lab 1 – journalhub product description benjamin cowan old...

Running head: LAB 1 - JournalHub PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 1

Lab 1 – JournalHub Product Description

Benjamin Cowan

Old Dominion University

CS411

Janet Brunelle

February 7, 2016

Version 1

LAB 1 - JournalHub PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 2

Table of Contents

1 Introduction...................................................................................................................................3

2 Product Description......................................................................................................................4

2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities...............................................................................4

2.2 Major Components (Hardware/Software)............................................................................5

3. Identification of Case Study.........................................................................................................8

4. Product Prototype………….........................................................…...........................................9

4.1 Prototype Functional Objectives (Hardware/Software).........……............................................9

4.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities……...........................................................................11

4.3 Prototype Development Challenges...................................................................................11

5 Prototype Demonstration Description........................................................................................12

Glossary..........................................................................................................................................13

References......................................................................................................................................14

Figures and Tables

Figure 1 Major functional component diagram..............................................................................5

Figure 2 Sitemap for web application…………………………….................................................6

Figure 3 Logic flow for account creation………………………………………………………....7

Figure .4 Database ERD…………………………………………………………………………. 7

Figure 5. Logic flow for notifications……………………………………………………………..8

Table 1. Functional objectives of database……………………….............................................….9

Table 2. Functional objectives of User Interface………………………………………………...9

Table 3. Functional objectives of file management system…………………………………….10


Lab 1 – JournalHub Product Description

1 Introduction

Project management is crucial to the success of buisnesses. 97% of businesses believe

that sufficient project management is essential to ensuring success (Semore). Despite the

importance of, many businesses lack adequate project management. According to Burger, 35% of

businesses struggle due to the lack of a central source of project management (Burger). The

utilization of project management software helps reach and achieve the goals of organizations

while providing efficiency and results (Puscasu).

JournalHub is a content management system designed and created by the Old Dominion

University (ODU) CS 410Purple Team.

Team Purple was asked by the Virginian Pilot to address the issue of inadequacy

and inefficiency of the current tools utilized in the modern newsroom.

The issues of the newsroom content management are solved by JournalHub in an efficient

manner. Crucial information will be centralized and be easily accessible through JournalHub

such as current running and developing stories, story location and time.

All information will be readily available anytime or place to the users developing or

contributing to a story providing various accessibility options to story information.

JournalHub will achieve content management goals pertaining to the newsroom by

keeping the news up to date, which addresses ongoing developments that may occur to a story.

Publication requirements and deadlines will be met and achieved due to all important

information for a story being centralized resulting in quality content being generated in an

efficient timely manner.


2 Product Description

2.1 Key Product Features and Capabilities

There are several important features and capabilities catering to News Organizations that

JournalHub fulfills.

The assignment tracking feature provides a system in which users have accounts that they

can log into and view assignments that they are assigned to. Assignment tracking will provide a

system in which progress and development of a story can be viewed.

A story could be composed of various files of different types such as image and text files.

Component tracking ensures that all files that are tied to the development of a story will be

tracked and made available to users.

Date tracking provides a system which dates of importance and deadlines for assignments

are recorded. Resulting in centralized scheduling for the newsroom which ensures timely news

content delivery.

Change Logs will record changes that users carry out on projects. This will ensure a trail of

which users are editing which files and keep a record of modifications made in the event changes

need to be reverted.

JournalHub's search feature will have multiple options. Projects can be searched by their

title, keyword , SLUG or Journalism specific search criteria. Providing multiple search options

creates more flexibility for the user.

JournalHub will also have a web based application for use on multiple operating systems

and web browsers. A mobile based application will also be implemented in order to further

ensure availability of project information.


2.2 Major Components (Hardware/Software)

The following are the major hardware and software components.

Figure1. Major Functional Component Diagram

Figure 1 shows the major functional component diagram for JournalHub. The six major

functional components JournalHub is comprised of are website application, phone app, user

authentication system, file management system, notification system and the relational database.


The web application will be able to run on multiple operating systems, and the phone

application will be able to run on android. Figure 2 shows the sitemap for the web application.

The website will be the main interface for users to access JournalHub's tools. There will be a

graphical user interface (GUI) that will be simple and easy to learn and use.

Figure.2 Sitemap for web application


JournalHub's user authentication system will require users to log into the system with a

username and password for security. An account will have assignments and data associated with

it mirrored from the database. Figure 2 shows the logic flow for account creation.

Figure 3 Logic flow for account creation

The relational database is in charge of storing all data tied to projects used by the system

and will be created using mySQL. Stored data varies from user accounts and project assignments

to dealines and changes made to files. Queries to the database will be done using PHP. The

database ERD is shown in figure 3.

