On my arrival in the company, one gave me a schedule of conditions, and my Master of training course presented the operation of the factory to me. He showed me each station, which made each person, and how all could function together. Then, it explained me more in detail operation of their information system, which was the documents then with what and which they were useful.
After me to have provided all the elements essential with the starting of the project, one let me work without particular instructions. I then applied the methods that one had taught me with SUPINFO.
I must specify that the study of the needs and the analysis were relatively long, because not having experience in this medium, I did not know the operation of a factory. I then took time to include/understand and assimilate the totality of information that one brought to me.
Then, once I modelled the current system, I passed to the design of the application. I specify that the part of design was delayed, because the schedule of conditions was not completely complete at the beginning of the training course, and it happened that needs or constraints are added in the schedule of conditions of origin, this obliging me for each addition to carry out a second analysis then the design. These additions delayed me, but made it possible to specify and refine the structure of the data base and the Intranet.
Apart from information that one asked me to add, I was free compared to the methods to be used, the standards to be respected or even compared to the documents to be realized. I thus took the initiative to carry out traditional documents.
But if for the parts analyzes and design, one let me decide means to use, it was not in the same way for the remainder of the project. For example, initially, the totality of the software was to be developed under Access. I had thus been interested in Access, to try to include/understand the possibilities that this software offered. After a few times of exploration of Accesses, I noted that this software did not make it possible to make an application meeting the needs for the company. I thus informed my Master of training course of different the other possibilities which could be implemented. And the decision which was consequently made was to develop the application in the shape of an Intranet. To put this one places from there, there were still choices to make concerning the language of development, since there are several languages making it possible to make an Intranet.
As regards the data base, one decided to keep the DBMS (Data base management system) Accesses. But as regards the language of development, there were mainly two solutions. I proposed to use the language that one had taught me with SUPINFO, the PHP, and to make it turn on an Apache waiter. They are both of the free software, and I could thus start without needing to await the purchase of license. The other solution was to develop in ASP, on a Web server IIS from Microsoft.
The solution that I had proposed was not adopted, because for deciding, it was necessary to be put in agreement with the data processing department of the company, in order to check that the data processing specialists would be able to ensure the maintenance of the future application. It was also necessary to make sure of the compatibility and the homogeneity of the various applications developed in the company.
Maintenance that we had with the data processing department made it possible to validate system Intranet, but did not allow to fix the language. For that, it was necessary to await the decision of the hierarchy, since it was not spring of this service to make a choice between two languages. This decision returned, in fact, to choose one or the other of these two languages which according to all the information which I could obtain have the same capacities and possibilities.
Finally, the language which was selected is the ASP, which obliged me to form me with this language which was new for me, but also to wait to obtain the average software enabling me to develop ASP. I specify that in a large company like Rony' S, the data processing department ensures, with an aim of harmonization, the control of the projects of the various sites of the company, in the data-processing field. As this service is only authorized to install software, it is thus him which preserves all the CD-ROMS.
After one day of coding, I thus was with a meeting whose agenda was to decide if one were going to develop our application, or if we were going to buy it. At this meeting, a representative presented a software of controls and statistics to us.
1.2 Context of work:
1.2.1 A well followed project:
To take small stock of the general organization, I must say that generally, I had a freedom of organization in my work. It happened that one asks me to make such or such thing from time to time, but was especially with me to organize me as I wished it. I had an autonomy, but I held always informed my Master of training course of what I did. On its side, when I needed assistance, it did the utmost so that I would not be blocked on the problem.
It arrived several times that we went both to meetings, and it is inter alia for this reason which it followed of enough close what I made, because he wanted to be able to explain to others or this project was. But, it is not the single reason. It is interested much in this project, owing to the fact that he is the principal applicant of the application on the nomenclatures tools, since he is responsible for the section tools. I thus had a Master of very interested training course and very justified.
Each Monday morning, in the service or I am, one makes a technical meeting which makes it possible each one to say what it made the week spent, and what awaits it for the week in progress. I attended all these meetings, even if if sometimes the subject did not relate to my training course directly, to inform all the service of the progress report of my project.
I also had to take part in other meetings which, those, were in direct connection with my project. For example, I organized a meeting with the principal futures users of the application for their presenting the project, and to see with them, which were their needs. This meeting made it possible a little the needs of each user, and how each one of them wished to see the application.
