID(Random Number),
Display.vb
Table Number, Product ID, Quantity and
subtotal
Tablelength
Integer
IndividualOrder The length of the array
Display.vb
TableSubtotal
Decimal
IndividualOrder Stores the subtotal for the table
Display.vb
HASHposition
Integer
IndividualOrder Finds the first occurance of the HASH
Display.vb
tag and records the position.
Itemtosetox
Integer
IndividualOrder The integer value of the ItemID which is
Display.vb
set to x when the order is complete
newrandomnu
mber
Integer
IndividualOrder Adds 999 to random number and acts
Display.vb
the barcode number
Test Data
To test the following modules I will do this by inputting either valid or invalid data or extreme
data, black box testing.
I will need to test my Login page:
● Check if Username and Password have been hashed
● They have been stored in the correct file
● The user can login with correct details
55
● A message appears if there is an invalid username or password
● The user will be able to delete any created account
● After the user logs in the Stock record will load up
In checking my stock records, I will need to make sure:
● The records are read correctly, from the correct file
● The price increases/decreases in accordance with the amount of stock
● Records can be added with the correct input
● Records can be amended and saved
● Records can be deleted
When creating my Graph analysis in my Stock Records, I will need to ensure:
● When selecting the graph for Items in the least stock the correct graph and information
can be seen
● When selecting the graph for Number of Vegetarian items the correct graph and
information can be seen
● When selecting the graph for Income from the items the correct graph and information
can be seen
When placing all of the items in an order, I will need to check if:
● The items are ordered correctly by ItemID when selected
● The items are ordered correctly by Item when selected
● The items are ordered correctly by Number In stock when selected
● The items are ordered correctly by Retail Price when selected
● The items are ordered correctly by Purchase Price when selected
● The items are ordered correctly by Expiry Date when selected
● The clear button will clear everything from the label
When searching for an item using a Binary Search, I will need to:
● Make sure the correct information is displayed about the item
● Look to see if the item is not found ‘-1’ is outputted
Using the API to receive the weather from the internet, I will need to check:
● The response from the API, while if the response cannot be found a message box will tell
me so
● The position of the information, so I can display it
● The information that is needed can be found
● Catch it if the information cannot be found
● An appropriate message is provided depending on the weather
56
When viewing Order Records, I will need to see:
● The records are read correctly, from the correct file
● The price increases/decreases in accordance with the amount of stock
● Records can be added with the correct input
● Records can be amended and saved
● Records can be deleted
● An item is added onto the record when it is ordered
● Records are amended after updated
● When an order is completed the table name is changed so an X proceeds it
When looking at each tables’ functions I will need to see if:
● When a table is clicked the correct form is displayed
● The correct order is displayed
● The timers start, reset and stop when clicked
● The colours to show how long a customer has been sat for work properly
● The length of time for each colour increases when it is below a certain temperature
When creating my graph for the number of items sold in a day, I will need to check if:
● The correct information is displayed on the graph
● The timer for which the graph works on coincides to when the graph will appear
When creating the receipt in the Add Order function, I will need to make sure:
● Everything is displayed correctly on the receipt
● The items' prices are added up correctly, including with VAT
● If the table has a live order then the server is asked if they would like to continue creating
the order
● The items have the correct price found from the stock records
● The Item name is found and requested for instead of the ItemID from the Stock Records
● Alcohol is disabled until 5 pm
● It is asked how many items they would like to order
● The order can be saved with the period of the day
● The order is saved with a random number attached as an OrderID to know which items
are all within that order
When the receipt is being finalised, I will need to check:
● An item can be deleted from the database and is deleted
● The receipt is displayed with the correct order
● The stock is reduced and a message appears if there is not enough of that item
● An item can be updated
● The receipt can be printed
57
● A barcode is generated
● A barcode number is generated
When updating an order from the finalisation of the receipt, I will need to check:
● The items can be amended and are changed on the receipt and later on in the record
Blackbox Testing
What will I be
testing
Input
Expected result
Admin button on home
page
Click the admin button
Login page loads up
Server button on home
page
Click the server button
Server menu page load up
Create new account for
login
Enter username and
password details
New account is created
Delete account for login
Enter correct username
and password
Account is successfully
deleted
Delete account for login
Enter incorrect username
or password
Account cannot be found
Enter account for login
Enter correct username or
password
Stock records loads up
Enter account for login
Enter incorrect username
or password
Account cannot be found
Home button on login
Click the Home button
Home page loads up
Make button on stock
records
Click the make button
The record has been made
successfully
Read button on stock
records
Click the read button
The correct information on
the items comes up
Add button on stock
records
Information is correctly
inputted
Record has been added
successfully and can be
seen
58
Add button on stock
records
Information has not been
inputted correctly. E.g.
Number in stock = eight
Record cannot be added
Amend button on stock
records
Information is amended
correctly
Record has been amended
successfully and can be
seen
Amend button on stock
records
Information is amended
incorrectly. E.g. Retail
price = seven
Record cannot be
amended
Save button on stock
records
Information is all correct
Record has been saved
Save button on stock
records
Information is incorrect.
E.g.Vegetarian = 5
Record cannot be saved
Delete button on stock
records
Click the delete button
Record has successfully
been deleted
New button on stock
records
Click new button, are you
sure you want to create a
new record then yes
Entire record is deleted
New button on stock
records
Click new button, are you
sure you want to create a
new record then no
Records should remain the
same
Next button on stock
records
Next Button is clicked
Next record is shown
Previous button on stock
records
Previous button is clicked
Previous record is shown
Home button on stock
records
Home button is clicked
Home page is shown
Order drop down list on
stock records
Click on any method of
ordering
Method of ordering is
shown
Order button on stock
records
Click on order button
Stock is ordered in the
method that is chosen
Clear button on stock
records
Click on clear button
Display box is cleared
completely
Search button on stock
Existing itemID is written is
Correct information of
59
records
search text box
searched itemID is
displayed
Search button on stock
records
Invalid information is
written is search text box.
E.g. Chicken sizzler
Information cannot be
found
Graph listbox on stock
records
Information which wants to
be displayed in the graph
is shown. E.g. Number of
vegetarian items
Correct graph chosen is
shown in the listbox
Graph button on stock
records
Graph button is clicked
Correct graph is displayed
with correct information
Make button on order
records
Click the make button
The record has been made
successfully
Read button on order
records
Click the read button
The correct information on
the items comes up
Add button on order
records
Information is correctly
inputted
Record has been added
successfully and can be
seen
Add button on order
records
Information has not been
inputted correctly. E.g.
