The company ODU creates very complicated plugs. Some of ODU products are described with 19-character number. This number fully describes all plugs.
The company ODU wanted to provide a web shop for the MediSnap plugs on their internet home page. The shop had to include user management, shopping cart, wizard based product configurator and information system about the disposable plugs.
We had two options to implement the solution:
- All application logic will be hard coded in web page. “Everything is in web page”
- The application will contain database where the whole logic will be stored. The application will contain only few pages and will tell the browser what to show (pictures, information) in the web page. “DB solution”
Everything is in web page
We planed to store the rules into logic of web page. It means we can create a web page (HTML), where we put the pictures, data about the items inside web tables and some submit buttons, which redirect us to other page. No configurable application logic is needed. Everything is hardcoded inside the web pages.
Advantages:
- Easy creation of web page. Creator of this configurator can be everybody who knows something about HTML. It is only "copy and paste" of the pictures and setting the layouts and positions. Write data inside page in tables.
Disadvantages:
- It is very hard to add something new inside this page. Only developer or somebody who knows the structure of the HTML page will be able to change or add something.
- It is very hard to maintain complicated structure of rules. The selection of a component is driven by rules and if user selects one component then he decides about other component on different step of the process.
DB solution
The layout of the pages is designed as “empty” pages. All data is read from some configurable space of the application (for example DB). When the page is loaded then the page finds everything what to display by itself, data is loaded from “DB”. The application uses dynamically generated HTML. The application controls the steps of the configuration. The page is there only for displaying data and taking the inputs from user. Information about what to display and when is stored inside database.
Advantages:
- Better control of the application at all. If some change happens in real life, then application can react with a minor modification. It can be changed without changing of the code.
- In most cases user can change it on his own. Only very special case has to be solved by the developer.
- Future enhancements are possible without big changes in the application logic.
Disadvantages:
- Longer development time
Final decision?
The company ODU decides to order the second variant of the application even the first variant was about 20% of the price of the DB approach. They know that the plug configuration has complicated rules and they are changed very often.
Application functions
Medisnap Configurator
The web shop contains a wizard based configurator where the user can configure a MediSnap plug by the following steps:
| Step 1:
For the clarity of the definition there should be groups for plug, receptacle, in-line receptacle and right-angle plug. The selection of the connector kind and style the user should get a support by pictures and an info box with technical data.  |
| Step 2:
The user should be supported by insulator pictures, PCB layout and the technical data.  |
| Step 3:
... and continue with the following steps |
Disposable plugs
The disposable solutions are not in the standard configurator. There is an info button in the web shop which is linked to a new page on which the disposable plugs are shown.
ODU can add further disposable plugs to this page on their own. With a click on a button the user can send a message to ODU with the information which plugs he is interested in.
User management
For ordering something using the web shop the user has to register with the following information:
- Name / first name
- Company
- others
The customer`s account is created immediately after the registration so that the customer can finish the order.
Shopping cart
The web shop required a shopping cart that the user can collect different plugs and accessories into one order. After the order the shopping cart is cleared.
Together with the order an email is send to ODU sales with the order information.
Accessories
Accessories are provided in the web shop catalogue so that the user can add them into the shopping cart and order it.