1.2.2 Disadvantages of a large company:
As I said it previously, moments ago or I was completely autonomous. One needed a minimum of initiative, because I decided only the EC what I did and how I did it, i.e. of what I used as means. But, because of big size of the company, moments ago when I was less independent in my work. Indeed in a large company like that Ci, one always needs the agreement of the superiors to be able to make a decision. I actually could note this, for example, at the time of the decision of the language. And it seemed to to me that it was similar for each small decision. For this reason I had the impression that the factory or I am suffer from a lack of autonomy
As I described before, at the beginning of the training course, one gave me a schedule of conditions. This schedule of conditions had been carried out by Mr. Abdelali, my Master of training course, which was petitioning of an application managing the nomenclatures tools. With the origin it was the only need, but others came to be grafted with that Ci, and the schedule of conditions grew bigger more and more. But when I arrived and that one gave me this schedule of conditions, it was not yet completely finalized. So that it was not very precise, and did not allow to conceive the software strictly speaking. I thus needed often precise details as for the structure and the organization of information. It thus arrived some times that needs are added.
Moreover, another problem occurred rather late, i.e. when I began coding. It is the problem about which I already spoke previously, when the data processing department announced to us that there was somebody who wished to buy the same software.
One thus asked us to see this person to try to share the needs, because it was useless to have two different applications to make the same things in the same company. We thus met the person at a meeting Monday August 28.
They thus required that the software is interfaced with measuring apparatus. The common need, on our side, represented only one small part of our application, that did not represent either the totality of the application. Thus once again for problems of policy of groups, the project was braked, because of great importance of the company.
1.2.3 Presentation of work carried out
In spite of the small ones difficultées, I all the same succeeded in carrying out some documents of design. these documents my was used for the realization, and the documentation of the application.
I have make documents for the principal cases, but not for the simplest cases, as the cases of consultation of the base. Then, I carried out estimated descriptions of the future graphic interfaces, in order to present them at the future users, but also in order to facilitate the task during the development. Here are all the documents which I carried out before beginning coding.
After having made all these documents, I carried out a small application of demonstration in PHP, on an Apache waiter, and which interacted with a data base Access, to present the possibilities and to make a demonstration with the data processing department, and also to present code PHP to them, since they did not know this language. Unfortunately, in spite of the perfect result of my model in PHP, it is the language ASP which was selected like standard language of FCI.
Since at the beginning, I did not have anything to develop ASP, I have to wait until one provides me the tools necessary. And while waiting to be able to develop ASP, I thus started to create a small part of the graphic interface of the Intranet in HTML, and I also made some forms of data captures, but only HTML.
Once I obtained the average software to develop ASP, I started to code.
4/technical Assessment
4-1/the selected solution
With the origin, the project was to be developed under Access. All the application, i.e., the base of data, but also the forms of seizure as all the remainder, was to be an Access application. This choice bringing certain constraints, the decision was called in question.
Indeed, the application will have to function in network, with the data base placed on a waiter in order to ensure its coherence. An Access application would have posed some problems on the level of the network. Indeed, to carry out an Accesses application, a station customer would have initially to repatriate the whole on its machine, for then carrying out it. This causes to slow down the network, since the application is transferred to each customer, and that would use far too much of resources network. Moreover, the power of the waiter would not be used: it would only be used to lodg the application, and the execution would be carried out on the stations customers. Also, it would be difficult to preserve the coherence of the base, i.e. which it would be less easy to manage the various users who could use the application at the same time. Here thus the reasons for which I proposed to carry out an Intranet to manage this. The type of desired application approaches more of the principle an Intranet than of the solution which was desired at the beginning.
An Intranet is a kind of local Internet site whose access is reserved to a certain group of anybody, and who rests on a basis of data. From the point of view of the customer, that presents same manner as an Internet site, except that this site will be accessible only on the local area network from the factory. From the network point of view, it is the ideal, because the customer connects himself to the Web server as on an Internet site, sends his request to the waiter while clicking on a bond for example, and it is the waiter which carries out the request, and returns the answer to the customer in the form of page HTML. With this system, one will obtain better performances, it is the waiter which carries out the requests, and treats as many simultaneous requests than one wants (according to the power of the waiter). And moreover with this system of Intranet, the network has less of risk to be saturated.