Number ordered = eight
Record cannot be added
Amend button on order
records
Information is amended
correctly
Record has been amended
successfully and can be
seen
Amend button on order
records
Information is amended
incorrectly. E.g. Subtotal =
seven
Record cannot be
amended
Save button on order
records
Information is all correct
Record has been saved
Save button on order
records
Information is incorrect.
E.g Date/Time = 5
Record cannot be saved
Delete button on order
records
Click the delete button
Record has successfully
been deleted
New button on order
records
Click new button, are you
sure you want to create a
Entire record is deleted
60
new record then yes
New button on order
records
Click new button, are you
sure you want to create a
new record then no
Records should remain the
same
Next button on order
records
Next Button is clicked
Next record is shown
Previous button on order
records
Previous button is clicked
Previous record is shown
Home button on order
records
Home button is clicked
Home page is shown
Current temperature
-
Current temperature is
displayed
Wind Speed
-
Wind speed is displayed
Humidity
-
Humidity is displayed
Date/Time
-
Date and time is displayed
Graph of number items
sold in a day
-
Graph with correct
information is displayed
Receipt number
-
Receipt number is
displayed
Table buttons
When any table button is
clicked
Table choice page loads
up
Return to table menu
button on Table Choice
When the button is clicked
Server Menu is displayed
Start/Continue Timer
button
Button is clicked
Timer starts in server
menu to right table with
green colour. After 30 secs
it turns blue, after 45 secs
it turns red. When
temp<10, after 60 secs
turns blue after 90 secs
turns red.
Reset timer button
Button is clicked
Timer is reset to 0
Stop timer button
Stop button is clicked
Timer stops at that time
61
Add order button
Add order button is clicked
Add order form loads up. If
there is a live order user is
asked if they would like to
continue
View Order button
View Order button is
clicked
Individual Order Display
form loads up. If there is
not enough of any item
ordered in stock message
is displayed that there is
not enough of said item.
Date/Time
-
Date and Time is displayed
When any button is clicked
User is asked how many
they would like of the item
and it is added to receipt
SubTotal and VAT total
-
SubTotal and VAT total is
displayed
Save Table Orders button
When the button is clicked
Order is saved in records
Receipt on Individual Order
Display
-
Receipt with correct order
items is displayed
Any menu item button item
Edit Receipt Listbox
Order SubTotal
Click on any item
-
Item is highlighted
Displays final sub total of
order
Delete Item button
Button is clicked
Highlighted item on Edit
receipt is deleted
Update Item button
Button is clicked
Update Item form loads
with information about
highlighted item
Order Complete button
Button is clicked
Stock records with those
orders will have X
proceeding the table
number
Barcode generator
-
Barcode is displayed
Print Receipt button
Button is clicked
Receipt is printed
Close Form button
Button is clicked
Form is closed
62
Amend button
Valid number is inputted in
number ordered textbox.
E.g. 3
Item has been successfully
updated
Amend button
Invalid number is inputted
in number ordered textbox.
E.g. three
Item can not be updated
Return button
Button is clicked
Individual Order Form
loads
63
Iterative Development and testing
Login
Before
64
After
65
Code to Before
Originally, as I built the code to create a new user and password, rather than receiving a message
box which should state the hashed value of the Username created followed by the statement
‘New User Created’, I constantly kept receiving the message that it has already been taken. I
knew immediately that the problem lied in my If statement as this is the only area which would
return any of those messages. It was after tweaking various bits of code that I noticed I had set
the existing of the file as True when I should have set it to False, a clear logical error. By doing
this with my first set of code I was sending the program to displaying the ‘Username has already
been taken’ when it should be sent to create the new user. After editing the code I was able to fix
the problem which also worked when I entered the now existing user.
66
Code to After
67
Testing
68
In order to test my delete function, I first sent the program to the specific file that I wanted to
delete which contained the hashed value of the username and password. This worked when
tested and the correct file was deleted.
Error
69
When extending the function to find the account’s file in the correct folder, I constantly kept
getting a message that the account could not be found, despite the fact that I was creating the
account and it was showing it was there. I could not figure out the reason as to why it was not
working, therefore I searched some ways to delete the account in an alternate method. It was
through this, I later realised that I had made a logical error and I was not sending the program in
the correct place that the account was in nor was I using the correct inbuilt functions of Visual
Basic to delete the account.
After
70
The Admin of the Oasis restaurant was happy with the final login and its features: Create
account, Enter account and Delete account.
Stock Graphs
Before
When originally
creating the code for the graphs, I realised that I cannot create a graph before categorising the
items in the stock into Appetisers, Mains, Desserts etc.. This was due to the fact that there are too
many items to represent in the graph with 60 items. Therefore, as a form of Abstraction and to
still ensure the graph caters for the End Users’ needs I counted how many items are in the least
stock for each type of item.
After
71
72
Before
I made a clear syntax error here as I had forgotten the Number of Vegetarian items was declared
as a String and not an integer/single, therefore it could not be counted as I had done with the
other three graphs. I first had to check if the item was vegetarian and then count it as such.
73
My End User was happy with the graphs that I created and was particularly pleased with colours
that I used to represent each bar which corresponded with the colours for the type of item in the
menu.
Stock Record - increase/decrease prices
Before
74
When first trying to automatically increase/decrease the prices in accordance to how much was
in stock of that item, I created the code so that the system would go through the algorithm as the
form loads. However, this clearly did not work and it was by chance that instead, I moved the
code so that the algorithm would run when the ‘Read’ button was clicked. This worked and I
realised it was due to the fact that as the form loads there is nothing being read for the algorithm
to work on - it is as if the records do not exist.
After
The End User required that the prices increased/decreased according to the stock and was
pleased that the program could think for itself and change the prices without the Admin clicking
and buttons.
75
Items Ordered in an order
Before
When I used the list box to choose which method I wanted to order my items, nothing was
appearing. Therefore, I needed to use the process of elimination at which place the code had
gone wrong. I first started at the code for the actual order of the items. I removed the usage of the
list box and just checked to see if the code for the ordering worked.
76
When I was not using the list box the actual ordering was working, therefore I knew immediately
that the problem lay in my usage of the list box. It was after this realisation that I then checked
77
the index which was being selected when the method was being chosen. If the first item was a
different index then I was calling then no information would appear.