Figure .4 Database ERD


The file management system will be in charge of handling information that is indexed

from the relational database. The file management system will exist on ODU's virtual private

server (VPS).

The notification system will be an automated system that send email messages to users.

These emails will consist of alerts for assignment deadlines, edits and changes made to files, and

status updates/progress on assignments. The notification system will be created in PHP. Figure 4

shows the logic flow for notifications.

Figure 5. Logic flow for notifications

3 Identification of Case Study

JournalHub is a piece of software created with the intended users being Journalists. The

primary customers are news organizations that have a disorganized process for managing

information, which leads to unstructured data for projects and deadlines. Modern newsrooms

necessitate centralized content management be delivered in an efficient manner. Information


dealing with the development of a story needs to be readily available to journalists and editors so

that news can stay current.

4 Product Prototype

4.1 Prototype Functional Objectives

Table 1 below contains the functional Objectives for the creation and testing of JournalHub's database.

High level task Software Tools Skills Required Team Members Completion Time

Generate tables MySQL,

PHP

Database Creation,

Database Design,

Linear Algebra

Gabriel Marquez, Zobair Alijan

20 hours

Test the tables MySQL,

PHP

Database Testing,

Database Design,

Linear Algebra

Gabriel Marquez, Zobair Alijan

20 hours

Table 1. Functional objectives of database

Table 2 contains functional objectives for the creation and testing of the User Interface.


install development software

none none Jason Mayo,Mark Cunanan

1 hour

make the website PHP Website Design Jason Mayo, 50 hours


Mark Cunanan

make website mobile interface

PHP Website Design Jason Mayo,Mark Cunanan

50 hours

make Android app Java App Development

Jason Mayo,Mark Cunanan

100 hours

make IOS app html AppDevelopment

Jason Mayo,Mark Cunanan

100 hours

Table 2. Functional objectives of User Interface

Table 3 contains the functional objectives for the file management system.


Install base CMS none none Ben Cowan, Adam Lawson, Jason Mayo

10 hours

Incorporate date tracking

PHP Programming andDebugging

Gabriel Marquez, Adam Lawson

20 hours

Establish change log



30 hours

Improve search feature



20 hours

Implement request system


Gabriel Marquez 30 hours


Benjamin Cowan,Adam Lawson

Implement Notification system


Gabriel Marquez

Benjamin Cowan

30 hours

Social Integration


Ben Cowan, Zobair Alijan

30 hours

Table 3. Functional objectives of file management system

4.2 Prototype Features and Capabilities

The following are the features and capabilities the JournalHub prototype will provide as

well as the contrast between the real-world product.

4.3 Prototype Development Challenges


One of the main challenges for development will be whether or not Team Purple has

sufficient knowledge for meeting the objectives of the project.

The database will have information that needs to be queried and accessed in order for

different parts of functionality for the system to properly work, such as the notification system.

Another challenge will be properly connecting all the subsystems such as the server to the

database and web application. It is crucial for subsystems to communicate accordingly for

JournalHub to function.

The other challenge is how larger projects will be tracked and boundaries such as how

much space a project can take up, and how overflow can be prevented/mitigated.

5 Prototype Demonstration Description

The prototype will be demonstrated using files that will be uploaded to JournalHub's database.

There will be computers with access to JournalHub. Different accounts created with varying

privilges that will be used for the demonstration. The accounts will be used to edit and update

files for projects and the changes, updates and notification will be demonstrated. The phone app

will also be demonstrated via android.


Glossary

Budget – The allocation of physical space within a newspaper publication. Sometimes generalized to refer

to information pertaining to where or when a story will be published

CMS – Content Management System, any system which organizes electronic documents

IMH – InMotion Hosting

MySQL – An open-source, multi-user, relational database management system based on Structured Query

Language (SQL)

ODU – Old Dominion University

PHP – A server-side programming language designed for building dynamic web pages

Project Management Software – Software which is designed to make easier the management of

personnel and information pertaining to a project or multiple projects

RWP – Real-world product

Slug – The pre-title name used to reference a story during the development process in the field of

Journalism

UI – User Interface

VPS – Virtual Private Server


References

Burger, R. (2014, July 7). 14 Surprising Project Management Statistics. Retrieved from

http://blog.capterra.com/surprising-project-management-statistics

Pricewaterhouse Coopers. (2014). Insights and Trends: Current program and project

management practices. Retrieved from http://www.pwc.com/us/en/people-

management/publications/current-program-and-project-mgmt-practices.html

Puscasu, A. (2015, April 26). Project Management Statistics. Retrieved from

http://apepm.co.uk/project-management-statistics/

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