Description of Manager Application
Design:
Scenarios
Manager Application Scenarios
UML
Manager Application Use Cases
Todo
Add Class, Activity and sequence diagrams etc
Desciption of Manager Module Prototype
The MM is a simple application allowing an environment for a distributed working
team to be set up.
Each worker in the team is allocated a room with custom attributes.
Rooms are represented by a grid of Buttons indicating location, colour, initials
and picture assigned for that room.
Sub teams can be created with colour and roles can be assigned with images.
Each Room in an environment is an Observable object with its own observer which
updates its button in the grid when changed.
Each function has a scenario, use case and UML diagrams created in Rational Rose.
Environment in GUI with edit panel open
Start up
When the application is started an environment with default values is created and
displayed in the GUI. The rooms in the environment are displayed at all times and
the panel on the right lists the actions that may be performed. The Build or Open
button should be used first. The other buttons will not work till an actual environment
is in the GUI.
Build
On pressing the Build button the manager is prompted to provide the information
needed to set up the VCWE. Prompts for project title, manager's name, initials,
password and location and the number of workers, their names, initials and
locations are displayed. The room button with the key icon indicates the
manager's room. I found that it was easier to use the buttons on the grid to
add rooms, so when using build I usually enter only one worker's details.
Edit
Once an environment has been built it can be edited using the Edit facility.
The attributes of the environment and its rooms can be changed using the edit panel.
Building and manager's name can be changed in the text fields. Entering a new
location can change the position of the manager's room. Owner details can be
modified and rooms can be allocated. Clicking a room in the list displays that
rooms details allowing them to be amended.
Quick Change
A grid of room buttons with colours and images is used to display and change
the attributes of rooms. This is how colour and images are set in the VCWE.
On pressing any room button a JColorChooser allows colour change and a picture
panel allows picture change.
Empty room, swap room and Exit system functions are available from the main panel.
The Manager Module has four main classes: Building, Room, Worker and RoomButton.
When the manager is happy with the environment they may save it in persistent format. Once saved the module may be opened later for editing.
When developing the MM the objects used in the system were physical components of the environment e.g. Building, Room and Worker with room buttons used to represent the rooms graphically. The system activities occur in response to events and are handled from the listener for that widget's event.
Development Stage
The prototype Manager Application has been packaged in a self executing jar file and all the functions work.
This application has been thourouhly tested and designed using the UML and Object Oriented Principles
Rapid prototyping was used to explore its functionality
The manager application generates one text file per building and these are saved on
the intended server machine in a directory called Buildings.
Buildings attributes are saved and loaded using the Properties class
Help Wanted
The Swing widget JColorChooser seems to be slowing the application down
Any help or tips to resolve this would really be appreciated!
The Edit panel could be spruced up a bit...........
