Week 6 Presentations

Since last time we posted, we have finally reached the point where we have basic functionality developed for processing one shipment. In other words, we can generate a barcode for a shipment from a particular farm and enter this barcode and farm information into the database. After creating the shipment in the database, we can then add additional information about when the shipment entered certain checkpoints and we can look up all of this data for a particular shipment to be displayed on the GUI. With this basic functionality outlined, Austin sent Charles a link to our web app, so that he could play around with the site, ask us questions, and offer suggestions. After a couple days looking at the site, Charles sent us an email with information from several forms, highlighting key statistics that he would like to incorporate into the web app. We will be working towards including these statistics in our advanced data entry page in the next couple of weeks.
 
After figuring out how to render barcodes for immediate printing, upon generating the unique codes, we put together a team presentation of our progress for the midterm check-in. This was a great opportunity for us to hear feedback from our peers and see where we could improve. Since then, Langston has also implemented a system for error-checking that integrates nicely with the UI. Finally, in the last couple days, we were able to order a barcode printer and are looking forward to seeing how to integrate this hardware with the existing web app.
 
In the next few weeks, we have several tasks ahead of us. The major backend task is to begin building out the structure of the database to accommodate the changes Charles outlined for us: namely the use of lots and containers and the storage of forms for these lots. On the front end we need to figure out how to display advanced statistics and how to generate barcodes for lots that contain a set of shipments. Finally, we will need to hook up the printer once it arrives. In terms of web app development, we do not anticipate too many challenges as most of the functionality outlined above is just an extension of what we have already built. As we near the close of the quarter, we look forward to delivering a finished product.

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