chapter III

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

This study employed the Fourth Generation Technique also known as 4GT. This is a suitable method used in developing a system.

Fourth Generation Technique (4GT) best suits the system developed because it has a characteristic that makes the system methodical and systematic. Fourth generation techniques (4GT) encompasses a broad array of software tools that have one thing in common each enables the software engineer to specify some characteristic of software at a high level. The tool then automatically generates source code based on the developer's specification. There is little debate that the higher the level at which software can be specified to a machine, the faster a program can be built. The 4GT paradigm for software engineering focuses on the ability to specify software using specialized language forms or a graphic notation that describes the problem to be solved in terms that the customer can understand.

Technique (4GT) involve different phase such as Requirements Gathering, Design Strategy, Implementation using Fourth Generation Languages and Testing.

Requirements Gathering

The first phase of 4GT is the Requirements Gathering. This is the phase where the definition of requirements necessary in building software is defined. This is where the gathered data is translated into operational prototype, which is necessary in developing a design strategy for the system. This phase was done by interviewing the respondent and other people who have extensive knowledge in developing a specified system.

Design Strategy

In this phase, the gathered data is translated into a set of presentation that describes data structures, architecture, algorithmic procedures and interface characteristic. This is the phase where the proponents defined how the system is to be developed. The use of 4GT without design for large project will cause difficulties such as poor quality, poor maintenance ability, and poor customer acceptance that are often encountered when developing software using conventional approaches. All this necessary in order to proceed to the next phase called implementation.

Implementation using Fourth Generation Languages (4GL)

This the third phase of 4GT wherein the design presentation is translated to an artificial language that result in instruction that could be executed by the computer. The gathered requirements and design are put into a machine executable form using the newest programming language the Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 as a tool.

Testing

The last phase is testing, in computer hardware and software development is used at key checkpoints in the overall process to determine whether objectives are being met. This is required to ensure the system quality and that it will not create errors during run time, especially when it is being used.