SBA Task 1 · Design & Implementation (25 marks)

Show that you can take a real-world problem, design a solution, and build a working prototype with the ICT skills you have learnt.

What markers look for

Section	What to include	Tips
Problem identification	Who the user is, what pain you solve, scope (in/out)	1–2 paragraphs is enough; be specific
Requirements	Functional and non-functional requirements list	Bulleted, numbered
System design	ER diagram, data dictionary, system architecture diagram, wireframes/mock-ups	Use the official ER symbols
Implementation plan	Modules, technologies, milestones	Gantt chart looks great
Build artefacts	Screenshots of code, UI, database tables	Use captions, not just images
User guide	How to install/run, key workflows	Reads like a real manual

Suggested document structure

1. Introduction
   1.1 Background
   1.2 Aim
   1.3 Scope
2. Analysis
   2.1 User profile
   2.2 Use cases
   2.3 Functional requirements
   2.4 Non-functional requirements
3. Design
   3.1 System architecture
   3.2 ER diagram
   3.3 Data dictionary
   3.4 UI mock-ups
   3.5 Process flowcharts
4. Implementation
   4.1 Technology stack
   4.2 Database schema (SQL)
   4.3 Backend modules
   4.4 Frontend pages
   4.5 Key code snippets
5. User guide
6. References

Worked example · School library system

Problem statement

Our school librarian still records book loans on paper. This makes it slow to find overdue books and impossible to generate monthly reports. We will build a small web system to digitise loan records.

ER diagram (rough)

[Member] ─── borrows ─── [Loan] ─── refers_to ─── [Book]
                            │
                            └── 1:M to [Fine] (optional)

Database schema (in SQL Books while drafting)

CREATE TABLE Member (
  member_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  name      VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
  class     VARCHAR(10)
);

CREATE TABLE Book (
  isbn      VARCHAR(20) PRIMARY KEY,
  title     VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL,
  author    VARCHAR(100),
  copies    INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1
);

CREATE TABLE Loan (
  loan_id    INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  member_id  INTEGER NOT NULL,
  isbn       VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL,
  loan_date  DATE NOT NULL,
  due_date   DATE NOT NULL,
  return_date DATE,
  FOREIGN KEY (member_id) REFERENCES Member(member_id),
  FOREIGN KEY (isbn)      REFERENCES Book(isbn)
);

Implementation outline

1. Bootstrap a tiny PHP project with index.php, style.css, and a db.php connection helper.
2. CRUD pages: list members, add book, record loan, return book.
3. Reports page: show overdue loans with JOIN of all three tables.
4. Login with session_start() for librarian-only pages.

Required deliverables (typical school list)

• Source code (zipped)
• Database .sql dump
• User guide (PDF, 2–4 pages)
• Demo video (optional, 3 minutes)
• Self-evaluation form

Time management

A 25-mark task typically takes 20–30 hours of work spread over weeks. Allocate roughly:

• 15% planning / requirements
• 30% design / documentation
• 45% coding & testing
• 10% writing the report

Common pitfalls

• Scope creep — you don't need 50 features. Three solid ones beat ten broken ones.
• No version control — keep a copy after each major milestone.
• Designing in code first — draw the schema and ER diagram before writing SQL.
• Hard-coded data — markers want to see use of variables, parameters, configuration.

Iterate your schema fast

Database design is the single biggest source of redo work in SBA. Spin up SQL Books during the design phase: paste your CREATE TABLEs, insert 5 sample rows, run your hardest reporting query. If it doesn't run, fix the schema before you write any PHP.

➡️ Next: Task 2 · Testing & Evaluation