AN E-BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR SUPERMARKETS – ONLINE MARKETING

SYSTEM TESTING AND INTEGRATION

IMPLEMENTATION TECHNOLOGY

The objective of this project is to develop an online store. When the user types in the URL of the supermarket Store in the address field of the browser, a Web Server is contacted to get the requested information. In the .NET Framework, XAMP acts as the Web Server. The sole task of a Web Server is to accept incoming HTTP requests and to return the requested resource in an HTTP response. The first thing XAMP does when a request comes in is to decide how to handle the request. Its decision is based upon the requested file’s extension. For example, if the requested file has the .asp extension, XAMP will route the request to be handled by asp.dll. If it has the extension of .aspx, .ascx, etc, it will route the request to be handled by ASP.NET Engine.

The PHP Engine then gets the requested file, and if necessary contacts the database through ADO.NET for the required file and then the information is sent back to the Client’s browser. Figure 5.1 shows how a client browser interacts with the Web server and how the Web server handles the request from client.

MYSQL DATABASE

In this project, MySQL is used as the backend database. MySQL is an open source database management system. The features of MySQL are given below:

MySQL is a relational database management system. A relational database stores information in different tables, rather than in one giant table. These tables can be referenced to each other, to access and maintain data easily.

MySQL is open source database system. The database software can be used and modify by anyone according to their needs.

It is fast, reliable and easy to use. To improve the performance, MySQL is multithreaded database engine. A multithreaded application performs many tasks at the same time as if multiple instances of that application were running simultaneously.

In being multithreaded MySQL has many advantages. A separate thread handles each incoming connection with an extra thread that is always running to manage the connections. Multiple clients can perform read operations simultaneously, but while writing, only hold up another client that needs access to the data being updated. Even though the threads share the same process space, they execute individually and because of this separation, multiprocessor machines can spread the thread across many CPUs as long as the host operating system supports multiple CPUs. Multithreading is the key feature to support MySQL’s performance design goals. It is the core feature around which MySQL is built. MySQL database is connected to ASP.NET using an ODBC driver. Open Database Connectivity  ODBC) is a widely accepted application-programming interface (API) for database access. The ODBC driver is a library that implements the functions supported by ODBC API. It processes ODBC function calls, submits SQL requests to MySQL server, and returns results back to the application. If necessary, the driver modifies an application’s request so that the request conforms to syntax supported by MySQL.

INTEGRATING THE WEBSITE AND DATABASE

Customers ordering from an e-commerce website need to be able to get information about a vendor’s products and services, ask questions, select items they wish to purchase, and submit payment information. Vendors need to be able to track customer inquiries and preferences and process their orders. So a well organized database is essential for the development and maintenance of an e-commerce site. In a static Web page, content is determined at the time when the page is created. As users access a static page, the page always displays the same information. Example of a static Web page is the page displaying company information. In a dynamic Web page, content varies based on user input and data received from external sources. We use the term “data-based Web pages” to refer to dynamic Web pages deriving some or all of their content from data files or databases. A data-based Web page is requested when a user clicks a hyperlink or the submit button on a Web page form. If the request comes from clicking a hyperlink, the link specifies either a Web server program or a Web page that calls a Web server program. In some cases, the program performs a static query, such as “Display all items from the Inventory”. Although this query requires no user input, the results vary depending on when the query is made. If the request is generated when the user clicks a form’s submit button, instead of a hyperlink, the Web server program typically uses the form inputs to create a query. For example, the user might select five products to be purchased and then submit the input to the Web server program. The Web server program then services the order, generating a dynamic Web page response to confirm the transaction. In either case, the Web server is responsible for formatting the query results by adding HTML tags. The

Web server program then sends the program’s output back to the client’s browser as a Web page.

WEB PAGE PROGRAMMING OPTIONS

An e-commerce organization can create data-based Web pages by using server-side and client-side processing technologies or a hybrid of the two. With server-side processing, the Web server receives the dynamic Web page request, performs all processing necessary to create the page, and then sends it to the client for display in the client’s browser. Client-side processing is done on the client workstation by having the client browser execute a program that interacts directly with the database.

Figure 5.2 outlines commonly used server-side, client-side, and hybrid Web and data processing technologies; client-side scripts are in dashed lines to indicate they are unable to interact directly with a database or file but are used to validate user input on the client, then send the validated inputs to the server for further processing.

