5.1. Identifying Suitable Algorithms

• Logging in (applies to both Desktop and Mobile Applications)

Mobile and desktop users will need to be given the database address and password in order to log in, and mobile users (a.k.a. Teachers) will be unable to log in until an administrator sets up their account through the desktop application. The algorithm should check in the “Users” table of the database for the username and password requested, and if they match a user get their access privileges and show them the appropriate form (Desktop) or allow/deny access on Mobile.

Username = USERINPUT

Password = USERINPUT

Success = FALSE

sqlConnection = connectionString #connectionString is public – Database info

sqlConnection.Open()

WHILE sqlReader.Read(UserName, UserPassword, AccessRights FROM dbo.Users)

            tempUser = sqlReader(UserName, UserPassword, AccessRights)

            listOfUsers.ADD(tempUser)

ENDWHILE

FOR i = 1 TO listOfUsers.Length

IF Username = listOfUsers[i].UserName AND Password = listOfUsers[i].UserPassword

            Success = TRUE

            CheckAccessRights(listOfUsers[i]) #on desktop, will grant access to secretaries and administrators only – on mobile, teachers only

ENDIF

            ENDFOR

            IF Success = FALSE

                        OUTPUT “Incorrect login credentials, please try again.”

            ENDIF

• Signing up (applies to Desktop Application – Administrators Only)

One user named “admin” will be provided to the school along with the database information, so they are able to begin registering other users. The initial administrator will have to enter a new password after the first login, and from there they can use the Users Management tab in the Desktop Application to register new Administrators, Secretaries or Teachers.

Username = USERINPUT

Password = USERINPUT

FirstName = USERINPUT

LastName = USERINPUT

Access = USERINPUT

IF Username != “” AND Password != “” AND FirstName != “”

            sqlConnection = connectionString #connectionString is public – DB info

sqlConnection.Open()

            sqlExecute(“INSERT INTO dbo.USERS VALUES Username, Password, FirstName, LastName, Access;”)

ELSE

OUTPUT “Username, Password and First Name cannot be empty.”

            ENDIF

• Registering Students (applies to Desktop Application – Administrators and Secretaries Only)

From the control panel, students may be registered in bulk or individually. The former option requires a correctly written csv file to be imported, whereas the latter displays a new form to register the new Student.

#Adding from flat file

fileLocation = USERINPUT

WHILE csvReader.READ(fileLocation)

            listOfStudents.ADD(SeparateCSVrow(csvReader.CurrentLine))

ENDWHILE

            UploadStudents(listOfStudents)

#Adding individually

FirstName = USERINPUT

            LastName = USERINPUT

            MothersName = USERINPUT

            FathersName = USERINPUT

            ThirdName = USERINPUT

            ThirdRole = USERINPUT

            MotherPhone = USERINPUT

            FatherPhone = USERINPUT

            ThirdPhone = USERINPUT

            Group = USERINPUT

IF FirstName != “” AND LastName != “” AND MothersName != “” AND FathersName != “” AND ThirdName != “” AND MotherPhone != “” AND FatherPhone != “” AND ThirdPhone != “” AND Group != “”

            sqlConnection = connectionString #connectionString is public – DB info

			sqlConnection.Open()

            sqlExecute(“INSERT INTO dbo.Students VALUES FirstName, LastName, MothersName, FathersName, ThirdName, ThirdRole, MotherPhone, FatherPhone, ThirdPhone, Group;”)

ELSE

	OUTPUT “Student information cannot be empty.”

ENDIF

• Adding “Teachings”, A.K.A. the Teacher’s Timetable (applies to Desktop Application – Administrators Only)

From the control panel, an administrator may upload the timetable of each Teacher so that the mobile application can be utilised by them later. This will also be done by importing a csv file.

#importing flat file containing numeric IDs of lessons organised in days and periods (columns and rows)

fileLocation = USERINPUT

j = 0

WHILE csvReader.READ(fileLocation) OR j != 4

            FOR i = 0 TO 6

                        teachingsArr[i, j] = SeparateCSVrow(csvReader.CurrentLine)

            ENDFOR

            j = j + 1

ENDWHILE

            UploadTeachings(teachingsArr)

• Creating ‘teaching’ dates and semesters (applies to Desktop Application – Administrators Only)

Administrators may create and delete dates for which Teachers may take attendance as Semesters. Sundays and Saturdays will be registered as non-teaching dates.

initialDate = USERINPUT

finalDate = USERINPUT

semesterID = USERINPUT

FOREACH DATE i BETWEEN initialDate AND finalDate

            sqlExecute(“INSERT INTO dbo.Dates VALUES i, semesterID;”)

ENDFOR

• Disabling access to specific tabs in the control panel if the user logged in is a secretary (applies to Desktop Application)

As the user is switching tabs in the desktop control panel an event is “fired”, which can be linked to a custom method. Every time a tab is selected, the access rights of the currently logged-in user are checked, and if they are a secretary they should be denied access to 3 tabs in the control panel every time they are clicked on.

IF currentUser.access = ‘s’

            IF selectedTab != allowedAccessLvlTabs

                        selectedTab.Reset()

                        OUTPUT “You do not have permission to access this tab”

            ENDIF

ENDIF

• Changing a user’s password

Although administrators may not read the passwords of other users in the desktop control panel, they may ‘reset’ their passwords by entering a new password for them. The new password requires to be identical for two entries in order for changes to take effect.

NewPassword = USERINPUT

RepeatPasswd = USERINPUT

SelectedUser = USERINPUT

IF NewPassword = “” OR RepeatPasswd = “”

            OUTPUT “New password cannot be empty”

ELSE

            IF NewPassword = RepeatPasswd

                        sqlConnection = connectionString #connectionString is public – DB info

						sqlConnection.Open()

                        sqlExecute(“UPDATE dbo.USERS SET Password = “, NewPassword, “WHERE UserName = “, SelectedUser, ”;”)

            ELSE

                        OUTPUT “The passwords do not match”

            ENDIF

• Filling in the register (applies to Mobile application)

Teachers should be able to see the correct list of students for the period they select. This list will either be generated from the “Absences” table if the register has been submitted before for that date and period or from the Students table if the former condition is not applicable. In this case, only students from the correct group may be selected so that the appropriate Absence information can be sent to the “Absences” table.

IF attendancesTaken

            FetchStudents(groupOfTimeTable)

            FetchRegister(groupOfTimeTable, period, date)

ELSE

            FetchStudents(groupOfTimeTable)

            SetEmptyRegister()

ENDIF

Register = USERINPUT #Register is a list containing the students and their status

IF attendancesTaken

            UpdateRegister(Register)

ELSE

            SetRegister(Register)

ENDIF

• Getting the correct schedule from the timetable according to what day it is on start-up (applies to Mobile application)

As the signed-in user opens the application, it should immediately populate a selectable list of their lessons schedule from the “Teachings” table, along with the lesson name from the “Lessons” table so that selecting the period they want to take the register for is as seamless and clear as possible.

currentDate = CalculateDateNow()

currentDay = CalculateDayNow(currentDate) #1-7 from week days

todaysLessons = GetTeachings(currentDay, loggedInUser)

UpdateList(todaysLessons)