As shown above the image on the left shows
the index of the first item using the original list box which contains Chronological… The
message box is displaying -1, therefore no information was being displayed as I was calling on
index 0. However, the image on the right show a new list box and the first index was 0. It is not
clear as to why the original list box did not work and was displaying negative indexes, yet I was
able to reach the root of the problem. Due to the uncertainty of using list boxes and how
unreliable they were in this scenario, I decided to use a Combobox instead for ease.
After
78
One of the success criterai was that the Admin will be able to quickly order the stock depending
on different variables. After showing this function the End User was pleased with what I had
made.
Binary Search
No problem occurred with this search and the End User was happy with the information
displayed and how it was searched
79
Stock Record
Before
When creating the stock recording and reading it from file, the Expiry Date was the only variable
that was not being displayed. It was due to this I created a message box to figure out where the
80
problem was. This message box, as shown above, would show the information about each field,
so that I could see if Expiry Date existed.
After the testing was completed, it became clear through the above images that the Date was not
being read at all, and was skipping it to move onto the next item. It was through this realisation
that I looked through my writing and reading variables procedure. It was here that I noticed I had
not written in Expiry Date.
After
81
The End User was happy with the display of the stock records and the fields used to describe an
item.
API
Before
82
When using the API to find out the weather, I found the current temperature not appearing,
despite seeing on the message box the temperature. I also kept receiving the message that it
could not determine if it was cold eventhough the temperature was clearly seen in the
messagebox as below 10. It was due to this I created a textbox on the lower right-hand side of the
interface to display the information from the API. After recounting the number of spaces until
temp_min and also noticing in the message box a comma followed the integer, I remembered the
system could only accept integers, therefore I changed the limit of spaces to count until so the
integer can only be read. I changed the ‘Positionoftempmin + 11’ to ‘Positionoftempmin + 10’.
After
83
The End User was pleased with the final display of the temperature, humidity and wind speed.
They were particularly surprised and happy with the messages that appeared depending on the
weather.
84
Amend Record
Before
I found out that the problem lay in the position. When this was run it was creating a duplicate file
in either position 1 or 10 because the pointer was not being updated to the position at which I
wanted to amend. I changed the position so that updaterecordpointer became a function that
would find the position of the item I was looking for and change the pointer accordingly.
After
85
The End User was happy with the records and how they are automatically amended when an
order has been changed and the different functions that can be applied to the form.
Timer
Before
86
87
After
The End User was pleased with the changes made with the timers where the value at which the
colours change depend on the weather.
88
How many items sold in a day Graph
Before
89
As I was creating the graph to show how many items was sold in a day, I found that sometimes
the difference in the graph was showing as a negative number. It was when I used message boxes
as testing purposes that I found the reason was due to the fact that when I started the program
after the 0 second mark it was only doing the PM count and thus it would take the AM mark as 0.
This would cause the difference to be negative. It eas because of this I used Boolean statements
and If statements so that the PM count and difference would only occur when the AM count was
done.
After
90
The End User was happy with the way the graph was displayed and when it was displayed,
though asked me to remove the message boxes which displayed the stock in the morning and
night.
Displaying on Receipt
Before
When clicking the button to add an item to the receipt this error was occurring. The purpose of
this function was to find the name of the product in the stock records and display it on the receipt
and order record accordingly. It was through the help of the error message that I realised it was
due to the fact that I had declared TempName as a Decimal when it should have been a String.
After
Before
91
When adding an item to order, the information displayed on the receipt was not providing me
with the item name. I immediately knew it has something to do with the output and what was
being declared in the indexes. By changing the way the Product name was being sent through the
form, i.e. It was being found in the Stock Record, I realised I needed to call the function to find
the stock record name and declare that as another index.
After
92
The
End User was pleased with the displayal of the ordered items on the receipt and the menu which
was used to order the items. They were overall happy with the end product of this form.
Displaying Price on Receipt
Before
93
As I was trying to find the price from the Stock Records and read it to the receipt, I received this
error message. Intuitively, I knew that it had to do with the way I had passed through the ItemID.
This could also be realised through the error message I received. I figured out that I was passing
TempItemID as an Integer when it was declared as a String.
After
.
Before
94
For testing purposes I added a message box to show the price of the item before it is added to the
list to make sure it’s reading the right price, however for mozzarella sticks the price was showing
8.57 even though it’s 12. I checked the Product IDs of each item and realised that I had
accidentally created two items with the same ID. Therefore, the system was reading the other
item’s price.
After
95
The owners of the restaurant was happy with the find price function and how it was displayed on
the receipt.
Alcohol is Disabled
The End User asked that this function was to be made in order to ensure the restaurant remains a
safe environment was happy with the above product.
Stock Reduction
Original
96
Extension - Before
When I was trying to create the ability to send a message to the server if there is not enough of
an item that has been ordered, instead of receiving the item name alongside the message, I
received SimpleBinaryFile. I knew that the problem lay in the output, therefore when looking at
the message I realised that I could not display the item name as ProductName as it varies.
Therefore, I knew I had to change it so that when the count was on that item the name would
display as such.
Extension - After
97
This is an important feature for any EPOS system due to the embarrassment that may fall if a
customer orders and item and they do not tell said customer that there is not enough of the
ordered item. Therefore, the owners and servers were happy to be told when there is not enough
of the item in stock.
Barcode and Printing
98
The company required that i create a barcode so that each receipt is uniquely identified with a set
of unique number. They also asked that they have the ability to print out the receipt. It is due to
this the owners were happy with what I had produced for the final system.
Amending Items
99
The servers were happy with this as they did not need to return to the add order and delete an
item from there then reorder the item, but instead they simply just needed to change the details of
the item in the View Order form making it less time consuming and more efficient.
100
Evidence of Prototypes
Version 1
Version 2
As the first version was shown the End Users hated the dull colour scheme and did not think
each button was understandable as to where it would lead the user, when the button is clicked.
After editing the colours and the buttons’ names the End User was very happy with the
appearance and they believed the buttons could be understood better.
Version 1
101
Version 2
In Version 1 the End User liked the colour scheme and all of the function, however they
requested that I create a Delete Account button so that they can delete any account easily.
The End User was happy with the functions of Version 2 and were pleased with the end results.
Version 1
102
Version 2
Final Version
103
When I first showcased version 1 the End User was not happy with the colour scheme or the
layout of the interface. They wanted reds and oranges with the logo in the background and felt
the interface was too busy. They also wanted to add more fields to describe the products in
Stock.
