In this capstone project, the students were asked to create a database-driven website that incorporates the core functionality of dynamic websites. These functionalities are popularly known as CRUD. The acronym CRUD refers to all of the major functions that are implemented in relational database applications.
The acronym, which stands for Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete, is a very important part of computer programming that is a basic function of any computer database or a program with persistent storage.
After weeks of programming, testing and consultation, let us now look at the students’ projects.
Online Exam
The idea behind this project is to make test-making and checking less tedious for teachers. Based on the submitted proposal, a teacher will login to the system, create a quiz, enter the questions and the correct answers and then publish. When a student takes the test, it will automatically be checked and the grade will be stored in the database. The student was able to finish up to the part where a teacher can select the kind of test and the number of items in that test. A view of all the created tests was also provided in the system. Sadly, other important functionalities of the project were not accomplished. This project is due to be finished and all the missing functionalities are for completion.
Update: The project is now 80% complete and has the CRUD functionalities. (Score: 3 /5)
CMS (National Museum)
This student took the first capstone project (static website) and made it dynamic. All entries, articles and write-ups are now dynamically being pulled from a database. The website also looks very clean and you can see that the student took the extra mile to read and study other features that were deemed necessary for the project. The addition of the TinyMCE feature is one of the best features of this work.
The verdict: Almost all elements in this project are in the right place. All elements complemented each other. Everything is seamless plus all admin account privileges are present. (Score: 4.4/5)
Celebrity Bazaar
A platform for celebrities selling their items online, this project has already been conceptualized before we were even finished with our discussion about database-driven applications. When the idea was brought up, there were reservations on the ampleness of time to finish it. When the project was presented, it was surprising to see the progress of this work and the array of functionalities available for the administrator.
The verdict: It was evident that the student made the extra effort to study other topics to improve the project. Although there were some minor errors, it was quite evident that a considerable amount of time was spent in conceptualizing and creating the capstone project. As an update, the Paypal payment method was even made to work. (Score: 4.2/5)
IT (DepED) Support System
This project aims to address the problems in the student’s current workplace. The major problem that they are having right now in their office is keeping track of the pieces of equipment that goes in and out of their department. The student’s team handles all the repairs, installations and computer hardware problems of all public schools in Quezon City.
In this project, every time an equipment arrives, the student was able to insert it in the system. All of the team members can see the status of each equipment. According to the student, an equipment’s status can be repaired, for pick-up/releasing or pending.
The verdict: The project has a big scope. It would’ve been better if the student concentrated first in the functionalities needed in the office. The student ended up trying to do a lot of customized functionalities, resulting in features that were not working. The good thing about it though, is that this project is scalable and can be used (once it’s done) not only by their office, but the whole department. (Score: 3.9/5)
Document Tracking
The Document Tracking System is another project that aims to automate how work is being done in the office. Everyday, the worker fills-up paper forms for vouchers and budget requests and manually routes them to the other departments for encoding and verification. After passing through the various departments, the worker then collates the papers back and manually types all the information in the paper form in an electronic spreadsheet.
The verdict: For the system, the interface provided a dropdown menu to select the type of document that will be entered in the system which is a very important function for report generating and sorting of records. It is a key component of the system because it defines the route the document will take. It also provided a page that lists all of the documents entered in the system. It can be sorted by day, month, status and document type. It has all the CRUD functionalities required for the documents. In the system, a document entry can be created, read, updated and deleted. The addition of data-tables in viewing entries is a welcome addition to give the administrator different ways of sorting the entries.
However, some of the functionalities can be further improved like:
- Not all users should have the capability of updating and deleting records.
- Definition of roles and privileges should be clearly defined
- Generating reports in printable format should be added.
Overall, with some minor adjustments and additional functionalities, this project is ready for deployment in the student’s workplace. (Score: 3.6/5)
Turnaround Time System
In computing, turnaround time is the total time taken between the submission of a program/process/thread/task for execution and the return of the complete output to the customer/user. The Turnaround Time System aims to generate reports based on the number of hours logged by a worker against the the number of hours required to accomplish a task. The administrator of the system can login to the account, create an entry, add the name of the employee and assign that employee to a project. The administrator then determines the number of hours required to complete a project.
The verdict: The CRUD functionalities are present. The administrator can create an entry, list all of the employees and their assigned project, as well as the number of hours needed to complete a project. However, there are some functionalities that should be present to create reports for decision-making better. The number of hours logged by a worker should be consistently present in the view of employees involved in a project. Overall, adding the missing functionalities and a little improvement in the user-interface will make this project ready for submission to the client. (Score: 3.2/5)
Learn Korean through Online Exercises
A learning portal for people interested in learning the Korean language is the idea behind this capstone project. The student found out that there were a lot of websites that offer Korean lessons but very few were actually giving out interactive exercises to practice what was learned. The system that the student had in mind is also capable of creating schedules for tutors and tutees either through online class or face-to-face interaction.
The Verdict: The website has the required CRUD functionalities. An admin or a teacher can open a class, add students, add lessons and exercises, as well as open a schedule for tutoring. The teacher can view all the lessons created and also has the capability of editing and deleting the different classes and exercises. In the website, a person can either login as an admin or a student. For student accounts, the list of all available exercises and schedules are available and it has capability to build and select exercises and lessons.
There are still some improvements to be done, especially for the side of the students. Populating the list of students enrolled or part of a class still needs fine-tuning. The front-end looks good and is very intuitive. Overall, tying loose-ends and fixing the different views will make this project stand-out. (Score: 3.7/5)
Travel Agency Website
When we suggested that the students create a project that is close to their heart, that’s exactly what this one did. The travel website that this student envisioned allows customers to view tailored itineraries built by the travel agency. At the same time, the travelers can also create their own itinerary and join other travelers’ itinerary. The idea behind this is that, a lot of travelers travel alone, and they can’t get the different discounts being offered for group travelers.
The verdict: To start with, the splash screen is visually appealing. A traveler can create an account, login and create an itinerary. This created itinerary can be viewed by other travelers who wants to join this itinerary. The admin account can view all the travelers in the system, as well as the different itineraries linked to their account. The admin account view needs some improvement in the arrangement or the placing of the different forms of elements. There are still some missing functionalities for the admin and the travelers’ account. Although the CRUD functionalities are there, restrictions on certain areas of the website should be implemented. (Score: 3.6/5)
