Problem Definition

only for RuBoard - do not distribute or recompile

Problem Definition

A business captures data in a database. Soon after that happens, people within the business start asking questions about the data, and the Information Systems/Information Technology (IS/IT) department is tasked with creating reports for the business. These reports can take any number of forms, from email to printed reports and any number of distribution methods .

This project will create a framework into which new reports can be added, and it will produce a few initial reports. The real problem is that a never-ending queue of new reports needs to be produced. Therefore, the real trick is to create an application that only requires the new addition to be compiled, not the entire application.

To that end, this application will actually be a series of smaller applications. There will be a main form that will present to the user a list of reports from which he or she can choose. Each of these reports will be its own executable, which can be launched from the main window.

Security Concerns

Although there are security concerns with this application, they are not as extensive as with the Worldwide Commissions application of Chapters 8 Commission Calculations Abstract and Design, 9 Constructing the Commissions Application, and 10 Commission Calculations Deployment. In this case, the application will query the local machine for the login of the current user and will then authenticate that against the database of authorized users. (This is the same configuration as the Worldwide Commissions application, but it does not require a separate login and password.)

This security presents the following questions:

1. If the user is logged in as root, what should the software display?

2. The user could create a local account with the same login as the CEO, and the application would pass that login through to the database and show the CEO s reports. Is the data sensitive enough to warrant more security?

In this case, the answers are

1. Show all reports.

2. No. But anybody who figures that out and does it should be either (a) fired or (b) moved to the IS/IT department.

In either case, the reports displayed by this application are not deemed sensitive enough to warrant heavier security.

Existing Data Information

The canned reports defined in the next section will use data from the existing SESI and Worldwide Commissions databases, as well as new data, but any given dataset could be used.

only for RuBoard - do not distribute or recompile