When version 2 was shown the owners were happy with the colour scheme and asked that it was
sticked to for the other forms. They were also pleased with the fields of the items and the format
at which the information can be seen. However, in this version they users would have to click the
button to move to other forms which would show the graphs and searches. They did not want to
do this as they believed that it would cause too much confusion if there were too many forms that
can be accessed and asked that the information could all be found on one graph.
With the final version, the users were very happy with both the format and usability of the
interface. They were happy with using tabs to navigate the graphs and were overall happy with
the functions.
Version 1
Ve
rsion 2
104
Final Version
Version 1, similar to the Stock Records, lacked the colour scheme which the End User requested.
They also asked that the tables were set out in the way the the restaurant has laid them out. They
mentioned that viewing the actual weather was not that important, therefore asked that its display
could be made smaller.
In Version 2, they were happy with the colours and display, yet they asked to get rid of the grey
colour found with the displaying of the weather. They also wanted to show where the kitchen
could be found and use that as a method to navigate the user to message the chefs if need be.
They also asked for the Graph to be shown in this form where the number of items sold in the
day can be seen.
Version 3 catered for all of these requests which the End User was very happy about. However,
after mentioning the button for the Kitchen did not work due to timing problems they asked that
this is made as a future development for later on.
Version 1
105
Final Version
Though they liked the different colours used in
Version 1 they were skeptical with it fitting with the rest of the program and the lack of
consistency it would have. It was due to this they requested that I change the colours and layout
of the page so that it would look more structured and professional.
In the Final version they were happy with all the changes I made and made no further requests to
change anything.
Version 1
106
Version 2
Final Version
107
In the first version the End User was not happy with the colour scheme of the from nor were they
happy with the layout. They believed that everything looked too packed together and also said
that with the amount of items on the menu it would not be feasible to have every item on the
same form.
In version 2 I showed them the ability to click the button and it would direct the user to another
form which would show the items that can be ordered. They were not upset with this idea and
explained that if I thought that would be the best way to structure then so be it. Yet, they did not
like my use of black believing it to be too dull for the design and clashing too much with the
logo.
The End Users were immensely pleased with the Final version and praised me on my use of
colours when differentiating between the type of items. They were also very happy with the tabs
as it would be easier to navigate and less confusing as it would cause less forms in the system.
Version 1
Final Version
108
When shown the first version, again the End Users were not happy with the colour scheme and
asked that all the writing could be made larger so it could be read more clearly. Besides this they
were happy with the functions of the form and asked for no further improvement.
In the Final version they liked the colours and stated that they could read the buttons better at an
arm's length distance.
Version 1
109
Final Version
When discussing Version1 the owners only asked that
the colours were changed to fit with the scheme of the company, however they were pleased with
everything else.
This was achieved in the Final version which the End Users were happy with.
110
Login
111
112
Stock Records
113
114
115
Server Menu
116
117
118
119
120
Add Order
121
122
Individual Order Display
123
124
125
126
Data Dictionary
Field Name
Data Type
Data Format
Field Size
Description
Example
ItemID
String
XXXX
4
The ID used to reference to
a specific item
P001
Item
String
The name of the item
Hummus
and Pitta
Type of Item
String
What category does the
item fall under
Appetiser
Number In
Stock
Integer
How many of that item is in
stock
6
Retail Price
Single
How much is it being sold
for
8.57
Purchase Price
Single
How much did it cost
6.5
Vegetarian
String
Is it vegetarian
Yes
Expiry Date
Date
XX/XX/XX
8
The date which the item
expires
26/3/19
Field Name
Data Type
Data Format
Field Size
Description
Example
ItemID
Integer
The random number
generated with an order to
show which items have
been ordered together
1
Table
Number
String
XX
2
The table that has ordered
that item
T1
ProductID
String
XXXX
4
The corresponding ItemID
P002
Number
Ordered
Integer
How many of that item has
been ordered
1
Sub Total
Decimal
How much was the overall
order cost
34
Date/Time
Date
Date and time it was
01/01/2019
XX/XX/XXXX
18
127
XX:XX:XX
AM/PM
String
ordered
18:38:00
What time of the day was it
EVE
Global Variables
Variable
Type
Content
DisplayOrder
StringBuilder
Displays the order which has been made by a
table
TableName
String
The name of the table being accessed
PresentOrder
Boolean
Checks if there is a live order
TableOrders(20,3)
String
Holds the data for a given table
Table1TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 1’s timer has
started
Table2TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 2’s timer has
started
Table3TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 3’s timer has
started
Table4TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 4’s timer has
started
Table5TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 5’s timer has
started
Table6TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 6’s timer has
started
Table7TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 7’s timer has
started
Table8TimerValue
Integer
Holds the minutes gone since table 8’s timer has
started
updaterecordpointer
Integer
The position of the record being updated
RegularStay
Integer
When temperature is above 10, amount of time
timer stays green
LongStay
Integer
When temperature is above 10, amount of time
128
timer stays blue
VeryLongStay
Integer
When temperature is above 10, amount of time
customers stay before timer turns red
ColdRegularStay
Integer
When temperature is below 10, amount of time
timer stays green
ColdLongStay
Integer
When temperature is below 10, amount of time
timer stays blue
ColdVeryLongStay
Integer
When temperature is below 10, amount of time
customers stay before timer turns red
FinalOrderTotalForTable
Decimal
The final cost of an order including VAT
NewTableOrder(20,3)
String
Array which holds the orders made by a table
TempOrderForTable(20,3)
String
Copies values of order for table in to array that
can be accessed publicly.
ItemIDtoDelete
Integer
The item which is being updated so that all the
information is copied onto the form
Local Variables
Variable
Type
Location
Content
Path
String
Login.vb
Stores the location where the hashed
account details will be stored
M5
System.Security.
