The Small Bytes System

A small, independent software journal, Small Bytes, has asked you to design a new web based system for managing its operations.

Small Bytes is published on a monthly basis; a typical monthly issue consists of 5-10 articles, each written by one or more authors in the software engineering field. Though the authors receive no payment for their articles, they do receive a years free subscription as a token of appreciation for their efforts; if they already have a subscription, then the expiration date is extended for a year. Most authors have written only one article during the journals five-year history, but a few have written several; management is concerned with keeping track of this information, for it wants to avoid publishing more than one or two articles from any one author in a single year.

System supports article submission via the web based interface. Authors can sign in and submit their article(s) for possible publication in the journal. In order to submit an article one of the authors signs in to the system and specify all the authors with their contact information, article title, related subject area(s) (selected from a list of predefined subject areas), and abstract and uploads the full text (in PDF format). Revised versions of the previously submitted articles, if there are any, are also submitted using the same web interface.

Small Bytes also has an editorial board of advisors, some of whom may also be authors from time to time; the editorial board normally serves for a one-year or two-year term, and they too receive a complimentary subscription to the magazine. Editor-in-chief is authorized to choose, appoint and discharge the members of editorial board. The editorial board reviews submitted articles, and also makes suggestions to the editor-in-chief about topics for future issues, and prospective authors who should be contacted to write articles on those topics. As with most magazines, issues are scheduled and planned months in advance; hence, the editor is dealing with several issues and its associated authors simultaneously, as well as receiving numerous unsolicited articles from a variety of past, current, and would-be authors.

Time to time, the editor-in-chief chooses two reviewers from the editorial board for each article submitted. Reviewers are assigned according to the subject areas of the articles and previously specified research interests of the editorial board members. Reviewers evaluate the articles and send their reviews using the web. Time to time, editor-in-chief inspect and select articles for publication based on the reviews received. All selected articles are sent to articles in press queue. According to the reviews of an article, editor-in-chief may also request a revision to the article before considering it for publication. At a certain point in time, the editor-in-chief determines a subject area(s) for a future issue and select 5-10 articles from the articles in press queue based on the articles subject area(s).

Small Bytes is sold on a subscription basis; the subscriptions are for a one-year period. All subscriptions are done via web by the subscribers. There are only a few thousand subscribers; most are corporate subscribers, but some are individuals who have Small Bytes sent to their home address. Most of the subscribers are single-copy subscribers; however, it is not uncommon for large companies to order multiple copies, all of which are sent to the same person. Multiple-copy subscriptions typically involve a small discount from the single-copy price. The discount strategies are determined by the manager.

There are a few cases of multiple-copy subscriptions where the subscribing organization asks that the constituent copies be sent to named individuals; of course, it is important to keep track of the primary subscriber from whom payment is received, and to whom any correspondence should be addressed. Generally, these issues are sent to multiple people within one site (e.g., one division or department, located at a single corporate address); however, there are a few cases where the multiple copies are sent to individuals in different sites within the corporation. In any case, the publisher finds it convenient to identify subscribers within a site, and the various sites associated with an organization.

The magazine is also distributed in several foreign countries by distributors who have a quasi- exclusive right to market the magazine in their territory. The distributors receive a somewhat larger discount for a bulk shipment of magazines, which they then distribute to their subscribers. In addition, the distributor is supposed to supply the names and addresses of its own subscribers (in case the distributor goes out of business) to the system.

As noted earlier, contributing authors and members of the editorial board of advisors receive a complimentary one-year subscription to the magazine; in addition, the publisher provides a limited number of additional complimentary subscriptions to respected gurus and people working in the field. This list of comps is reviewed by the manager from time to time to see if any should be deleted. Also, the comp list is queried periodically in order to confirm that they still wish to receive their complimentary copy of Small Bytes.

A large percentage of existing subscribers renew their subscription from one year to the next; the renewal activity is typically the result of renewal notices that the journal subscription department staff sending several months before the actual expiration. For several months after the subscription has expired, the subscription department staff continue to send renewal notices. Renewals sometimes straggle in several months after a subscription has expired, so it is vital to maintain the subscription records on the database indefinitely.

Payments for new subscriptions and renewals are only paid by credit card. Upon subscription or renewal, a formal invoice is generated so that it is mailed to the subscriber by the accounting department staff. Credit card payments are authorized by the external credit card payment authorization systems.

In addition to full-year subscriptions, the publisher also sells limited numbers of individual copies of Small Bytes. In most cases, these are back-issue orders; they may be paid, as indicated above, by check, credit card, or invoice. On rare occasions, a customer will order multiple copies of a back issue, in which case a discount is offered. And on even rarer occasions, a customer (typically an author, or a vendor whose product was favorably reviewed in the magazine) will order several thousand copies of an individual article in an issue, and will ask that it be packaged as a mini-issue of the magazine; each of these special orders is priced separately, depending on volume, etc.

Although there are only a small number of subscribers, the publisher has a large list of prospects, which it has accumulated from various sources over the years. Many of these prospects have asked for sample copies of Small Bytes; some have received a trial subscription for a few months, but then decided not to convert to a paid subscription. Many others have received various promotional mailings from time to time, including unsolicited sample copies and/or trial subscriptions. Obviously, all of this information is useful to the publisher.

Before using the system, an account must be created for each user. Accounts for the staff, the editor- inchief and the editorial board members are created and maintained by the system administrator. Authors, subscribers, and prospects create accounts for themselves via web; these accounts are maintained by system administrator too.

1.Draw a Domain Model using the UML class diagram notation. Show concepts, associations and attributes 2. Create a System Sequence Diagram in the UML notation.

Use Case Name: Prepare Issue Scope:Small Bytes System Level:User Goal Primary Actor:Editor-in-chief Preconditions:... Main Success Scenario: 1. Editor-in-chief wants to prepare a future issue. 2. Editor-in-chief specifies the month/year and issue number. 3. System creates the issue and presents the candidate list of subject areas. 4. Editor-in-chief selects a subject area from the list. 5. System records the selected subject area for the issue and presents the accumulating list of subject areas selected. Steps 4-5 are repeated until Editor-in-chief indicates done. 6. System presents the list of candidate articles together with their subject areas. The articles are selected from the "articles in press" queue according to their subject areas which match with the subject areas of the issue being prepared. 7. Editor-in-chief selects an article from the candidate article list. 8. System records the selected article for the issue and presents the accumulating list of articles selected for the issue. System records one-year free subscription to the authors of the selected article. If they already have a subscription, then the expiration date is extended for a year. Steps 7-8 are repeated until Editor-in-chief indicates done. 9. System logs the completed issue.

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