SERVER-SIDE PROCESSING.

Generally dynamic or data-driven Web pages use HTML forms to collect user inputs, submitting them to a Web server. A program running on the server processes the form inputs, dynamically composing a Web page reply. This program, which is called, servicing program, can be either a compiled executable program or a script interpreted into machine language each time it is run.

Compiled server programs. When a user submits HTML- form data for processing by a compiled server program, the Web Server invokes the servicing program. The servicing program is not part of the Web server but it is an independent executable program running on the Web server; it processes the
user input, determines the action which must be taken, interacts with any external sources (Eg: database) and finally produces an HTML document and terminates. The Web server then sends the HTML document back to the user’s browser where it is displayed. Figure 5.3 shows the flow of HTTP request from the client to the Web server, which is sent to the servicing program. The program creates an HTML document to be sent to the client browser.

Popular languages for creating compiled server programs are Java, Visual Basic, and C++, but almost any language that can create executable programs can be used, provided that it supports commands used by one of the protocols that establish guidelines for communication between Web servers and servicing programs. The first such protocol, introduced in 1993, for use with HTML forms was the Common Gateway Interface (CGI); many servicing programs on Web sites still use CGI programs. However, a disadvantage of using CGI-based servicing programs is that each form submitted to a Web server starts its own copy of the servicing program on the Web server.

            A busy Web server is likely to run out of memory when it services many forms simultaneously; thus, as interactive Web sites have gained popularity, Web server vendors have developed new technologies to process form inputs without starting a new copy of the servicing program for each browser input. Examples of these technologies for communicating with Web servers include Java Servlets and Microsoft’s ASP.NET; they allow a single copy of the servicing program to service multiple users without starting multiple instances of the program.

Server-Side Scripts. Web-based applications can also use server-side scripts to create dynamic Web pages that are able to retrieve and display information from a backend database and modify data records. The processing architecture is the same as the processing architecture used for compiled server programs except the Web server processing is performed through and interpreted script rather than a compiled program.

If needed, a developer can have a single Web server process a variety of scripts written with any or all of these technologies. The Web server knows which script interpreter to invoke by taking note of the requesting script’s file extension. Table below demonstrates some commonly used extensions and the related technologies.

Processing Technology for different File Extensions

File Extension	Processing technology interpreter/compiler
.PHP	PHP Script
.asp	Microsoft Active Server Page
.aspx	Microsoft ASP.NET web page
.js	Microsoft Scripting Language “JScript” file extension
.vbp	Visual Basic Project

Server-side hybrid processing. Compiled server-side programs offer two main advantages: First, they are compiled and stored in a machine-readable format; so they usually run faster than scripts. Second, compiled programs are usually created in integrated development environments that provide debugging utilities. The advantage of using scripts is that their modification requires only a text editor rather than installation of an associated development environment.

            Hybrid server-side programming strives to combine the advantages of compiled server-side programs and server-side scripts; a server-side script is created but not compiled. The first time a user accesses a Web page calling the script, the script is compiled into machine-readable format and stored as an executable file. With this approach, the developer works with ordinary text files and does not need to install an integrated programming development environment to modify the script. Performance is improved because the program does not need to be translated into machine language each time it runs.

CLIENT-SIDE PROCESSING.

Client-side Web page processing is achievable through compiled programs downloaded, installed, and executed on the client workstation or by creating scripts with the HTML Web page commands interpreted by the client browser.

Downloading and running compiled programs on client workstations. When a user clicks a hyperlink on a Web page associated with a compiled client-side program, the user’s browser must have the ability to run the executable program file; this program interacts with the user, sending and retrieving data from a database server as needed.

Many times, the user is asked to install certain ActiveX components to view some animations or play games. This new component plugs in into the existing system, thus extending the functionality of the system.

Java Applets are another example of compiled programs on client workstations. An applet is a program written in the Java programming language that can be included in an HTML page, much in the same way an image is included in a page. When we use a Java technology-enabled browser to view a page that contains an applet, the applet’s code is transferred to our system and executed by the browser

Client-side scripts. In a client-side script, source code written in such languages as JavaScript and VBScript is embedded in an HTML document, along with the static HTML text; it is placed within delimiter tags to indicate to the user’s browser that the text is code that must be interpreted. If the user’s browser is able to recognize and interpret the code, it is processed. If the browser is unable to recognize and interpret the code, it is displayed as text on the Web page.

