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A university's halls of residence keep track of their data through a combination of disparate spreadsheets and carbon-paper, with no provision for historic analysis. While it is clear that a fully computer based system would provide an adequate solution to the problem, there are several factors that must be taken into account before a system can be developed. The system must be distributed, as the residences and university are spread across multiple sites around the city centre. Costs should, ideally, be as low as possible, and the users need access to the relevant data, while preventing them altering some data without authorisation. Research into the various web-based technologies available finds some novel solutions to the problem, implementing appropriate modern client- and server-side technologies in a coherent manner to provide the basis of a system capable of revolutionising information handling within the residences.
About the author
Mark Johnson is a recent Web Design & Internet Technology graduate based in Southampton. Working mainly with the Moodle Course Management System, Mark is a keen member of the open source community with a passion for accessibility, usability and open standards. He also enjoys heavy metal, real ale and redbush tea.