Cryptography.MD
5CryptoServicePr
ovider
Login.vb
Computes the MD5 hash value using the
inbuilt function
ByteString()
Byte
Login.vb
Holds the hashed value of the account in
a byte
FinalString
String
Login.vb
Holds the converted hashed value into
string
Account
String
Login.vb
The hashed value of the account
Product
ProductRec
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the product record
129
Stock()
ProductRec
StockRecord.v Holds the product record
b
ServerMenu.vb
AddOrder.vb
IndividualOrder
Display.vb
NoRecords
Integer
StockRecord.v The amount of records found
b
ServerMenu.vb
IndividualOrder
Display.vb
P
Integer
StockRecord.v The position the record is to be
b
displayed
ServerMenu.vb
Ans
Integer
StockRecord.v The message which is displayed when
b
deleting or making a new record
ServerMenu.vb
TableChoice.v
b
FS
System.IO.FileStr
eam
StockRecord.v Shows the place the record will be saved
b
ServerMenu.vb
BW
System.IO.Binary
Writer
StockRecord.v Writes the records down in binary in the
b
file
ServerMenu.vb
AppetisersNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of appetisers in stock
MainsNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of mains in stock
DessertsNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of desserts in stock
DrinksNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of drinks in stock
ExtrasNIS
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of extras in stock
AppetisersV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of appetisers which
are vegetarian
130
MainsV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of mains which are
vegetarian
DessertsV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of desserts which are
vegetarian
DrinksV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of drinks which are
vegetarian
ExtrasV
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the number of extras which are
vegetarian
AppetisersRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the appetisers retail
price
MainsRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the mains retail price
DessertsRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the desserts retail price
DrinksRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the drinks retail price
ExtrasRP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the extras retail price
AppetisersPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the appetisers
purchase price
MainsPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the mains purchase
price
DessertsPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the desserts purchase
price
DrinksPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the drinks purchase
price
ExtrasPP
Single
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total of the extras purchase
price
AppetisersDiffe Single
rence
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the
appetisers purchase and retail price.
i.e.income
MainsDifferenc
e
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the mains
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
Single
131
DessertsDiffere Single
nce
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the desserts
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
DrinksDifferenc Single
e
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the drinks
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
ExtrasDifferenc Single
e
StockRecord.v
b
Holds the total difference of the extras
purchase and retail price. i.e.income
Temp
ProductRec
StockRecord.v
b
Holds a record whilst a swap is being
made
SwapMade
Boolean
StockRecord.v
b
Checks to see if a swap has been made
SearchLength
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
The length of the record being ordered
Pointer
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
The position where the item has been
found in the search
Midpoint
Integer
StockRecord.v
b
The middle index of the record being
searched
NoofStockRec
ords
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Number of records present in stock
AddOrder.vb
NewOrder
Sale
ServerMenu.vb Used to create the initial date for the
orders
Orders()
Sale
ServerMenu.vb Stores the content of the text file for the
orders
DataBacknew
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the data returned from the API
request
mintemptodayI
NT
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds min temp every 30 min
humidityINT
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the humidity every 30 min
windspeedINT
Decimal
ServerMenu.vb Holds the wind speed every 30 min
GoURL
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the URL address of the API
request
request
HttpWebRequest
ServerMenu.vb Requests for a HTTP response to the
weather
132
response
HttpWebRespons
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the response of the HTTP request
responseStrea
m
System.IO.Strea
m
ServerMenu.vb Provides a generic of the response
streamreader
System.IO.Strea
mReader
ServerMenu.vb Reads the response from the
responseStream
Databack
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the entire response in a readable
format
Positionoftemp
min
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Will locate the word "tempmin"
Positionofhumi
dity
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Will locate the word "humidity"
Positionofwind
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Will locate the word "wind"
texttocheck
String
ServerMenu.vb The text which is being searched for the
weather
mintemptoday
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of the minimum
temperature
humidity
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of the humidity
windspeed
String
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of the wind speed
RecordPointer
Integer
ServerMenu.vb The position of the record being
amended
xtn
String
ServerMenu.vb Places an X infront of the table which
has an order completed
IntTableOrders
(20,7)
String
ServerMenu.vb The record which contains the correct
table number’s order is copied into this
array
Tcount
Integer
ServerMenu.vb The position of the array
NumberOfOrde Integer
rs
ServerMenu.vb Number of orders made by that table
ExtraSpaces
ServerMenu.vb Fills the missing spaces so that the order
can be formatted correctly
String
133
MissingSpaces
Integer
ServerMenu.vb The amount of spaces missed when the
information is displayed
AppetisersAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of appetisers in stock
in the morning
MainsAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of mains in stock in
the morning
DessertsAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of desserts in stock in
the morning
DrinksAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of drinks in stock in
the morning
ExtrasAM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of extras in stock in
the morning
AppetisersPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of appetisers in stock
at night
MainsPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of mains in stock at
night
DessertsPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of desserts in stock at
night
DrinksPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of drinks in stock at
night
ExtrasPM
Integer
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of extras in stock at
night
AppetisersDiffe Integer
rence
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of appetisers sold in
the day
MainsDifferenc
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of mains sold in the
day
Integer
DessertsDiffere Integer
nce
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of desserts sold in the
day
DrinksDifferenc Integer
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of drinks sold in the
day
ExtrasDifferenc Integer
e
ServerMenu.vb Holds the number of extras sold in the
day
CountAM
ServerMenu.vb Checks if the number of the type of item
Boolean
134
in stock has been added in the morning
SubTotal
Decimal
AddOrder.vb
The amount of money the order costs
IteminOrder
Integer
AddOrder.vb
The position in the array where the order
is being added
displayout
Stringbuilder
AddOrder.vb
Displays the information about the order
TempPrice
Decimal
AddOrder.vb
Holds the founded price of an item from
the stock record
TempName
String
AddOrder.vb
Holds the founded name of the item from
the stock record
Quantity
Integer
AddOrder.vb
Holds the amount of an item that has
been ordered
ItemSubTotal
Decimal
AddOrder.vb
Holds the worked out value of the
subtotal of an order
rn
Random
AddOrder.vb
Holds a random number generated by
the system for the ItemID
nrn
Integer
AddOrder.vb
Holds the next random number
generated by the system for the ItemID
currentdate
Date
AddOrder.vb
Holds the present date and time
periodofday
String
AddOrder.vb
Shows the period of day which the order
has been made at
TempReceipt
Integer
AddOrder.vb
The number on the receipt to refer back
to it
BarcodeNumb
erx
Integer
IndividualOrder When an order has been completed it is
Display.vb
the generated barcode
OrderForTable( String
20,7)
IndividualOrder It will store: ItemID(Random Number),
Display.vb
Table Number, Product ID, Quantity and
subtotal
Tablelength
Integer
IndividualOrder The length of the array
Display.vb
TableSubtotal
Decimal
IndividualOrder Stores the subtotal for the table
Display.vb
HASHposition
Integer
IndividualOrder Finds the first occurance of the HASH
135
Display.vb
tag and records the position.
