College of Alameda CIS 25: C++ O/O Programming
Project Proposal Patrick McDermott
The Bug Database
This project will involve tracking an imaginary Bug database. Not computer bugs, but real bugs. When I was in the fifth grade, I lived at Sewart AFB near Smyrna, Tennessee, and delighted in observing the many varieties of insects that inhabited the streams and fields near my home. And so I decided I would be an Entomologist when I grew up. This was a momentous decision indeed, since it required abandoning my long-held (since early fourth grade) plan to be a Nobel-prize-winning Chemist. But when I read that chemical companies were one of the largest employers of entomologists, I decided my two passions were obviously complementary--I would be an entomologist for a chemical company. It was some months before the awful realization struck: the tie between chemistry and entomology is insecticides, and the goal of most entomologists is to kill as many insects as possible during their lifetimes. As a consequence, I abandoned my plans for both chemistry and entomology, but eventually found a career that involved ruthlessly exterminating bugs without harming any insects—computer programming. As an entomological collector, I plan to collect specimens of insects in the vicinity of the College of Alameda. The database will track the specimens of insects, containing information on when and where the specimen was collected, as well as the biological data of its classification into Order, Genus and Species.
The Database
The central entity is of course the Specimen itself. Entities will include Order, Genus, and Species to track the taxonomy of the Specimen, and a location to track collecting sites. There is a hierarchy of Order, Genus, Species from biology. In addition, locations will be tracked by Location found. See Version 0.0 Database Design, attached.
The Program
The program will allow entry or modification of the information needed for the specimen record and store it on an access database. Input will be from the console. The program will provide sufficient editing for required fields and valid entries to prevent obvious errors.
02/11/09
b8c059b8-987e-46e6-847b-1eae2fe0952d.doc