reflections

Work Completed

• Build Out Database Design

Summary

I worked this week to flesh out the database design so that I could begin to specify PHP objects. From the previous Entity Relationship Diagram, I created a Database Model Diagram, which can be seen in the links section. From that DMD, I was able to write SQL statements to create the database and pre-populate certain lookup tables.

I pre-populated the Unit table and the Category table with units and categories, respectfully, that I thought were appropriate, based on my previous research. I chose to make all fields in the database have a value, even if it is an empty string, hence the NOT NULL statements. I decided that it is more efficient to control foreign key relationships through the system than to enforce them in the database itself, which is why there are no foreign keys listed in the SQL statements.

My experience thusfar echoes the article by Kafai and Resnick. They argue for constructionism as a strategy for education, involving the creation of "personally meaningful artifacts," such as my project, aiding in the creation of knowledge. In beginning this project, I've been more interested in learning, and have increased my understanding of various technologies, more than in completing similar projects in other classes - the difference is that this project is personally meaningful to me.

Links

• Database Model Diagram
• SQL Statements

Work On Tap

• Define Object Requirements
• Begin to Create PHP Objects
• Limit Scope By Defining Views

References

Kafai, Y. & Resnick, M., (1996). Introduction. In Y. Kafai & M. Resnick (Eds.), Constructionism in practice: Designing, thinking, and learning in a digital world (pp. 1-8). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.