LittleSteps®

RDBMS Portal Client Software

for SQL Server

 

 

©Winluck Pty Ltd    Falls Rd, Falls Creek, NSW 2540, Australia

Information Technology Managers & Engineers – since 1983

www.mountainman.com.au/software/LittleSteps

                                                                                                                                               

 

Demonstrating a system of binding the organizational intelligence

inherent in the Northwind Trading Company’s

database application system software suite

to the Southwind database

using LittleSteps.

                                                                                                                                               

 

 

Northwind Trading Company

 

Overview of Organizational Structure

 

Organization Chart

 

 

Click the organizational group or entity to view the menu of applications.

Each organizational group have different application requirements

 

Here is a detailed description of the application system suite components, introduced in order from the CEO through the Northwind organization:

 

 

 

OVERVIEW of Application System Software:

SOUTHWIND stored procedure tasks

 

 

 

Applications for the CEO:

 

Task_101_Sales_Analysis_by_Client_Level_1_of_2_CEO.JPG

Presents a summary of client sales for the period per client with statistical information able to be sorted and filtered, or print previewed, printed or exported to excel, word (table) or XML.  By selecting a specific row (ie: a specific client) double-clicking will return the detailed transactions for the summary line.

 

Task_101_Showing_Sorting_on_Client_Name.JPG

Sorting works simply by clocking the header row of the column you want to use to form the primary sort of the entire dataset.  Multiple sorts can be selected, by selecting one column after another.  The unsort button will revert the dataset to the original sort order as specified in the source stored procedure.

 

Task_101_Sales_Analysis_by_Client_Level_2_of_2_CEO.JPG

Presents the detail of client sales for the period.

 

Task_102_Sales_Analysis_by_Client_and_Category_Level_1_of_1_CEO.JPG

Summary of client sales for the period per client per product category with statistical information able to be sorted and filtered, or print previewed, printed or exported to excel, word (table) or XML.  By selecting a specific row (ie: a specific client and product category) double-clicking will return the detailed transactions for this client and this product category.

 

Task_102_Showing_Filter_by_Product_Category.JPG

Filtering works simply by selecting a cell, and then selecting the filter button.  When the filter button is again selected, it will revert to the original unfiltered dataset.

 

Task_102_Showing_Filter_by_Product_Category_PRINT_PREVIEW.JPG

Print preview will show the number of pages to be expected, and how they will appear if selected for print.

Column widths can be changed, or columns totally suppressed using LittleSteps.  These changes will be reflected in the subsequent print-preview and printing.

 

 

Applications for General Access:

 

Task_201_Northwind_Product_List_by_Name_GENERAL.JPG

Standard Northwind product information able to be sorted and filtered, or print previewed, printed or exported to excel, word (table) or XML. 

 

Task_201_now_Filtered_by_Category_and_Sorted_by_Unit_Price.JPG

Sorting and filtering may be performed concurrently. 

 

Task_202_Invoice_Detail_Level_1_Prompt_GENERAL.JPG

A prompt box is configurable with LittleSteps, and requests the end user to enter some key element of data before continuing.  This mode of enquiry is often useful for obtaining discrete datasets.

 

Task_202_Invoice_Detail_Level_2_GENERAL.JPG

The detailed invoice data presented for the specified invoice number.

 

Task_250_Document_Management_Application_Level_1_of_2_GENERAL.JPG

A document management system is simply constructed using LittleSteps.

1) All networked archive documents are gathered up and reported upon (filename, author, dates, etc)

2) The output of this report is imported to SQL, and a stored procedure written to present this to end users.

3) Users are able to see an index of their own documents, or others, dependent upon established practice.

4) This list can be analysed, sorted, filtered, printed, exported, etc.

5) One key element in a document management system is the integrity of the data in the subject fields of the documents.

 

Task_250_Document_Management_Application_Level_2_of_2_GENERAL.JPG

If the stored procedures serving the LittleSteps portal are written using certain standard conventions, then by double-clicking any of the detailed document rows, providing windows can identify the appropriate application, LittleSteps will launch that document.

 

 

Applications for the Sales Manager:

 

Task_401_Products_above_average_price.JPG

Lists products over the threshold.

 

Task_456_Employee_Territories_Maintenance_SALES_MANAGER.JPG

Maintains the correspondence between territories and employees.

 

Task_457_Sales_Regions_Maintenance_SALES_MANAGER.JPG

Data entry of new sales regions, or amendments to previously defined regions.

 

Task_458_Sales_Territories_Maintenance_SALES_MANAGER.JPG

Data entry of new sales territories, or amendments to previously defined territories.

 

 

Applications for the Sales Person:

 

Task_501_Client_Maintenance_SALES_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new client details, or amendments to previously defined client details.

 

Task_510_Client_ORDERS_Maintenance_SALES_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new client orders, or amendments to previously defined client orders.

