Developing Web Information Systems

by Vidgen; Avison; Wood; Wood-Harper

• ISBN13: 9780750657631
• ISBN10: 0750657634
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780750657631
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780080504186
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 10/23/2002
• Publisher: Elsevier Science

Summary

Developing Web Information Systems brings together traditional system development methods that have been taught for many years on information systems and computer science courses with web/e-commerce development. It is the first book to bring together IS development and the web applications in a thorough and systematic way. There is a running case study that illustrates web IS development from start to finish. The case is easy to understand (a theatre) and results in a working web application. Most, if not all, analysis and design texts fall short of making that step into software. The book draws heavily on practical experiences of web-based IS development resulting from commercial system development, so as well as appealing to students and academics, it will also interest practitioners. The coverage of data management and e-business strategy gives the book the broader scope essential for understanding IS development properly in an Internet context. * First book to bring together IS development and web applications thoroughly and systematically. * Covers full development process from strategy, through analysis and design, to working software. * Interactive case study which can be accessed on author's website.

Table of Contents

Preface	xii
Information System Development	1	(14)
Information systems and IT	1	(2)
Information systems development methodologies	3	(1)
Information systems development life-cycles	4	(7)
Waterfall life-cycle	4	(1)
Problems with the waterfall life-cycle	5	(2)
Alternative life-cycles	7	(1)
Evolutionary development	7	(1)
Iterative (rapid) application development	7	(2)
End-user development	9	(1)
Prototyping	9	(1)
Agile Development	9	(2)
Alternative strategies for information systems acquisition	11	(4)
Packaged solutions	11	(1)
Outsourcing	11	(1)
Application service providers	11	(4)
Internet-based Information Systems	15	(14)
The Internet	15	(3)
A brief history	15	(1)
From ARP Anet to the Internet	16	(1)
Internet browser wars	16	(1)
Internet statistics	17	(1)
How the Internet works	18	(5)
Internet protocols	18	(1)
The worldwide web	19	(2)
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)	21	(1)
Web site authoring tools	22	(1)
Beyond the basics	22	(1)
Mobile Internet	23	(1)
Open source software development	23	(6)
The Linux phenomenon	24	(1)
How OSS works	25	(1)
Why OSS works	26	(1)
Implications of OSS for IS development	26	(3)
Web IS Development Methodology (WISDM)	29	(12)
Introduction	29	(1)
WISDM in context: the Multiview approach to IS development	29	(3)
Using the Multiview framework to guide methodology generation	31	(1)
The WISDOM matrix	32	(2)
Organizational analysis	32	(1)
Work design	33	(1)
Information analysis	33	(1)
Technical design	33	(1)
Human computer interface design	33	(1)
Moving around the methods matrix	33	(1)
The role of the analyst: multiple perspectives	34	(2)
WISDM and the IS development life-cycle	36	(1)
Is web IS development different?	36	(5)
e-Business Strategy	41	(20)
Introduction	41	(2)
Business models	43	(1)
Business webs for the theatre industry	43	(12)
Aggregation	46	(3)
Agora	49	(2)
Value chain	51	(2)
Alliance	53	(2)
Virtual communities	55	(1)
Marketspace transformation and relationship capital	56	(5)
Systems Thinking	61	(18)
Introduction	61	(1)
Difficulties and messes	61	(2)
Themes in systems thinking	63	(3)
Systems and patterns of organization	63	(2)
Systems and emergent properties	65	(1)
Recursion and system hierarchies	65	(1)
Communication and control	65	(1)
Thinking in loops	66	(6)
Feedback loops	68	(1)
Negative (or balancing) feedback	68	(2)
Positive (or reinforcing) feedback	70	(1)
Feedforward loops	70	(2)
Patterns	72	(4)
Limits to success	72	(1)
Leverage points	73	(1)
Fixes that fail	74	(1)
Success to the successful	75	(1)
Mental models	76	(3)
Soft Systems Methodology	79	(20)
Introduction	79	(1)
Hard and soft systems thinking	80	(2)
Organizations	80	(1)
Hard and soft traditions	81	(1)
Soft systems methodology	82	(13)
Exploring the problem situation	83	(1)
Situation considered problematic [1]	83	(1)
Problem situation expressed [2]	84	(2)
Below the line: root definitions and conceptual models	86	(1)
Root definition of relevant systems [3]	86	(4)
Conceptual models [4]	90	(3)
Back above the line: taking action in the problem situation	93	(1)
Comparison of models with real world [5]	94	(1)
Evaluating change [6] and taking action [7]	94	(1)
Beyond the basic form of SSM	95	(4)
Using SSM to support IS Development	96	(3)
Designing for User Satisfaction	99	(24)
Introduction	99	(2)
Sociotechnical design with ETHICS	101	(8)
Participation	103	(1)
Job satisfaction	103	(2)
Sociotechnical systems design process	105	(4)
The Scandinavian tradition of participative design	109	(3)
Participative design principles	110	(1)
The participative design process	111	(1)
Web site quality -- the customer perspective	112	(11)
Web site quality	112	(1)
Usability	113	(1)
Information quality	114	(1)
Service interaction quality	114	(1)
The application of WebQual to online bookstores	115	(1)
Data collection	116	(1)
The results	117	(1)
Interpretation of the results	118	(5)
Information Analysis	123	(32)
Introduction	123	(2)
