Journal

Week 1:
Well I've started off by creating an ER (Entity-Relationship) diagram. I also began working on forms using Microsoft visual C# for the GUI that allows a player to access their database.

Week 2:
Plan for the week:
Designing the database: conceptual schema, ER diagrams. logical structure, physical database design, how the parsers and the GUIs work.
Server Work: Work on the server and get familiar with Linux.

What has Been accomplished:
I have begun learning how to work within a Linux system. I have some previous experience using a UNIX system and it's not very different so this has not been too terribly hard so far. I have learned some new things however. I learned how to use a USB flash drive on a Linux computer. I also learned how to install an RPM file.

Week 3:

Plan for the week:
Create a report generating GUI in Visual Studio C# for the database, Implement the database

What Was Done:I managed to make a good prototype for the report generating GUI in Visual C#, however while it is close, it is not quite finished yet. I have not begun to implement the database yet due to concerns about some of the structure. I'm hoping to have it fixed and begin implementing by wednesday next week.

Week 4:

Plan for the week: implement the database, test the database, and finish the report generating GUI.

What Was Accomplished: The report generating GUI is almost entirely finished but not quite there yet. I now have it so that when you click on "Generate Report" an empty Excel spreadsheet appears. While I have begun implementing the database it is not entirely finished yet.

What I hope to accomplish next week: A fully implemented database with test data so that I may begin testing the database. I also hope to finish the report generating GUI as well as create a log parser that will turn xml files into SQL insert statements.

Week 5:

Plan for the week: Implement the database, put in test data, finish the reports GUI, and write a log parser.

What was accomplished: I have begun work on the log parser, but it is not finished. I have fully implemented the database through puting it onto a Linux computer in the lab. All the tables as well as the primary and foreign keys are in the database. However there is not any test data within the database as of yet. While I did get some work done on the report generating GUI, I am likely to change most of it next week due to some advice given to me by one of the grad student in the lab.

What I hope to accomplish next week: Finished report generating GUI, finished log parser, put test data into the database and begin testing everything.

Week 6:

Plan for the week: Put test data into the database so it can be tested, finish the report generating GUI, hook the report generating GUI to the database so I can test it, finish the log parser.

What was accomplished: The report generating GUI is now hooked into the database and so far appears to be working correctly. However I still want to change a few things about it so I do not consider it finished. I have begun putting in some test data into the database and so far it all appears to be working. I have not finished the log parser yet.

What I hope to accomplish next week: Testing of the database, finishing the GUIs, and finishing the log parser.

Week 7:

Plan for the week: Put test data into the database so it can be tested, finish the report generating GUI, finish the log parser.

What was accomplished: I have most of the log parser finished, the test data is now in the database and so far it all appears to be working. The reports GUI has been changed due to some advice given to me by a friend. The reports GUI is now seperated into 4 forms a Key Chooser, a Field chooser, a table chooser and a join chooser. The last form also generates the output. However not all of the queries I've tried running work so I am still going to be working on it next week. Also the log parser had to be changed from a Java program to a Microsoft Visual C# program due to the fact that the Arena computer in the lab (which holds the database) does not have the proper driver to hook it to the database and I have been unsuccessfull in installing the correct driver.

What I hope to accomplish next week: Finishing the GUIs, and finishing the log parser.

Week 8 and 9:

Plan for the week: Finish the report generating GUI, finish the parser, do testing

What was accomplished: The log parser is completed. As far as I can tell everything is going in correctly. I'll still have to test it with another XML file jut to be sure though. The reports GUI now runs most of the queries correctly as far as I can tell, not all though and I still have to get it so that the output of the queries goes into an Excel file.

What I hope to accomplish next week: Finishing the GUIs, write the final paper, write a two-page summary, create final presentation

Week 10:

Plan for the week: Finishing the GUIs, write the final paper, write a two-page summary, create final presentation

What was accomplished: The paper has been written, along with the two page summary and the presentation has been created. I am still working on the reports GUI, but have made some progress. The excel sheet comes up and some of the data does fill the sheet, however some of it does not and I have yet to figure out why.

What I still have to accomplish in the future: Finish reports GUI