Although basic client-side scripts cannot be used by a Web page to interact with a remote database, they are often used to validate user inputs entered on HTML forms submitted for processing by a server-side program; for example, a script running on a client workstation might check the inputs users submit to a Web page to make sure they entered all required data and appropriate data values. This approach avoids transmitting inputs to the Web server that are incomplete or include errors, while offloading error checking and handling from the Web server program to the client workstation.

Client-side scripts can also be used to create advanced Web page features, including: animations, calculations, playing sound and video, and image maps allowing users to move their cursors over an image and click to access different Web page links.

JavaScript is the most commonly used client-side scripting language and is supported by most browsers.

Use of a client-side scripting language depends on the user’s operating system, browser platforms, and developer expertise. If the Web pages in question are to be
accessed by a variety of users over the Internet, JavaScript is probably better than VBScript, as JavaScript is the only scripting language able to run on nearly all browsers. If the Web pages are to be accessed on an intranet and if the organization has standardized on Microsoft’s browser and Web server, VBScript is a satisfactory scripting language for creating client-side scripts.

INTEGRATION

            With all the web pages of this online supermarket now fully developed (i.e. designed and Implemented), this integration stage deals with bringing these web pages together to form a website. During this stage, we found out that the pages were easily joined except when there was a data exchange between them. In such a case of data exchange, I encountered problem which lead to logical error in the computation of data in the website. We were able to track the problem down and solve it during the integration testing.

TESTING

Software testing is a critical element of software quality assurance and represents the ultimate view of specification, design and coding. The increasing visibilities of software as a system element and attachment “coast” associated with the software failure are motivating force for well planned , through testing. Hence, software testing is the stage in development cycle during which the program is executed with the intention of finding and correcting errors. The requirement of the client as determined during investigation is compared against the software performance. Redesign -and coding of different units and submit of the software may be done if any defiance in the performance standard is detected. Testing is either done at module level (verification testing) or either entire system implementation (validation Testing). In the development of this online super-market, both verification and validation were carried out. This was done to avoid caring an error from one stage of the system life to another stage. It has proved that the cost of correcting the error at the next stage of development will amount to about three (3) times what it would have cost if discovered earlier enough.

Test Plan

            At each stage/phase of this website development, there were verification tests. The specification documentation was verified with my supervisor for conformity with the requirements or the problem statement being addressed. After the development of the system design document, the specification document guided us and at the end, the design document was verified to ascertain conformity with the specification document. All these tests were being carried out to avoid error in the system when it is fully diploid to the internet. When the design was verified and confirmed to be in conformity with the specification document, we continued with the system implementation or coding. When the entire system was completed, I proceeded to validation testing. At this stage, the completed website was tested against its specification document. We were satisfied with the result.

Test Result (Actual versus Expected)

            The result of the tests carried out was as expected. The tests carried out includes customer registration, customer purchase with credit card, customer login, customer authentication, Admin login, Admin authentication, update inventory, delete inventory, Add products and many more. The summary of the test result is as shown in the table below.

Test Conducted	Expected Result	Actual Result
Customer registration	A customer should be able to register.	Customer registration was successful
Customer login	A customer should be able to login with his username and password	Customer was able to login with his username and password.
Admin login	The administrator should be able to login with his username and password to view admin page.	Admin login was successful
View customers	The admin should be able to view customers that have registered on his cite	The admin was able to view customers and their details.
View ordered goods	The admin should be able to see the order placed by his customers.	Admin was able to view order list, customer name and goods ordered
View payment	The admin should be able to view his statement of account.	The admin was able to get the report of his sales online
Placing an order	The customers should be able to place order for goods and the money equivalent deducted from his/her account	The customer was able to place order for goods and only the specified amount was deducted from their account.
Create a valid credit account to use and purchase online	The customer should be able to create a valid credit account to shop with	Customer was able to create a valid credit card account and use the pin to shop.
Other things were tested in like manner and the results gotten were as specified.

 Table 5.1

Performance Evaluation.

            During the testing process (both verification and validation testing) we noticed the website performed the expected function. It runs faster on a local network in which it is being tested and we presume that it will be as such on the internet depending on the speed of the pc, the operating system, and connection speed. With these findings, it could be assumed that the website is very efficient and has high performance.