Hi all. I've started getting a bee in my bonnet (or a terrier in my trousers) about Section C, Q4.<br><br><i>Percy is writing the program specification. For the section dealing with entry of the Medicare number he writes<br>
<br></i><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><i>If the user makes a mistake entering the Medicare number, the program has to provide as much information as possible about what is wrong. Therefore include these validation tests.</i><br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;"><i>Length - to make sure that the correct number of characters has been entered</i><br><i>Existence - to make sure that the number entered exists on Medicare's database</i><br><i>Null - to make sure something has been entered</i><br>
<i>Type - to make sure that only numeric characters have been entered</i><br></div></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><i>Note: These tests must be performed in the most effective order.</i><br></div><i><br>a. Place these validation tests in the most effective order. 1 mark<br>
<br>Then students have to give 3 reasons why it's the most effective way of doing those tests. (3 marks)<br><br></i><br>Hmm. What is "effective" about the order? It must relate to <b>how well</b> it does the job of finding invalid numbers.<br>
<br>But if <b>all 4 tests</b> are going to be conducted, any order of the 4 tests will yield <b>exactly the same</b> results.<br><br>It might be different if we wanted to find invalid numbers <b>soonest,</b> or with the <b>minimum number of tests</b>, but they are <b>efficiency</b> criteria, not effectiveness.<br>
<br>I'm seriously starting to believe that this is a Bull Mastiff of a question... All orders must be equally effective.<br>
<br>
I can usually work out what the examiners were <i>probably</i> trying to get at,
but this one has me completely baffled (like multichoice Q3 on the ITA
paper). <br>I have no idea whatsoever of what knowledge the examiners are hoping I will show.<br>
<br clear="all">So, can anyone please tell me:<br><br>1. how one order can be <i>more effective</i> than another.<br>2. what order is most effective, and why the <i>reverse order</i> would be less effective!<br><br>Growl.<br>
<br>Mark<br>-- <br>Mark Kelly<br>Manager Information Systems<br>Reporting Manager<br>IT Learning Area Manager<br><br>McKinnon Secondary College<br>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204<br>Victoria, Australia<br>Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085<br>
Fax +613 9578 9253<br><a href="mailto:kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>VCE IT Lecture Notes: <a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a><br>Moderator: IT Applications Edulist<br>
<br>My cow died on this day two years ago. I know because I noted it in my dairy.<br><br><br>