4-2/Installation of an Intranet
To carry out an Intranet, it is thus necessary to create dynamic Web pages, and sometimes to interface them with a data base. When I speak about dynamic pages, that does not mean that the pages contain animations, but in fact, they are the scripts carried out on the waiter and who return different pages HTML according to parameters' which passed to him. I.e. for example, that the same script can return two different pages if it is called twice continuation.
To have dynamic pages, there are various means. One can for example use scripts cgi. They are simple scripts in language script (like Perl, Python, etc…) who are able to recover parameters, to be carried out, and possibly to return text, for example a page HTML.
One can also use a language like the PHP (Preprocessor Hypertext) or the ASP (Active Server Pages). These two languages, which are about equivalent, make it possible to insert code directly in a page HTML. I.e. that the code is inside a page HTML (except that the extension of the file is nevertheless .php or .asp) and the waiter carries out the code, then the page according to the execution returns. It is a little like scripts cgi, except that as the code is integrated in a page HTML, that allows to code only the parts which need to be coded. For example if no matter what it arrives one wants to keep the same heading of page, or the same footer, it is enough to make as if it were a page HTML, and for the part which must vary according to parameters, to treat it in the code directly with the place of the page or one wants to include it. But these languages propose also many of other possibilities: for example, they make it possible to manage the sessions of the visitors. This makes it possible to transmit information relating to the visitor of page on page throughout the same connection to the site.
The solution which was adopted for the language of development is the ASP. Thus since that I did not know the ASP, I had to form me with this new language. The total operation of this language being rather close to the PHP, the training were facilitated, owing to the fact that I knew a little this last.
4-3/various tools used
4-3-1/the Web server
The Web server will be in fact the engine of the application. It is also him which communicates with everyone, i.e. that it is with him that the customer connects himself, it is him which returns pages HTML to the customer, it is him which also communicates with the data base, because it is him which carries out scripts ASP.
The waiter, it is quite simply a software which is always in the course of execution on a machine which is in network. It is thus this software which does all the work, using the power of the machine on which it functions.
There are several Web servers. In fact, it is as for any software, there are several products which make the same thing overall, but which has their characteristics nevertheless. For example, there is the Web server PWS (Personal Web server) of Microsoft, which is a digest of the professional Web server IIS (of Microsoft also). These two waiters are the only able ones for the moment to interpret the ASP since the ASP is also a Microsoft technology. Then there is very full of other Web servers like Apache to only quote most popular, and most widespread. This last A the free advantage of being, therefore free.
For the application, since language ASP is used, the choice of the Web server in is restricted. For the moment I develop under Windows 98 with the Web server PWS. But the request was made, one soon will have a new station NT, with waiter IIS.
4-3-2/language HTML
For those which would not know it yet, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the language of the Web. For the realization of an Internet site, or Intranet, knowledge of this language is necessary. Therefore, for the realization of the application, the HTML will be used. Cavity, since the ASP returns to the customer of pages HTML, it is obvious that to program in ASP, of good bases in HTML are necessary. Also, as the syntax of this language is not very complicated, and I will try you to explain the bases of them.
In fact, HTML resembles more one format of text than a true programming language. It makes it possible to format a text as one wants thanks to beacons. Indeed in this language, all is managed by beacons. What is called marks out, they are special character strings which make it possible to delimit the text to be formatted. In HTML, most of the beacons are following form:
<nom of the balise>Texte with formaternom>of the balise>
One opens the beacon before the text, and one closes again it afterwards. This is right a very short description, but if you wish in knowing more about language HTML, there exists enormously of Internet site dedicated to the training of this language, I thus will not be delayed more on this subject, I just propose to you to present the few most useful beacons.
Of course, it is only one very short approach of the language, because there exists enormously of beacons, and much of parameters also for certain beacons.
I thus advise you, if you are interested, to consult a Web site specialized in the training of the HTML.