Itemtosetox
Integer
IndividualOrder The integer value of the ItemID which is
Display.vb
set to x when the order is complete
font1
Font
IndividualOrder The font that the receipt document will
Display.vb
be printed with
Generator
MessagingToolkit
.Barcode.Barcod
eEncoder
IndividualOrder Holds the generated barcode which the
Display.vb
system has created
randomnumber
Random
IndividualOrder Random number generated by the
Display.vb
system
newrandomnu
mber
Integer
IndividualOrder Adds 999 to random number and acts
Display.vb
the barcode number
136
Testing to inform evaluation:
Test Plan
What will I be
testing
Input
Expected
result
Actual Result
Admin button on
home page
Click the admin
button
Login page loads
up
Login page loads
up
Login page loads
up
Server button on
home page
Click the server
button
Server menu page
load up
Server menu page
load up
Server menu page
load up
Create new account Enter username
for login
and password
details
New account is
created
New account is
created
New account is
created
Delete account for
login
Enter correct
username and
password
Account is
successfully
deleted
Account is
successfully
deleted
Account is
successfully
deleted
Delete account for
login
Enter incorrect
username or
password
Account cannot be
found
Account cannot be
found
Account cannot be
found
Enter account for
login
Enter correct
username or
password
Stock records loads
up
Stock records loads
up
Stock records loads
up
Enter account for
login
Enter incorrect
username or
Account cannot be
found
Account cannot be
found
137
password
Account cannot be
found
Home button on
login
Click the Home
button
Home page loads
up
Home page loads
up
Home page loads
up
Make button on
stock records
Click the make
button
The record has
been made
successfully
The record has
been made
successfully
The record has
been made
successfully
Read button on
stock records
Click the read
button
The correct
information on the
items comes up
The correct
information on the
items comes up
The correct
information on the
items comes up
Add button on stock Information is
records
correctly inputted
Record has been
added successfully
and can be seen
Record has been
added successfully
and can be seen
Record has been
added successfully
and can be seen
Add button on stock Information has not
records
been inputted
correctly. E.g.
Number in stock =
eight
Record cannot be
added
Record cannot be
added
Record cannot be
added
Amend button on
stock records
Information is
amended correctly
Record has been
amended
successfully and
can be seen
Record has been
amended
successfully and
can be seen
Record has been
amended
successfully and
can be seen
Amend button on
stock records
Information is
amended
incorrectly. E.g.
Record cannot be
amended
Program crashes
Program crashes
138
Retail price = seven
Save button on
stock records
Information is all
correct
Record has been
saved
Record has been
saved
Record has been
saved
Save button on
stock records
Information is
incorrect.
E.g.Vegetarian = 5
Record cannot be
saved
Record cannot be
saved
Record cannot be
saved
Delete button on
stock records
Click the delete
button
Record has
successfully been
deleted
Record has
successfully been
deleted
Record has
successfully been
deleted
New button on
stock records
Click new button,
are you sure you
want to create a
new record then
yes
Entire record is
deleted
Entire record is
deleted
Entire record is
deleted
New button on
stock records
Click new button,
are you sure you
want to create a
new record then no
Records should
remain the same
Records remain the
same
Records remain the
same
Next button on
stock records
Next Button is
clicked
Next record is
shown
Next record is
shown
Next record is
shown
Previous button on
stock records
Previous button is
clicked
Previous record is
shown
Previous record is
shown
Previous record is
shown
Home button on
stock records
Home button is
clicked
Home page is
shown
Home page is
shown
Home page is
shown
Method of ordering
is shown
Method of ordering
is shown
Order drop down
Click on any
list on stock records method of ordering
139
Method of ordering
is shown
Order button on
stock records
Click on order
button
Stock is ordered in
the method that is
chosen
Stock is ordered in
the method that is
chosen
Stock is ordered in
the method that is
chosen
Clear button on
stock records
Click on clear
button
Display box is
cleared completely
Display box is
cleared completely
Display box is
cleared completely
Search button on
stock records
Existing itemID is
written is search
text box
Correct information
of searched itemID
is displayed
Correct information
of searched itemID
is displayed
Correct information
of searched itemID
is displayed
Search button on
stock records
Invalid information
is written is search
text box. E.g.
Chicken sizzler
Information cannot
be found
Program crashes
Program crashes
Graph listbox on
stock records
Information which
wants to be
displayed in the
graph is shown.
E.g. Number of
vegetarian items
Correct graph
chosen is shown in
the listbox
Correct graph
chosen is shown in
the listbox
Correct graph
chosen is shown in
the listbox
Graph button on
stock records
Graph button is
clicked
Correct graph is
displayed with
correct information
Correct graph is
displayed with
correct information
Correct graph is
displayed with
correct information
Make button on
order records
Click the make
button
The record has
been made
successfully
The record has
been made
successfully
The record has
been made
successfully
140
Read button on
order records
Click the read
button
The correct
information on the
items comes up
The correct
information on the
items comes up
The correct
information on the
items comes up
Add button on order Information is
records
correctly inputted
Record has been
added successfully
and can be seen
Record has been
added successfully
and can be seen
Record has been
added successfully
and can be seen
Add button on order Information has not
records
been inputted
correctly. E.g.
Number ordered =
eight
Record cannot be
added
Program crashes
Program crashes
Amend button on
order records
Information is
amended correctly
Record has been
amended
successfully and
can be seen
Record has been
amended
successfully and
can be seen
Record has been
amended
successfully and
can be seen
Amend button on
order records
Information is
amended
incorrectly. E.g.
Subtotal = seven
Record cannot be
amended
Program crashes
Program crashes
Save button on
order records
Information is all
correct
Record has been
saved
Record has been
saved
Record has been
saved
Save button on
order records
Information is
incorrect. E.g
Date/Time = 5
Record cannot be
saved
Record cannot be
saved
Record cannot be
saved
Delete button on
order records
Click the delete
button
Record has
successfully been
deleted
Record has
successfully been
deleted
141
Record has
successfully been
deleted
New button on
order records
Click new button,
are you sure you
want to create a
new record then
yes
Entire record is
deleted
Entire record is
deleted
Entire record is
deleted
New button on
order records
Click new button,
are you sure you
want to create a
new record then no
Records should
remain the same
Records remain the
same
Records remain the
same
Next button on
order records
Next Button is
clicked
Next record is
shown
Next record is
shown
Next record is
shown
Previous button on
order records
Previous button is
clicked
Previous record is
shown
Previous record is
shown
Previous record is
shown
Home button on
order records
Home button is
clicked
Home page is
shown
Home page is
shown
Home page is
shown
Current
temperature
-
Current
temperature is
displayed
Current
temperature is
displayed with
message
Current
temperature is
displayed with
message
Wind Speed
-
Wind speed is
displayed
Wind speed is
displayed with
message
Wind speed is
displayed with
message
Humidity
-
Humidity is
Humidity is
142
displayed
displayed with
message
Humidity is
displayed with
message
Date/Time
-
Date and time is
displayed
Date and time is
displayed
Date and time is
displayed
Graph of number
items sold in a day
-
Graph with correct
information is
displayed
Graph with correct
information is
displayed
Graph with correct
information is
displayed
Receipt number
-
Receipt number is
displayed
Receipt number is
displayed
Receipt number is
displayed
Table buttons
When any table
button is clicked
Table choice page
loads up
Table choice page
loads up
Table choice page
loads up
Return to table
menu button on
Table Choice
When the button is
clicked
Server Menu is
displayed
Server Menu is
displayed
Server Menu is
displayed
Start/Continue
Timer button
Button is clicked
Timer starts in
server menu to right
table with green
colour. After 30
secs it turns blue,
after 45 secs it
turns red. When
temp<10, after 60
secs turns blue
after 90 secs turns
red.