 

 

Task_511_Client_ORDER_DETAILS_Maintenance_Level_1_of_2_SALES_PERSON.JPG

Selection of required client order at a summary level.

 

Task_511_Client_ORDER_DETAILS_Maintenance_Level_2_of_2_SALES_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new client order details, or amendments to previously defined client order details.

 

 

Applications for the Support Person:

 

Task_701_Product_Categories_Maintenance_SUPPORT_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new product categories, or amendments to previously defined product categories.

 

Task_710_Product_Maintenance_SUPPORT_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new products and product details, or amendments to previously defined product details.

 

Task_711_Shippers_Maintenance_SUPPORT_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new shippers, or amendments to previously defined shippers.

 

Task_712_Suppliers_Maintenance_SUPPORT_PERSON.JPG

Data entry of new product suppliers and details, or amendments to previously defined suppliers.

 

 

Applications for the Employee Centre:

 

Task_901_Employee_Maintenance_PERSONNEL.JPG

Data entry of new employee details, or amendments to previously defined employee details.

 

 

Applications for the Database Administrator (DBA):

 

Task_DBA_01_Maintain_Southwind_Applications_Register_Level_1_of_2.JPG

The DBA develops applications system components by creating SQL stored procedures and then registering them. The screen above shows stored procedures which have already been registered.  The task identities match the above documentation, and each task resolves to one or a series of levels of stored procedures, as defined in the layout of the registry.  This methodology is exceedingly simple, yet complex multi-dimensional analytical applications are realizable.

 

Task_DBA_01_Maintain_Southwind_Applications_Register_Level_2_of_2.JPG

If a specific row in the application register is double-clicked, then LittleSteps will display the source code of the stored procedure which is being defined at that row.

 

Task_DBA_01_Maintain_Southwind_Stored_Procedures.JPG

The collection of stored procedures developed in Southwind represent the extendible suite of application system components for the Northwind organization.  These can be independently managed and developed via Enterprise Manager or Query Analyser, etc.

 

Task_DBA_02_View_Application_Usage_Stats_Level_1_of_2.JPG

End user access to the database via the portal is logged.  Use of the individual application components is logged.  In this manner, the application manager is able to perceive usage levels.  The summary level is by task.

 

Task_DBA_02_View_Application_Usage_Stats_Level_2_of_2.JPG

A second detail level has been defined for access to the logging trail associated with the running of all application system components.  This shows the details of use associated with date and time stamps.

 

Task_DBA_05_Maintain_Northwind_Organizational_Structure.JPG

The DBA at the CEO’s discretion can modify the existing organizational structure for the Northwind Trading company.  New organization groups may be added, or existing groups modified.

 

Task_DBA_06_View_Southwind_Menu_Level_1_of_3.JPG

The DBA can simulate the menu structure and the deployment of applications via this menu structure through this stored procedure.  The first level shows all organizational groups.

 

Task_DBA_06_View_Southwind_Menu_Level_2_of_3.JPG

The second level shows all application system components currently registered in the Southwind application register with appropriate associations for that organizational group.  Association mechanisms can be achieved in multiple ways, such as the numbering sequence convention adopted in this demonstration. 

 

Task_DBA_06_View_Southwind_Menu_Level_3_of_3.JPG

By selecting a specific application item on a specific menu for an organizational group the DBA can double-click to view the SQL code of the stored procedure which will be run when an end user selects that component item.

 

Task_DBA_10_View_Northwind_Database_Schema_Level_1_of_3_Tables.JPG

The summary level shows all database tables in the Northwind database initially sorted by decreasing total row counts.

 

Task_DBA_10_View_Northwind_Database_Schema_Level_2_of_3_Table_Column_Specifications.JPG

The second level shows the specifications of the column schemas for any table selected in the earlier level summary.

 

Task_DBA_10_View_Northwind_Database_Schema_Level_3_of_3_Raw_Table_Data.JPG

The third level shows the raw data for any table earlier selected.  This is quite OK for small tables, but with large tables the stored procedures may need to be selective.

 

Task_DBA_10_View_Northwind_Database_Schema_Level_3_of_3_Raw_Data_Sorted.JPG

Sorting itself, even of the 831 Northwind records in the Orders table, can be an effective analytical tool.  The screen shown here has been sorted by “Shipped Date” to reveal those order which have not yet been shipped.

 

Task_DBA_11_View_Northwind_Database_Column_Names.JPG

Simply a listing of all column names and table names in the Northwind database.

 

Task_DBA_11_View_Northwind_Database_Column_Names_Sorted.JPG

Sorting by column name, occurrences of (eg) CustomerID, City or CategoryID can be perceived database wide.

 

Task_DBA_15_View_Current_System_Menu_procedure.JPG

The DBA edits the menu procedure as required to configure access between users and applications.

 

 

 

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