CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.1 Background

The registration procedure in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife is a tedious and often frustrating procedure. Endless queues, and filling out several forms in quadruplicate may have been adequate ten years ago, but today, the number of students has astronomically increased and the staff strength is still the same as before. This leads to long queues and a lot of precious time is wasted while trying to get your accommodation, pay your tuition and register for your courses at your department. The process is even more tedious on freshers (new students) as they have to verify their admission, register at the health centre and get their accommodation.

A careful study of the process reveals that a lot of key information is being duplicated and distributed to different places. If this information could be placed in a central place for everyone to share, a lot of time and effort will be saved on the part of the student and the university staff. Also the information will easier to access and store, removing a large amount of administrative overhead.

By using a central database stored the already existing university intranet, data could be entered by the students at any computer on the network, and all the relevant parties that need the information can retrieve it from there. Although a few things will still need the physical presence of the student, e.g. medical tests and verification of WAEC results, using this data will drastically cut down the time spent with each student and eliminate several unnecessary hassles from the entire process. Using the latest technology, life will be made easier on both students and staff at the beginning of each semester.

1.2 Benefits of the Project

Of the numerous benefits to the university of the project, the following are worthy of note:

· Elimination of the rigours of processing paperwork

· Reduction of cost on office expenses, since less of paperwork is done

· Assurance of accuracy and speed

· Upgrade of University status and relevance in the 21^st century

· Reduction of time wasted in processing

· Reduction of cost on manpower

· Generation of a student database that makes for easier retrieval of almost any information on any registered student at the click of the mouse

· Automated course assessment processes.

Most importantly, this project will prepare the school for full computerisation in the nearest future. As students begin to register on the network, the student database will over time, contain details of all students enrolled on campus, meaning that all their grades and accommodation details are stored on the database and more importantly, can be retrieved at the click of a mouse. This will make certain processes such as, issuing of transcripts and compilation of the best students in a particular class for a recruitment exercise, a lot easier and less time consuming. Also, instead of going to several different departments to register different courses, all one has to do is to register all the courses at a central place and the departments in question will be notified immediately.

Also, the students will benefit from this by having an easier registration procedure that is more defined and structured. This will reduce the tension at the beginning of every semester for both staff and students, and allow them to have a relaxing start to the semester.

1.3 The current registration procedure

We studied the registration procedure for new students, popularly known as Jambites or Freshers. They need to register at three basic places:

1. Their faculties, which pass the information to the Directorate of Student Affairs

2. The health centre

3. Their departments, where they submit the list of courses they registered.

Also, the students have to go to the various departments offering the courses they wish to register, and register the courses.

With the current method of registration, this process can take up to a month. Also, the students are subjected to long queues and coming back indefinitely to the same place while waiting for the staff to be ready for them.

The entire process is outlined below:

1. The student goes to the faculty for screening. This involves the verification of the students UME score (University Matriculation Examination) and SSCE (Senior Secondary Certificate Examination) to ascertain that the student is suitable for admission.

2. The student goes to the bursary to pay the prescribed fees. This can only be done after clearance has been given from the faculty office.

3. The student goes to the health centre for medical tests and registration. The following tests are administered

i. Blood test

ii. Urine test

iii. Chest X-Ray

4. Allocation of a room at the halls of residence. This is ‘guaranteed’ for all new and final year students, but returning students have to apply and wait to see if they will be given a room.

5. Submission of course forms at the department the student has been admitted into. By the time the student does this, he would have been to the various departments offering the courses he wishes to take and ‘signed’ the courses. (Registered for them)

This current method has the following disadvantages:

i. The process is extremely slow.

ii. The registration takes place at several different venues, making it an extremely tiring procedure.

iii. The entire process is laden with excessive protocol and unnecessary issues as well as submitting the same information at several different places.

iv. The students have to visit the health centre in a haphazard manner, and the medical examination is extremely chaotic and strenuous.

We can now see how outdated the current procedure is. Also by studying the various forms used, we can see that the bulk of information on them is duplicated again and again.

This is the list of the forms used :

1. MIS01 – Student’s Information Form (4 copies)
This form contains basic information about the student.

2. MIS02 – Course Registration Form (4 copies)
This form contains information on the academic plans of the student for a semester, basically listing all the courses the student is planning to take.

3. ISR04 – Course Registration Card (One per course)
This contains information about the student for each course he plans to take, it usually ends up with the lecturer for that particular course.

4. SRO01 – Basic Student Bio-Data Form (1 copy)
This contains basic information about the student and is very similar to MIS01. Most of the information on this form is found on MIS01.