4-3-3/language ASP
The ASP is a Microsoft technology which in fact makes it possible to use several programming languages. One can use the “VbScript” or the “Jscript” or the “PerlScript” or any other language, provided that your Web server has the module making it possible to interpret the language, and that it is installed. The language by defect is the “VBScript” but one can change by registering in the first line of file ASP the following line:
< % @ LANGUAGE= " Jscript " % >
I thus chose to use the language “Jscript”, which is in fact very close to the syntax of the language “Javacript”, which him approaches the syntax of Java.
As I have say it previously, scripts ASP are to be included directly in code HTML, and so that the waiter differentiates the pages containing from code ASP of traditional pages HTML, it is necessary that the file carries the extension .asp. Moreover, in a page ASP, so that the waiter differentiates code ASP from code HTML, it is necessary that the code is placed between beacons which defines it as code ASP. These beacons are as follows: < %, % >.
Thus, the structure of a page ASP could be about the following one:
<HTML>
code HTML
< %
code ASP
% >
code HTML
</HTML>
To see and include/understand a little better the syntax of this language, I put in appendix n°10 three files ASP, which I developed for the project. The first is the page of result of the addition of a matter in the base, and the second, is the script of connection to the data base. But it should well be remembered that syntax differs according to whether one chose the mode “Jscript” or “VBScript”. In my case, syntax will be of type “Jscript”, therefore it will be same syntax as in Javascript.
4-3-4/the language Javascript
The application will be made mainly forms HTML, and for each form, it is necessary, in order to preserve the coherence of the base, to check information which is seized. With this intention, there is a solution which would have been to check information right before insertion in the base, in code ASP. But this obliges to send information to waiter, that waiter makes checking while carrying out code ASP, and if information is not in conformity so that it is awaited, to return to the customer a page announcing the errors. This generates a waste of time, because information circulates initially of the customer to the waiter, then waiter with the customer, and once corrected by the customer, D-is sent to the waiter. In short, that wastes time, and resources network. There is thus a solution which makes it possible to avoid this. They are the Javascript.
These scripts are directly written in a page HTML, and it is thus the navigator of the customer who carries out these scripts during the loading of this page. With the Javascript, one can almost do all that one wants, one thus will be able to check if the data of a form are correct. For that, it is enough to attach to the form a function of checking. To simplify the explanation, I will briefly describe the syntax of a page HTML containing a form, and the checking in Javascript.
<html>
<head>
<title> the title of the page </title>
<!—
function fonction_de_verif (name) {
code the verif one
}
-->
</script>
</head>
code HTML
<form name= " name of the fonction_de_verif form " action= " fichier_cible_du_formulaire " method= " post " onSubmit= " return (this.nom) “>
To enter your name:
<input type=text name=nom>
</form>
</body>
</html>
You can thus note that the Javascript mixes with code HTML. But to see a concrete example, I put in appendix n°10 a page with the form of seizure of a matter.
5/Assessment of this experiment
5-1/personal Assessment
Obviously, the training course soon will finish, but the project will continue: this experiment is thus not finished for me. But I can dice now say all the same that that will have been an enriching experiment. I would of course have discovered much thing on what is the world of the company, because I had never yet worked in company. I already learned that all is not as easy as at the school, as from the problems can occur in the course of a project, and than the operation of a large company is complicated because all rests on the spirit of group. In the course of a project, it is thus necessary to prepare to know to face the possible problems.
But during this training course, I would have also learned how into practice to put the lesson acquired during my university course. That will have also allowed me to look further into certain knowledge, like acquiring news of them. I for example would have learned the language ASP which I did not know before this training course.
Thus, I believe to have lived an interesting and original experiment through which I would have learned much on my working methods once alone. Indeed, for me, it was the first time that I only worked on a project, without being able to correct me or to obtain the assistance of professors.
To summarize, this training course will thus have been an enriching experiment. It will have been a good first professional experience, is I would have learned much on my future trade.
5-2/Assessment for the company
At the beginning of the training course, this project did not have yet a quite precise schedule of conditions. I.e. that the needs had summers put on paper, no analysis had been made. This training course will thus have made it possible for the company to specify the needs, because that forced to reflect on their request. Then, that their made it possible to become aware of the constraints, and also to choose a mode of development. An analysis of the needs was made, which made it possible to then make the design of a system meeting the needs, and now, the remainder of the project will consist with the realization of this system.