Timer starts in
server menu to right
table with green
colour. After 30
secs it turns blue,
after 45 secs it
turns red. When
temp<10, after 60
secs turns blue
after 90 secs turns
red.
Timer starts in
server menu to right
table with green
143
colour. After 30
secs it turns blue,
after 45 secs it
turns red. When
temp<10, after 60
secs turns blue
after 90 secs turns
red.
Reset timer button
Button is clicked
Timer is reset to 0
Timer is reset to 0
Timer is reset to 0
Stop timer button
Stop button is
clicked
Timer stops at that
time
Timer stops at that
time
Timer stops at that
time
Add order button
Add order button is
clicked
Add order form
loads up. If there is
a live order user is
asked if they would
like to continue
Add order form
loads up. If there is
a live order user is
asked if they would
like to continue
Add order form
loads up. If there is
a live order user is
asked if they would
like to continue
View Order button
View Order button
is clicked
Individual Order
Display form loads
up. If there is not
enough of any item
ordered in stock
message is
displayed that there
is not enough of
said item.
Individual Order
Display form loads
up. If there is not
enough of any item
ordered in stock
message is
displayed that there
is not enough of
said item.
Individual Order
Display form loads
up. If there is not
enough of any item
ordered in stock
message is
displayed that there
is not enough of
144
said item.
Date/Time
-
Date and Time is
displayed
Date and Time is
displayed
Date and Time is
displayed
Any menu item
button item
When any button is
clicked
User is asked how
many they would
like of the item and
it is added to
receipt
User is asked how
many they would
like of the item and
it is added to
receipt
User is asked how
many they would
like of the item and
it is added to
receipt
Any menu item
button item
When any button is
clicked and user
inputs invalid data
User is asked how
many they would
like of the item and
it is added to
receipt
Program crashes
Program crashes
SubTotal and VAT
total
-
SubTotal and VAT
total is displayed
SubTotal and VAT
total is displayed
SubTotal and VAT
total is displayed
Save Table Orders
button
When the button is
clicked
Order is saved in
records
Order is saved in
records
Order is saved in
records
Receipt on
Individual Order
Display
-
Receipt with correct
order items is
displayed
Receipt with correct
order items is
displayed
Receipt with correct
order items is
displayed
Edit Receipt Listbox Click on any item
Item is highlighted
Item is highlighted
Item is highlighted
Order SubTotal
Displays final sub
total of order
Displays final sub
total of order
Displays final sub
-
145
total of order
Delete Item button
Button is clicked
Highlighted item on
Edit receipt is
deleted
Highlighted item on
Edit receipt is
deleted
Highlighted item on
Edit receipt is
deleted
Update Item button
Button is clicked
Update Item form
loads with
information about
highlighted item
Update Item form
loads with
information about
highlighted item
Update Item form
loads with
information about
highlighted item
Order Complete
button
Button is clicked
Stock records with
those orders will
have X proceeding
the table number
Stock records with
those orders will
have X proceeding
the table number
Stock records with
those orders will
have X proceeding
the table number
Barcode is
displayed
Barcode is
displayed
Barcode is
displayed
Print Receipt button Button is clicked
Receipt is printed
Receipt is printed
Receipt is printed
Close Form button
Button is clicked
Form is closed
Form is closed
Form is closed
Amend button
Valid number is
inputted in number
ordered textbox.
E.g. 3
Item has been
successfully
updated
Item has been
successfully
updated
Item has been
successfully
updated
Amend button
Invalid number is
inputted in number
Item can not be
updated
Item can not be
updated
Barcode generator
-
146
ordered textbox.
E.g. three
Return button
Button is clicked
Item can not be
updated
Individual Order
Form loads
Individual Order
Form loads
Individual Order
Form loads
I tested the features of the program which was requested by the End User before sending he
solution over as shown below:
Login details successfully hash and a new user is
created to log in
The new user can now log in
with their details
147
The user can delete their account if they want to
Once the account is deleted the
system can no longer find the file
and as shown through the
message box we can see it is
looking in the right file.
The system correctly reads the file and as shown in the
code where the retail price is 8.57, however because the
stock is below 10 the retail price is multiplied by 20%.
When adding a new item if the boxes are
inputted with the correct type of values then it successfully adds the new record. If a box is not
inputted correctly then the program will not crash and will display an error message as expected.
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If the boxes are changed with correct values then a record can be amended and saved
successfully, however, if a box is amended with invalid data then the program crashes. In order
to fix this I will need to catch if there is any invalid data used to amend the records and again test
if it works.
as expected.
Records can be successfully deleted
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All three graphs successfully display the correct
information in the format required.
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All the items can be ordered depending on the variable correctly.
When
searching for an item that is part of the records all the information is displayed correctly,
however when searching for an item that is not in the records such as P061 the program crashes.
This means that -1 is not being returned if it cannot find it and the problem lies in this. I believe
the problem lies in the output of the data as the program is still expecting for something to be
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displayed. After fixing this I will have to put invalid data in the search box and check if the
problem has been fixed.
The API works perfectly
and shows messages
depending on the weather.
It also displays the
information in a readable
format for the servers to
view
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The records for the orders displays the correct information when the record is read.
An order can be added successfully
if valid data is inputted.
When invalid data is inputted the program crashes, therefore I would need to catch if any invalid
information is inputted and display an error message accordingly. I would need to test this to
check if it works by reinputting invalid data.
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The timers worked perfectly stopping when the button was clicked and resetting. Due to the
temperature the time for the tables to change colour increased which is another function which
has worked well.
