Thanks, Selina. That makes sense. I'm working from a classic SRS template and need to decide what to keep and what to toss, and I've already tossed a lot. <br><br>Stop sniggering.<br><br>Perhaps a complete removal of the context diagram would be be more sensible than an unsatisfactory compromise.<br>
<br>Regards<br><br>Mark<br><br>On 9 May 2011 18:36, Selina Dennis <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:selina@dennis.net.au">selina@dennis.net.au</a>></span> wrote:<br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-AU"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Hi Mark,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">My suggestion would be to not provide/require a context diagram here. As you’re not talking about a high level “view” of the entire system when you’re looking at a single function to calculate costs, a context diagram wouldn’t be the most appropriate diagram for students to represent/interpret. Realistically you’d be talking about a DFD Level X (where X would vary depending on the complexity of the entire system). Thus, entities don’t need to be shown, only the data flows entering and exiting.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Hope that helps,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Selina Dennis</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Strathmore Secondary College</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt" lang="EN-US"> <a href="mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark KELLY<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, 9 May 2011 3:12 PM</span></p><div class="im"><br><b>To:</b> Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List<br></div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Year 12 SofDev] U3O2 module context diagram<p></p><div>
<div></div><div class="h5"><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">I'm tempted to use the simple version since dataflows between external entities (EE) is verboten. <br><br>The problem is that it implies that the customer directly provides data to the module, whereas the website and system pass the data on before the module becomes involved. The CD with the EE-to-EE flows would be more informative and accurate, but it breaks our rules... <br>
<br>It's a wrinkle I haven't faced before with context diagrams. </p><div><p class="MsoNormal">On 9 May 2011 14:31, Esther Andrews <<a href="mailto:ANDREWS.Esther@bssc.edu.au" target="_blank">ANDREWS.Esther@bssc.edu.au</a>> wrote:</p>
<div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Funny how the apparently simple can end up being complex.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Given your description I’d say the customer does not directly provide input into the system so should not be on the Context diagram.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D">Esther</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D"> </span></p><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt" lang="EN-US"> <a href="mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au" target="_blank">sofdev-bounces@edulists.com.au</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark KELLY<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, 9 May 2011 2:13 PM<br><b>To:</b> Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List<br><b>Subject:</b> [Year 12 SofDev] U3O2 module context diagram</span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all. I',m adapting the detailed example of SD U3O2 from the study design for my own U3O2; I'm fiddling at the edges and not changing the overall shape of the example where the task is to create a specific module (cost calculator) in a larger ordering/accounting system that takes order data from a corporate website.</p>
<div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><br><br>While getting into creating the SRS I thought the context diagram would be a doddle. One external entity, the customer. The system in the circle is the cost calculator module. One data flow from the customer with order information. One data flow to the customer with the invoice. Done.<br>
<br>Then I realised that from the module's perspective the rest of the ordering system might be seen as an external entity since the module has no control over the system's operation but must exchange data with it.<br>
<br>Then I realised that the system also would see the corporate website as an external entity for similar reasons. So the customer would interact with the website which would interact with the system, which would interact with the module that the students will be writing.<br>
<br>But if I showed the customer providing an order to the website, that would be a data flow between external entities which we are not supposed to show in a CD/DFD.<br><br>How would you guys interpret a situation like this?<br clear="all">
<br>-- <br>Mark Kelly<br>Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area<br>McKinnon Secondary College<br>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia<br>Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253<br><a href="mailto:kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: <a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a><br>Moderator: IT Applications Edulist<br><br>Want a good time? Call 0112358. Ask for Mr Fibonacci.</p></div></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">
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Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area<br>
McKinnon Secondary College<br>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia<br>Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253<br><a href="mailto:kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: <a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a><br>Moderator: IT Applications Edulist<br><br>Want a good time? Call 0112358. Ask for Mr Fibonacci.</p></div></div></div></div><br>_______________________________________________<br>
<a href="http://www.edulists.com.au" target="_blank">http://www.edulists.com.au</a> - FAQ, Subscribe, Unsubscribe<br>
IT Software Development Mailing List kindly supported by<br>
<a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au</a> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and<br>
<a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html" target="_blank">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/softwaredevel3-4.html</a><br>
<a href="http://www.vitta.org.au" target="_blank">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Mark Kelly<br>Manager of ICT, Reporting, IT Learning Area<br>
McKinnon Secondary College<br>McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia<br>Direct line / Voicemail: +613 8520 9085, Fax +613 9578 9253<br><a href="mailto:kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au" target="_blank">kel@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
VCE IT Lecture Notes: <a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a><br>Moderator: IT Applications Edulist<br><br><font>Want a good time? Call 0112358. Ask for Mr </font>Fibonacci.<br>