https://doi.org/10.

48009/1_iis_2006_51-55
A CAPSTONE PROJECT IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FOR CIS MAJORS
Dr. Michel Mitri, James Madison University, mitrimx@jmu.edu

ABSTRACT maturity and the ability to work with others as part of

their group projects.
This paper presents a capstone project given to CIS
seniors utilizing programming, database design, OBJECT-ORIENTED COMPONENT-
requirements analysis, use case, and object modeling, BASED SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
project management, and writing and oral
communication skills in an active learning Modern-day software applications can be
environment. The learning objectives for this project characterized as assemblages of portable software
corresponds with most of the learning units described components. This has led to a new approach to
for the upper level courses in the IS 2002 model software development, often called Component
curriculum and is based on an object-oriented Based Development (CBD), which facilitates
methodology that centers on component-based software reuse [3].
design. Students also engage in reflective analysis by
constructing project workbooks and journals. The capstone project described in this paper relies
heavily on component development and assembly.
Keywords: Capstone, Java, Systems Analysis, Several major components are developed by the
Database Design, Project Management, Use Case, ER students in individual assignments prior to the
Diagram, UML, Component Based Design capstone project. Table 1 lists the components
developed as individual programming assignments,
INTRODUCTION and describes the programming techniques and Java
constructs used for these components.
One of the most difficult skills for CIS students to
master is software development, especially in DESCRIPTION OF CAPSTONE PROJECT
database-oriented, client-server environments. This
mastery is essential for successful preparation into After the students have completed the individual
the IT field. It is especially important to provide assignments and gained the advanced programming
students with realistic systems development skills, as well as having constructed some of the
experience that facilitates skills in project important components required for the final projects,
management, systems analysis, database design and they are divided into teams and given a description of
usage, and computer programming, all the while their project.
fostering teamwork and developing oral and written
communication skills. The capstone project takes place as a series of four
phases. Each phase involves a cycle that involves
In information systems curricula, a viable way to planning, analysis, design, and implementation. Thus,
integrate skills into a comprehensive project is via a the traditional SDLC is applied iteratively throughout
capstone course, typically offered in the final the phases of the capstone project, as described in the
semester of a student’s college career. In the IS 2002 following sections of this paper [2].
model curriculum, the capstone course is called
Project Management and Practice, and involves “… a
high-performance team that will engage in and
complete the design and implementation of a
significant information system [1].” A good capstone
project should involve creativity, develop enjoyment
of problem solving, and encourage conscientiousness.
Students should be taxed in their technical and
cognitive skills as they each tackle their individual
programming assignments, and they should develop

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A Capstone Project in Software Development for CIS Majors

Table 1. Description of components and applications developed by individual students during first half of capstone
semester. These will be used in the group project during capstone project.

Components and Purpose Programming Techniques and Java

Applications Developed Constructs (see
during first half of http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/)
Semester
DBSource Provide a simple interface for an JDBC. Connection, ResultSet, Statement
(component) application to connect to and perform classes and interfaces.
queries/updates on a database.
Multithreaded Server Application that generates threads to ServerSocket and Socket classes. Thread
(application) service clients and communications with class. DataStream class.
clients via sockets. Receives a SQL
statement from the client and sends strings
based on query results back to the client.
Uses the DbSource class to interface to
database.
ClientConnector Component used by client applications to Socket and InetAddress classes, multi-
(component) communication with the multithread server. dimensional arrays, use of
Sends SQL statements to the server and StringTokenizer for breaking up string
places the results into two-dimensional results.
String arrays
Bar Chart Panel Display a bar chart based to visually Graphics abstract class, Rectangle class,
(GUI component) represent numerical data, along with JPanel class, X-Y coordinate system,
descriptive labels for bars. Color class, line, shape, and string
drawing. Calculating bar heights and
widths.

Each team is given a different project. An example (described in Table 1). The italicized components in
project is described below: the figure are created by students as individual
programming assignments prior to the capstone. The
Project Planning Services, Inc. is a business non-italicized portions are created by teams during
consulting firm that provides technical and the capstone project. Details about the development
strategic services to its clients. The company has a process are described in the remainder of this paper.
need to develop a database and an accompanying
application system to capture, store, and PROJECT SCHEDULE
manipulate data pertaining to the activities of its
consultant employees. In particular, PPS, Inc. The group project is divided into four overlapping
needs to know about who the consultants are, the phases: (1) database development (consisting of ER-
projects that they are working on and the clients modeling, relational database design, and data
they are servicing. The company also wants to population); (2) systems analysis tasks (including
track the time that they spend on each task of each requirements gathering, use case construction, and
project that they work on. In addition, any user interface design); (3) software construction
expenses that consultants incur must also be (involving Java programming of applications as well
tracked. Your task is to develop the information as development of UML class diagrams); and (4)
system to satisfy these needs. documentation and presentation (which involves
demonstrating the project results in a public
The general architecture for the systems developed in presentation and creating a users manual).
the capstone projects is shown in Figure 1.
Phase 1: Database Development
Each group creates a database and three separate
application programs geared to fulfilling the needs In the first phase, student teams are presented with a
described in their cases. The application programs verbal description of the business entities and their
communicate with the multithreaded server and use relationships. Based on this description, the team
the client connector and bar chart components must develop a data model followed by a relational

