A Synchronized Online Database System For A Supermarket A Case Study Of Uchumi Supermarket Uganda.

ABSTRACT

The project report was undertaken in order to learn and use the features that PHP and MySQL offer. In particular, it was suggested from the researchers and the main goal was to design and implement an online database platform to hold information for all supermarket products that

Uchurni supermarket sell nowadays. This database communicates with a Web interface; to allow Internet users to order products and find all the information they need about the product from anywhere, where there is an Internet connection. As the developers had no previous knowledge of PHP/MySQL and generally web applications, they aimed at becoming experts in its use.

The research that the researchers made concentrated on three different areas. The first area was to understand the technology behind PHP/MySQL and the web applications. The second area was to find out the cui’rently available features of such systems. Finally, the last area was to find

new features for the new system.

This report descrwebes the features of online database systems that are used around the world, the technical information relating to the project, the methodology that the developer used, the functional and non functional requirements, the features of the new system, the implementation of the system and finally the testing that was used.

This project was extremely helpful for the programmers because it gave them the opportunity to learn a software development tool and to consider a software product from the legal point of view. It also provided them with inestimable experience for his future carrier.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION .1

APPROVAL II

DEDICATION III

ACKNOWLEDGMENT IV

LIST OF FIGURES V

LIST OF TABLES VI

ABBREVIATIONS VII

ABSTRACT VIII

TABLE OF CONTENTS Ix

CHAPTER ONE 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 BACKGROUND 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 2

1,3.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVES 2

1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 2

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 3

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 3

1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY 3

CHAPTER TWO 6

LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.0 INTRODUCTION 6

2.1 SCOPE OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.2 DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 7

2.2.1 BENEFITS OF DATABASE ENVIRONMENT 7

2.2.2 APPROACH TO DATABASE MANAGEMENT 7

2.3 ADVANTAGES OF USING COMPUTER BASED DATABASES 9

2.4 AREA OF APPLICATION 10

2.4.1 ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF DATA 10

2.4.2 ANALYSIS AND DESIGN 10

2.5 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES 11

ix

2.5.1 INTERVIEW .11

2.5.2 QUESTIONNAIRES .12

2.5.3 DOCUMENT ANALYSIS 13

2.6 DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY 13

CHAPTER THREE 16

METHODOLOGY 16

3.0 INTRODUCTION 16

3.1 ORGANIZATION UNITS THAT IRE STUDIED 16

3.2 THE POPULATION THAT WAS USED IN THE RESEARCH 16

3.3 SAMPLE SELECTION 17

3.4 RESEARCH PROCEDURE THAT IRE USED 17

3.5 HOW DATA WAS COLLECTED 17

3.6 TOOLS USED IN COLLECTION OF DATA 18

3.7 DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY (SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE) 18

3.8 PROBLEMS ANTICIPATED IN THE STUDY 18

3.9 CONCLUSION 19

CHAPTER FOUR 20

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION 20

4.0 INTRODUCTION 20

4.1 DATA PRESENTATION 20

4.1.1 THE AGE DISTRWEBUTION OF RESPONDENTS 20

4.1.2 THE GENDER OF RESPONDENTS 21

4.1.3 OCCUPATION OF RESPONDENTS 22

4.1.4 RESPONDENTS’ VIEW ABOUT THE SYSTEM USED FOR CONTROLLING SOCK AND

INVENTORY 22

4.1.5 RESPONDENT’S VIEW ABOUT TilE EFFICIENCY OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM 23

4.1.6 FINDINGS ON TIlE CUSTOMER CONDUCT AND BACKING UP OF SUPERMARKET RECORDS 25

4.2 SYSTEM ANALYSIS 25

4.3 FEASWEBILITY STUDY 25

4.4 IAKNESSES OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM 26

4.5 SYSTEM SPECIFICATION 26

4.5.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 26

4.6 HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS 27

4.7 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS 27

4.8 SYSTEM’S COMPONENTS 28

4.8.1 DATABASE 28

4.8.2 WEB-SERVER 29