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When inputting valid data the functions worked well, however when invalid data was added the
program crashed, therefore I would need to catch this invalid data and retest these functions
again.
The ability to add orders which are then automatically added to the record works perfectly.
The function to check if there is enough of the item being ordered in stock works perfectly well.
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The ability to amend how many items are being ordered in the View Order section works well
and when the order has been amended the records in the Order stock also automatically changes
as expected.
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The generating of a barcode and being able to print out the receipt when the order is complete
provides the desired results.
When the
correctly proceeds the table number as shown.
order has been completed the X
My End User also provided feedback on the program as shown through the red comments in the
test table, which they requested that the points where the program crashed was fixed
immediately. They also provided an email as shown:
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Evaluation of solution: (15 marks)
Judging success criteria:
The success criteria which I met:
● I created an Admin page which stores stock data so that the end user can easily look
through the stock information and amend/add/delete any stock of their choice. As shown
below.
● A login page was needed, which I delivered. This ensured that the information and
function were all protected so that nobody can detrimentally affect the business. As
shown in pages 147-148.
● The ability to Search and Order items. This made it easier for the owners of the business
to simply input the ItemID in the text box and all the information of said ItemID would
be displayed. The Admin could also order the stock in various ways, such as
chronologically by ItemID or Item name, the items in most stock, the items which have a
higher purchase price, the items with a higher retail price or the items with a larger expiry
date. As shown in pages 151-152
● Graph analysis was also provided. This showed the owners the type of items which had
the higher stock. Another graph showed the type of items which provided the most
income. The last graph showed the type of items items which had the most vegetarian
choice. As shown below
● Timers were used to measure the length of time a customer had sat at the table. It also
showed an easy way to check when the customers should be moved along by way of
colours. When the timer was green the customer could sit there without any hassle, when
it turned blue the customers should be rushed slightly and when it turned red the
customers had stayed for too long. As shown in page 154
● A function which checks the weather regularly. This was shown on display in the server
menu and then analysed so that the system would automatically change the duration of
time the customers could sit at a table. If the temperature was below 10 then the
customers could sit for longer as the company would not have much business on that day.
As shown in page 152
● A record of the products sold was shown on the Server Menu. The End User has the
ability to view all of the orders made which are live and which have been completed made distinctly different by having an x proceed the tables which had a completed order.
The owners could amend/delete/create a new record wherever felt necessary. As shown
below
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● Graph for the amount of items sold in a day was displayed on the Server Menu. It
checked the amount of stock when the business opened and then again when it closed. It
then worked out the difference was was displayed on graph. It is automatically done by
the solution so no mutton needs to be pressed in order for the graph to display and
analyse. As shown in pages 90-92
● A form to order items was a necessary component which I delivered. Servers simply
clicked the item’s button which was ordered and input the amount which was ordered.
This was then added to a growing receipt and a total is calculated and saved. As shown
below
● A form to view items ordered according to each table and calculate the subtotal. This
form also provided the ability to update any items last minute or delete any if there had
been discrepancies or if the customers had been upset with the food an item could be
taken off and given for free. As shown below
● A function to print out receipts. This included the barcode generated for that order and all
the information of said order in case there were any problems in the future. As shown in
page 157
● A barcode generator. This was created and can be used as a unique identifier for each
transaction and can be scanned so that the receipt would appear with all the information
about the order. As shown in page 157
● I used validation message boxes around my program such as when the server menu loads
a message box will pop up with the temperature, humidity and wind speed, while also
displaying a comment: ‘It is going to be a cold day.’ This also occurs in several other
places such as when a person logs in they are welcomed with their username or when a
record is amended a messagebox appears with ‘The record has been amended’. As shown
below
I have also remained closely attached to the GUI features I designed as shown from page 45:
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There were two points of my success criteria which I did not meet:
● Increase/decrease prices in accordance to the temperature, humidity and wind speed.
● Create a button that will make it possible for any waiters/waitresses to contact the chefs
directly from the EPOS system, instead of having to go to the kitchens themselves.
Potential Maintenance issues:
If the End User wants to create any extra fields in the records then they would need to add these
features in multiple places and edit the interface to add extra space to accommodate for this.
However, since the fields are packed together it is quite simple to add the fields if you go
through the code in a systematic order.
When using the API to get the weather the End User will need to be careful if the address
expires, in which case another will need to be requested.
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The items sold by the End User is hardcoded so that when an order is added the price and name
of the item is found by going through the stock records. This will make it difficult to add new
items to the menu in which case it will need to be hard coded into the program.
Any additional tables that are added to the restaurant will also require to have certain codes
amended so as to add that table. It will also require an extra timer and a change in interface
structure.
Solution limitations
My solution does not analyse a lot of data in the form of graphs, which can be changed in the
future. If extra fields are created for the items, such as calories, gluten free, halal, order date etc,
these fields can be analysed and provide the owners with more information about their products.
My system does not take any online bookings or booking from the phone. This will require the
system to connect to the website of the restaurant and also have a phone feature. It will also need
to provide the opportunity for the servers to disable certain tables at a certain time if it has been
reserved and then enable it when clicked. This can be made possible in the future.
I have not created the function to keep a record of customer bookings and allow customers to
register with the company or a record that holds the staff information. This will require records
to be created and to create more forms both of which can also be accessed by the Admin.
Improvements:
As stated above there are several points in my success criteria which I did not meet. These were
not met due to time restraints and are the next immediate thing which will be needed in order to
reach optimal customer satisfaction.
● The price of the items should increase or decrease depending on the temperature
● Kitchen staff should be able to contact the servers and vice versa, in order to
communicate with any questions made by customers
● I can also improve my system so that I no longer have the limitations mentioned above.
My system could extent itself to analyse more data so as to improve business for the
owners and see where improvements are necessary.
● By creating a record of customers the business would create loyal customers and they can
form some sort of loyal reward scheme using this.
● I can also extend the business to take electric payment via card or apple pay. This is done
by many businesses and is vital in this day and age such as Ice Burg.
● My system could automatically order items which are low in stock, via EDI, which is
something that a company called eposnow do. They specifically ‘ Streamline and simplify
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your stock ordering process by automatically raising purchase orders, and easily control and
manage inter-location stock transfers.’
● I can also create the ability to have staff members clock in and out of work and
automatically generate staff hours and pay. If I create staff records then owners can see
the most performing and underperforming members where they can then handle any gaps
in training and knowledge. This is something done in numerous places using EPOS
systems such as Asda.
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