CSC 453 Systems Analysis

Welcome to CSC 453. Of great interest to many of you is our Term Project

The course journal/log is below.

enjoy… yow, bill

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The Cheeseburger Wrap-up

That's a wrap. Thank you to everyone for your positive energy. Fun class.

Your Final Exams are graded, and I have entered your grades for the course into Merlin. Please email me if you:

1. want your grade, or
2. want to see your Final Exam, or
3. want anything else

Have a wonderful, safe holiday.

thankful… yow, bill

The Shamrock Cookies Lecture

Our Final Exam is Monday Nov 19, 2007 from 6:00 - 8:00pm in good, old Carnegie 113. Please note the change in our start time to 6:00 from 6:30.

I expect the format of the Final Exam to be similar to the midterm. Break it down:

• Worth 20% of your final grade
• Will be comprehensive, with an emphasis on the second half material
• The second half material includes Chapters 9-11, presentations lecture, tools lectures, and project topics
• You can bring your 1 side of 1 page of notes from the midterm
• You can bring 1 additional side of notes covering the new material

Here's some more detail on the second half material we covered:

• Ch 9 Process Modeling - all the flavors or DFD's
• Ch 10 Object Modeling and UML
• Ch 11 Feasibility Analysis
• Ch 17 User Interface Design - plus the Apple GUI handout
• Our term project
• Our two guest speakers - Jody J. and Matt C.
• My lecture on preparing and delivering business presentations
• Tool demos - Visio, Project, ERWin
• Satir Change Process Model
• BPEL, XML

Obviously, these topics will not be equally weighted in the exam. For example, Chapter 9 DFD's are much more important than BPEL. I expect the new material to comprise about 2/3 of the exam, and first half material about 1/3.

study… yow, bill

PS - Congrats to CSC 453's own Andrew B. and our Noctrl football guys on their last-second playoff win Saturday: North Central stuns Franklin with last-second victory and North Central 44, Franklin 42.

All phase 5 deliverables for your project are due at noon. I plan on being in school around then to start grading, if you want to hand me your report.

i heart grading… yow, bill

The Beer Mug Lecture

I'll do some loose-ends lecturing… like My Notes on The Satir Change Process Model and more!

Then, I'll work with each team on their final project deliverables. Please bring the following:

1. Your SYSTEM PROPOSAL outline
2. Decide on which Noctrl student URL you'll be using for your project, and place a stub index.htm there
3. Schedule the remaining tasks (who and when) for your project stretch run here… I want to see your path to success!
4. Email me a good finale meeting time for your team and project

I have updated the Phase 5 section in our Term Project page. Check it out: Term Project

thanks… yow, bill

The Sprinkler Lecture

Lots to do on our last “regular” class period:

• I'll preview the Final Exam.
• We'll do any lecture cleanup that's necessary.
• I'll ask you to grade your instructor with Noctrl's student evaluation forms.
• Finally, I'll be available for any project help you may need.

see the finish line up there… yow, bill

PS - Interesting link courtesy (indirectly) Phil T from class: Microsoft coming to Chicago area

The Global Warming Polar Bear Lecture

I'll talk a little more about UI stuff, taking our reading and UI Lecture Extra Stuff into account.

I'll do a short, speech comm presentation on presentations. Ha!

You should have team-time to work on your projects. The big phase

later… yow, bill

PS - The global warming polar bear… my contribution to this “moral cause.” Did you ever see that Honda hybrid commercial where the guy who owns the hybrid picks up trash thrown out onto the street by the rest of us cretins who don't own hybrids. I heart that commercial. Meet the new boss.

PPS - Definition of the day: drumlin. I was reading yesterday and can came across this word… shoot, I thought Drumlin Consulting had made it up or copyrighted it or something. Lousy public education!

PPPS - Quote of the Day: “Be more concerned with your character than reputation, because character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” - John Wooden

The Happy Lobster Lecture

I'll wrap Chapter 10. We have to discuss your UML homework and turn it in.

Please read Chapter 17 on User Interface Design. I'll ask about your quizzes. In fact, here's some extra stuff for the UI lecture that I call: UI Lecture Extra Stuff

Also, Lei will present a tasty CASE tool.

thanks… yow, bill

PS - Here are the blog links from our guest speaker Matt Cowles with his comment and then my comment:

• http://steve.yegge.googlepages.com/blog-rants - “you could start a course dedicated to studying these rants” - rant is right, and arrogant too, but I have read and/or scanned some really good articles like: “5 Essential Phone Screen Questions”, “10 Great Books”, “10 Challenges”, and “Practicing Programming”. There's a lot of nerd gold in there guys. I really find it interesting when smart people list the books about which they are passionate.
• http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com - “his most recent blog” - I think he switched when he moved from Amazon to Google. The current entry is about 10 things not to do with your nerd resume… good for you young guys.
• http://www.paulgraham.com - “interesting essays on the profession” - go there and click on “Future of Startups”. Go ahead.
• http://www.chadfowler.com - “my job went to india and ruby guy” - seems more nitty-gritty tech than the others.
• http://www.martinfowler.com - “and his older smarter brother” - ditto.

