ClientProject: Fujitsu Australia Ltd
The company has a division that supplies administration systems
to Local Governments – a Client/Server version has been developed using a modified Legacy
system at the Back-End, the Client being written in Visual Basic.
Project Period:
December 1999 to December 2000
Job Description:
Enhancing an administration system for Local Governments
Company Profile:
Software:
The system is data driven, and all Menu Items and MDI child Forms are created "on the fly".
The rules are defined in a Microsoft Access database. Any new application can be added at
will. The Microsoft Visual Basic programming involved the complexities of applying the database
Rules, handling dynamic Form creation, and Meta data used to create the transitory objects.
Duties:
- Support of the Client side of the large and complex (about 10 person years of work and a few
hundred thousand lines of code) Local Government project for Warringah Council.
- Providing bug-free and stable systems.
- Attending to Client bug and enhancement requests.
- Conversion of DAO Jet Engine to ADO database access objects.
- Conversion of the system to Component Object Modules (COM) to reduce maintenance overhead.
- Allow third party access to the system.
- Consultancy for Fujitsu in their attempt to become autonomous.
- Ongoing software support for individual projects.
Achievements:
- Set up a completely new environment to handle the Networking requirements, the Microsoft Visual
Basic environment and the Middleware for the Client GUI system – including the Unix
Server and databases.
- Produced a stable system.
- Eliminated of all high priority errors in the Microsoft Visual Basic programs and created
a stable system.
- Reduced program response times by over 70%.
- Changed thousands of lines of code in implementing consistency and programming standards.
- Built an open ended ActiveX control to allow all Forms to be converted to controls. The first
of these handled Logins, Printer selection, and Screen Printing.
- Created an open ended DLL to provide Error handling, Server access, Transaction creation,
rule definitions, printing, etc.
- Produced an asynchronous .EXE to play sounds, FTP printing, Server access – without
impacting on the Client.
- Created a "User Exit" interface to allow independent third party access to the records on
the Server, and provide access to Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.