The theatre booking system	124	(1)
Information system modeling	125	(1)
Analysis and design	125	(1)
Structured systems analysis and design	126	(1)
Object-oriented analysis and design	126	(1)
The unified modeling language (UML)	126	(4)
Fundamentals of object-orientation	127	(1)
Objects	127	(1)
Classes and instances	128	(1)
Encapsulation and communication by messages	128	(1)
Inheritance	129	(1)
Polymorphism	129	(1)
Requirements gathering and use case diagrams	130	(4)
Requirements gathering	130	(1)
Use case notation	131	(2)
Extension, inclusion, and generalization	133	(1)
Extends	133	(1)
Include	133	(1)
Generalization	133	(1)
Describing a use case	134	(1)
Class diagrams	134	(11)
Relationships: associations	137	(1)
Multiplicity	137	(1)
Attributes and operations	138	(1)
Attributes	138	(1)
Operations	139	(1)
Relationships: generalization	139	(1)
Relationships: aggregation	140	(1)
The theatre booking system class model	141	(2)
Navigability	143	(1)
Recursion	143	(2)
Interaction diagrams	145	(4)
Sequence diagram	146	(2)
Collaboration diagram	148	(1)
State transition diagrams	149	(2)
Activity diagrams	151	(4)
Technical Design	155	(32)
Introduction	155	(1)
Information system design	156	(1)
System design overview	157	(3)
Design constraints	159	(1)
Logical database design	160	(13)
Relational databases	160	(1)
Primary keys	161	(1)
Relationships	162	(1)
Normalization	163	(1)
Moving from UML class model to relational schema	164	(1)
Implementing many-to-many relationships	165	(1)
Implementing supertype and subtype classes	166	(2)
Theatre booking system database design	168	(1)
Entity-relationship model	168	(1)
Entity and attribute list	169	(3)
Object-oriented databases	172	(1)
Object-relational hybrids	172	(1)
Physical design	172	(1)
Database transactions	172	(1)
Application design	173	(5)
Sequence diagrams	174	(1)
User registration	175	(1)
Payments	175	(1)
Seat reservations -- locking strategy	176	(1)
State transition diagrams	177	(1)
User interface design	178	(9)
Page layout guidelines	179	(3)
Navigation schemes	182	(1)
Frames	183	(4)
Software System Construction	187	(36)
Introduction	187	(1)
Software implementation overview	188	(1)
Business data implementation	189	(8)
Defining tables	190	(3)
Defining relationships	193	(2)
Subtypes	195	(1)
Populating the database	195	(1)
SQL and queries	196	(1)
Business logic	197	(9)
Using ColdFusion to publish a database on the Internet	197	(2)
Queries and the three ANSI three-level architecture model	199	(1)
Developing Cold Fusion components for the business logic	200	(4)
State management	204	(1)
URL parameters and form fields	205	(1)
Cookies	205	(1)
Session variables	206	(1)
Database transactions	206	(1)
Presentation layer -- the user interface	206	(4)
DreamWeaver Templates	207	(1)
Style sheets	208	(1)
Browser compatibility and bandwidth	209	(1)
Putting it all together -- the complete application	210	(5)
Wireless application protocol (WAP)	215	(3)
Generating wireless content with ColdFusion	216	(2)
Going live	218	(5)
Get a domain name	218	(1)
Hosting options	219	(1)
Host the site at an Internet Service Provider (ISP)	219	(1)
Co-host a server with an ISP	219	(1)
Host your own server	220	(1)
Promoting the site	220	(1)
Monitoring the site	221	(2)
Web Information Management	223	(22)
Introduction	223	(1)
eXtensible Markup Language (XML)	224	(10)
XML data definitions	227	(2)
Displaying XML in a browser	229	(1)
Time to ditch HTML?	230	(1)
Business applications of XML	231	(1)
Intelligent searching	231	(1)
Web automation for business to business transactions	231	(1)
Intranet development and knowledge management	231	(1)
Delivery to different platforms	231	(1)
XML and databases, XML and Java	232	(1)
XML, web services, and .NET	233	(1)
Content management systems	234	(11)
Issues in web content management	235	(1)
Genesis of web content management systems	236	(2)
A web content management systems framework	238	(1)
Content life-cycle	238	(1)
Organizational integration	238	(1)
CMS process management	239	(1)
CMS illustration: Intranet development	240	(1)
The CMS framework as a diagnostic tool	241	(4)
Reflections on WISDM	245	(10)
Introduction	245	(1)
The Global Drinks case	245	(2)
The client organization in 1998	245	(1)
The Global Drinks e-commerce project 1999--2001	246	(1)
Outcomes of the intervention	246	(1)
Web IS Development methods	247	(3)
Organizational analysis	247	(1)
Information analysis	248	(1)
Work design	248	(1)
Technical design	249	(1)
Reflections on the case	250	(1)
Methods and methodology in IS development	251	(4)
Appendix A: Barchester Playhouse Case Study	255	(8)
A1 Introduction	255	(2)
A.1.1 The organization of the Playhouse	256	(1)
A.2 Current box office operations	257	(1)
A.2.1 Current IT systems	257	(1)
Processes and data supported by the current box office system	258	(1)
Issues with the current box office system	258	(1)
A.3 Motivation for change	258	(1)
A.3.1 Perceptions of the theatre	259	(1)
A.4 Requirements of the theatre booking system	259	(4)
Theatre layout	259	(1)
Theatre productions and performances	260	(1)
Ticket prices	260	(1)
Ticket sales	261	(1)
A.4.1 Roles and attitudes of those involved in the analysis	261	(2)
Appendix B: Research Student Admissions Case Study	263	(4)
B1 The current process	263	(4)
Appendix C: Internet Resources	267	(4)
C.1 WISDM	267	(1)
C.2 Development tools	267	(2)
Tools required for the TicketManager application	267	(1)
Optional tools for the TicketManager application	268	(1)
C.3 Web design	269	(1)
C.4 Other useful sites	269	(2)
Index	271