PPS - Adam R… check some of this out and let me know what you think. Ha!

PPPS - I'm turning into a happy lobster. There was a question in class last time about the Spiral Model of software development. Enjoy:

• Wikipedia page on Spiral Model
• A Sprial Model of Software Development and Enhancement is the “original” reference on the topic, according to Wikipedia. It's a 1988 Computer magazine article by Barry Boehm.
• http://www.elanman.org/teaching/gmu/swe620-infs622/Graphics/spiral_model.gif is a cool diagram of the Spiral Model.

PPPPS - Last one I promise… My Midlife Facebook Crisis.

The Spider Lecture

We'll wrap Chapter 10, and your Chapter 10 homework is due.

I will spend some time with each project group, looking at use cases… the primo deliverable of the next phase(s).

thanks… yow, bill

The Prune Lecture

SPECIAL NOTE: regarding the Phase 1 deliverables due this Sunday. This question came up at Wednesday's class. I agree that the “Statement of Work” will be the major component of your PROJECT CHARTER. You can just reference the “Statement of Work” that document. Add to that any of the other deliverables listed for PROJECT CHARTER, such as participants, problems, scope, budgets and schedules, etc. Hope that helps!

I'll lecture on Chapter 10, UML. Please bring your quizzes.

Here's your Chapter 10 homework: Chapter 10 UML Homework. It's due next class.

Our guest speaker in the second half of class is Matt Cowles. Matt has an impressive resume in the field, including:

• Over 20 years developing IT applications
• 8 years as an independent consultant
• Currently a lead software engineer at Tellabs, developing network applications

I think Matt's experience both as a consultant and with a local hi-tech powerhouse like Tellabs will make tonight's speech an interesting one.

thanks… yow, bill

The Basketball (take your shot) Lecture

Don't miss this class! We'll have two distinct halves of class… for the price of one!

1. We'll spend some time in the lab playing with CASE tools.
   • One of the CASE tools we'll see is called DBDesigner 4. You can find it here: DBDesigner 4 web site
   • If you want to use DBDesigner 4 here at school. I have the setup exe on the k: drive in my common_area folder. Run that setup program, with all the defaults, and it will install DBD4 on your C: drive in about a minute.
2. We'll have a guest speaker. His name is Jody Jankovsky, from Blackline Consulting, based right here in Naperville.

I'm very excited to have Mr. Jankovsky visit our class. His experience!

• He's an entrepreneur, founding his company in 1993.
• He communicates with customers on a daily basis.
• He knows the real-world difficulty of specifying project requirements and system analysis tasks in general.
• With his years in the trenches, I think Mr Jankovsky's insights in the future of computer science and our industry will be extremely enlightening as well.

Be there!

thanks… yow, bill

The Frightened Mouse Lecture

Quote of the Day:

• “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” - Woody Allen quote

I'll lecture tonight on the ever-exciting Chapter 11, Feasibility Analysis. Please read the chapter and bring your quizzes.

thanks… yow, bill

The Clownie Lecture

Chapter 9 quiz and homework will be due. We'll wrap this chapter, moving on to bigger and better things.

thanks… yow, bill

PS - Best of luck to our own North Central College football team at the homecoming game this weekend. Soundly defeat our opponents. Huzzah!

The Scorpion Lecture

We'll go over our midterm results, and then press onward to Chapter 9. You can read Chapter 9, or wait till Wednesday.

Got it. Due by next class:

• Please read chapter 9 and complete the quiz.
• Some DFD diagrams as described here: DFD Homework

I expect that we'll have some team time toward the end of class. BTW, I have pretty extensively updated the Term Project page on the wiki. Check it out.

thanks… yow, bill

A Smiley Midterm Lecture

Midterm today! The midterm looks like this:

• 20% of your final grade
• Covers chapters 1-8 in our text… and anything else we covered in lecture
• You are encouraged to bring one side of one page of notes to the exam

study faster… yow, bill

PS - Midterm exam? Don't worry. Be happy. And study.

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The Two-Headed Turtle Lecture

The two biggies today…

1. We'll wrap Chapter 8, with your quiz and a tasty homework due!
2. We'll preview the midterm
3. And I'll meet with each team to make a final decision on projects

two heads are better… yow, bill

PS - Well, I'm alive! I ran the Lakefront Marathon in 4 hours, 44 seconds… like it says right here: Prof Bill marathon results

The Marathon Guy Lecture

Come early, stay late… RUN!

• Your Chapter 7 Use Cases homework is due.
• I'll lecture on Chapter 4… your Ch 4 quiz is due
• I'll also cover some of the exciting Chapter 8!

Due next time is your Chapter 8 quiz, and this boffo homework: Chapter 8 Homework - E-R Diagrams

In a move of unprecedented cunning and skill, I figured out how to make my links at little more readable. So, here are some links related to Chapter 8, E-R Diagrams:

• Wikipedia summary
• DBDesigner4 is a CASE tool for E-R diagrams. It's open source.
• The Entity-Relationship Model - Toward a Unified View of Data is an important early paper on the topic written by Peter Chen (he, of the “Chen style” of E-R diagrams).
• An Entity Relationship Diagram Example is a nice introductory example of the Crow's feet style.

