Network Applications - Assignment Example

This server was the unanimous choice because it was an open source server that was free in addition to being the most popular server, as it required minimal knowledge and effort for the purpose of using it to provide services to the client. The proposed design was decided to be done in MySQL and the PHP server side scripting language. Under the design, it was also decided that all the required functionalities that accessed the database would be carried out using regular SQL expressions. PHP stands for Hypertext Pre-processor.

The initial interface was composed of a web page that listed the various branches where the hotel had its current operations. Next to it was a login system that the user could access by typing the authentic user name & password. Upon entering a valid username & password and upon clicking on the submit button, the PHP used a built in function that executed a SQL query for the purpose of matching the details provided by the user with the user details that were previously present in the web site.

Upon authentication, the user was then allowed to access a web page where there were requisite text fields and lists for allowing the user to initiate a booking transaction that would present the selected details pertaining to the choice of location and the choice of the size of the table to the server. The server would then execute a MySQL query to check whether there was an availability that matched the user's selected choices. Upon finding a match, the user was notified that his request had been accepted and the necessary changes were made in the contents of the database so that the number of tables of any particular size that were available at any location could be updated.

There was also an interface provided to the administrator for the purpose of adding any new locations for the purpose of making it available for future transaction as also enabling a feature for deleting any locations that were presently under use. In addition, it was also possible for the administrator to use the provided interface for changing the details of tables that were available at any particular location. For this, two separate drop down lists were provided that were used to specify the details of locations as well as the details of table sizes.

The choice of updating or deleting the particulars was initiated by clicking the requisite button that could be used to call the database by executing the appropriate