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 A Capstone Project in Software Development for CIS Majors

database design. The typical data model involves 7-8

entities in a variety of 1:N and M:N relationships
Based on the ER model, a relational database is
constructed, such as the one shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1. System architecture of capstone project application. Italicized components are developed as individual
assignment during the first half of the semester.

Figure 2. Database design constructed based on ER model.

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A Capstone Project in Software Development for CIS Majors

Project teams are also given 4-5 text files containing Phase 3: Software Construction
data which must be inserted into the database. This
data is non-normalized, often duplicated and/or Phase 3 is the most difficult and time-consuming part
involving mixed entities. Students must write a Java of the whole project. This involves actual computer
program to read the text files and programmatically programming and debugging, which is a particular
generate the SQL statements necessary to populate challenge to most students. Here, students write the
the database. Their efforts writing this utility program code for the three application programs. All programs
give students realistic experience. Most systems interface to the multithreaded server that students had
development projects involving construction of new developed earlier in the semester during their
databases require some sort of data extraction and individual assignments; this communication is
collection tasks from disparate data sources in order accomplished via the communication
to produce the initial data in the new database. In ClientComponent that was developed as an
addition, their programming efforts make use of a individual programming assignment (see Table 1).
previously built component, specifically the All three applications also involve an extensive array
DBSource component (see description in Table 1). of GUI programming and event handling routines. In
addition, at least one of the applications involves use
The final deliverable from Phase 1 includes (1) an ER of the bar chart component (Table 1) students had
diagram of the data model, (2) the fully implemented developed during their individual assignments. All
and populated database, and (3) the source code for this reinforces the concept of component-based
the Java utility program. At the end of this phase, design.
these items will be included in the project workbook
for review, grading, and comment by the instructor. During this phase, students often run into difficulty
with bugs in their programs. During previous
Phase 2: Requirements Analysis individual assignments, they had learned debugging
techniques, but this is the first time they are
The second phase involves interviewing the user (a experiencing this in the context of a multi-application
role played by the instructor of the course) in order to system with extensive complexity. Whereas testing in
ascertain the functional requirements of the system. the individual assignments is limited to unit tests,
Unlike Phase 1, in which a fairly complete written testing in the group project extends to systems
description is provided to the students, Phase 2 integration and user acceptance testing.
involves no written document for students to work
with. All information about the desires of the user Figures 3 and 4 show screen shots of one of the
must be obtained via interviews, so students make applications written by students in the group project.
use of oral communication skills and interviewing
techniques they learned in the systems analysis Phase 4: Documentation and Presentation
prerequisite course. This interview process is done in
a series of meetings between the instructor and the In this final phase of the project, students complete a
team members over the period of one week. As a user manual, the technical documentation, and a
result of this process, the team must produce use PowerPoint presentation that is presented during the
cases for the applications that will be developed. final exam period. Compared to Phase 3, this is a
Each project involves three separate application much simpler task and typically is done during the
programs (see Figure 1), geared to three different last week of classes as the programming effort is
types of user. Consequently, the use case diagram coming to an end. Students are required to create a
will display three actors, and will include 3-4 use complete user manual, giving an overview of the
cases for each application of the system. Each use system as a whole, describing each of the three
case must be described in detail in a written use case applications in terms of purpose and functionality,
document. and fully explaining all the menu options and other
interactive controls for each of the applications; thus
The final deliverables for Phase 2 include (1) the use written communication skills are important in this
case diagram, (2) written descriptions for each use phase. Screen shots are a required part of the user
case, and (3) images of the user interface designs. At manual.
the end of this phase, the project workbook is
updated to include these deliverables, and is reviewed
and graded by the instructor.

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 A Capstone Project in Software Development for CIS Majors

Figure 3. One screen of an application built by a student team, utilizing several built-in Java components.

Figure 4. A second screen of an application built by a student team, this one involving the bar chart component
developed during the first half of the semester.

REFERENCES 3. Ratchivadran, T. & Rothenberger, M. (2003).

Software reuse strategies and component
1. Gorgone J.T., Davis G.B., Valacich J.S., Topi markets, Communications of the ACM, 46(8),
H., Feinstein D.L., & Longenecker H.E. (2002). 109-114.
IS 2002 Model Curriculum and Guidelines for
Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information
Systems, www.is2002.org.
2. Hoffer, J., George, J.F., a7 Valacich, J. (2005).
Modern Systems Analysis and Design, Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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