You'll get some project time as we talk about the big three: customers, customers, customers.

be there… yow, bill

PS - Oh well, I guess the photo of the guy from last lecture is not actually Joel from “Joel on Software” nerd-fame. You may be rewarded with his visage by visiting Joel's Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Spolsky

PPS - Attention Prof Bill fans… I'll be running my first marathon Sunday. It's Milwaukee's Lakefont Marathon

PPPS - Flat, Fast and Fun. SMILE!

Everything below this line is from past lectures, etc.

thanks… yow, bill

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The Lizard and Joel Lecture

Hey, perhaps we're officially cranking:

1. We'll review our Chapter 6 & 7 homework.
2. I'll lecture on Chapters 3 & 4… please bring your quizzes.
3. We'll chat about your team project choice.
4. I'll handout Chapter 8 quiz stuff and maybe a homework, we'll see.

thanks… yow, bill

PS - I'm shooting for Chapter 1-8 on the Midterm, which should happen Wednesday October 10.

PPS - I had a pet iguana once. Ah, it ended badly, but the memories, the memories…

PPPS - Here are some interesting post-lizard project management links:

• Joel Spasky owns a small software shop and has an interesting blog at his site: http://www.joelonsoftware.com
• Here's a recent article by Spasky on a project comprised of summer interns: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20071001/how-hard-could-it-be-unfocused-and-unabashed.html?partner=fogcreek and I enjoyed the trailer of the documentary of that summer at http://www.projectaardvark.com/movie/
• But these online articles are the real money, from the perspective of a small software company:
  • A software management training program - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FogCreekMBA.html
  • Finding great developers - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FindingGreatDevelopers.html
  • A field guide to developers - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FieldGuidetoDevelopers.html
  • The guerilla guide to interviewing - http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/GuerrillaInterviewing3.html

The Rhino Lecture

I'll lecture on Chapters 6 & 7… please read this material and bring your chapters 6 & 7 quizzes. There will be additional homework for each of these “meaty” chapters:

• Chapter 6: I'll handout a Ishikawa fishbone homework in class

• Chapter 7: And here's a “use case” homework: Chapter 7 homework

We should have some team time at the end of the class… rhinos willing. Remember that each team needs to email me by Friday midnight:

• 10 project ideas
• Their hip, happening team name (hopefully, our first team exercise will eliminate all the acronym-based selections… we shall see)

charge… yow, bill

The Viking Lecture

I'll lecture on Chapter 2. Please bring your quizzes for Chapters 1 & 2, as we'll cover these as well.

We'll wrap with the selection of project teams out of a hat. And more!

thanks… yow, bill

PS - I'm in a Viking mood reading Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series of novels over the weekend. Huzzah!

We'll pick our teams out of a hat… all random like.

I'll wrap Chapter 5, and we may move on to Chapter 1. We may not.

go… yow, bill

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Sorry this is posted so late… seeing how class is in 15 minutes. Next time!

Today is action-packed:

• We'll recap the shenanigans and lessons of the dreaded Beer Game.
• Your DAY ONE Team Assignments are due.
• I'll lecture on Chapter 5… bring your quiz answers.

In the case of a real emergency. thanks… yow, bill

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Hi guys,

Have a great weekend… with your good friend, CSC 453. Here's some stuff I promised last time.

Beer Game Favorites

• Beer Game instructions I used - http://www.solonline.org/pra//tool/beer.html
• An online version of the Beer Game that's pretty cool - http://www.masystem.com/beergame
• U of Virginia Powerpoint, a nice overview - http://faculty.darden.virginia.edu/GBUS885-00/Documents/beergame.pdf
• Analysis of the Beer Game from an MIT prof… this is a good one! - http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/SDG/beergame.html

Due Next Time

• Your Day One team assignment is due.
• Bring an opinion about your Beer Game experience and reading.
• Please read Chapter 5 and do your multiple choice and true/false questions. It's worth a point.

So, Monday's class will be chockful o' goodness… Day One assignments/presentations, Beer Game wrap, and Chapter 5 discussion.

go illini… yow, bill

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We'll spend the entire class period on a simulation/game. “It should be fun,” he says, fingers crossed and knocking on wood simultaneously. My advice: Bring your “A” game.

Some of you were not able to modify the wiki. I think I found the problem, so try again. If you still can't change the wiki's “Summer” page, then we'll tackle this problem in class tonight. BTW, I have isolated the parties responsible for the wiki administrative problems (um, me) and all appropriate actions are being taken (I called myself names).

tonight… yow, bill

PS - Your first team assignment and two points are due Monday.

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First class in about an hour. This page points to some useful (cough) web sites for you today: Day One Favorites

see ya… yow, bill

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Hi 453! I'm trying out this wiki again. 453 promises to include a lot of team activities, so this wiki may come in handy to you.

Your first 453 assignment is to figure this wiki thing out, actually. Tell me what you did last summer, right here: What I did last summer

See y'all in 3 days, 35 minutes. thanks… yow, bill