5. IFE FORM ADM ‘A’ (2 copies)
This form is filled after verification of certificates. It is basically a letter stating that the student is qualified for admission into the university. One copy (white copy) is forwarded to the Director, Academic Affairs, while one copy (blue copy) is retained by the dean of the faculty.

6. IFE FORM ADM ‘C” (3 copies)
This form also verifies that the student is qualified for admission and can now pay the prescribed fees. When signed by the bursar, the white copy is retained by him, the blue copy is forwarded to the admissions office while the yellow copy is produced during registration for courses.

7. IFE FORM ADM ‘D’ (1 copy)
This form shows, once again, that the student is qualified for admission. It is for the Director, Student Affairs.

8. IFE FORM ADM ‘E’ (1 copy)
This form also verifies that the student is qualified for admission. It however, allows the student to register in the health centre.

Forms MIS01, ISRO4, SRO1, ADM FORMS ‘D’ and ‘E’ all require passport photographs.

We hope to:

1. Solve the problem of duplication by filling out one HTML form and having the information distributed around to the various units.

2. Merge certain similar forms e.g. MIS01 and SRO1

3. Simplify the process of going to various points by using just a spot for the filling out of forms. The only things that still need to be done physically are medical check-up and verification of certificates.

CHAPTER 2: Literature Review

Two programming languages, HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and Java, were used in the project.

2.1 HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language)

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard text-formatting language since 1989 for documents on the interconnected computing network known as the World Wide Web. HTML documents are text files that contain two parts: content that is meant to be rendered on a computer screen; and markup or tags, encoded information that directs the text format on the screen and is generally hidden from the user. HTML is a subset of a broader language called Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), which is a system for encoding and formatting documents, whether for output to a computer screen or to paper.

Some tags in an HTML document determine the way certain text, such as titles, will be formatted. Other tags cue the computer to respond to the user's actions on the keyboard or mouse. For instance, the user might click on an icon (a picture that represents a specific command), and that action might call another piece of software to display a graphic, play a recording, or run a short movie. Another important tag is a link, which may contain the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of another document. The URL can be compared to an address where a particular document resides. The document may be stored on the same computer as the parent document or on any computer connected to the World Wide Web. The user can navigate from document to document simply by clicking on these links. HTML also includes markups for forms, that let the user fill out information and electronically send, or e-mail, the data to the document author, initiate sophisticated searches of information on the Internet, or order goods and services.

The software that permits the user to navigate the World Wide Web and view HTML-encoded documents is called a browser. It interprets the HTML tags in a document and formats the content for screen display. Since HTML is an accepted standard, anyone can build a browser without concerning themselves with what form various documents will assume, unlike documents produced by typical word processors, which must be translated into a different format if another word processing application is used. Most sites on the World Wide Web adhere to HTML standards and, because HTML is easy to use, the World Wide Web has grown rapidly. HTML continues to evolve, however, so browsers must be upgraded regularly to meet the revised standards. The current version of HTML is HTML 4.0 .

2.1.1 Features of HTML 4.0

2.1.1.1 Frames

One of the biggest improvements in the latest version of HTML is the specification's recognition of both standard and in-line frames. Frames aren't new, of course. In fact, standard frames were originally introduced by Netscape Navigator 2.0, and various browser versions have introduced enhancements ever since. Fortunately, to be HTML 4.0-compliant, browsers will have to support frames as defined in the specification.

With standard frames, you create Web pages with miniwindows that each contain separate content. Normally, each miniwindow is separated by a distinct border and displayed with scroll bars. You can also insert a frame directly into a block of text on a Web page, much as you might insert an in-line image. This is known as an in-line frame, and is created using the iframe tag. In-line frames have many of the same attributes as standard frames and others have been added for sizing and aligning the frame window.

To use an in-line frame, choose where you want to insert it, and then add the iframe element. You specify a source document with the src attribute and then size and position the frame. The following example inserts a 500-pixel-high by 325-pixel-wide in-line frame:

As with standard frames, you can design the in-line frames without borders using the frameborder attribute. You set the attribute value to 1 to display the border or 0 to hide it. To achieve the desired effect, you need to ensure that the contents of the source document fit within the frame. Otherwise, the browser will display a border and scroll bars for the frame.

Note that the iframe tag allows you to define information to display in browsers that aren't HTML 4.0-compliant. Just place the information within the iframe element like this:

Compliant browsers will ignore text placed like this, while noncompliant browsers will ignore the iframe tag and display the information.

One more thing to note about in-line frames: If you name the frame, you can create links that display other files in the frame. The process of directing a hyperlink to a frame is called targeting. You target an in-line frame using the value of its name attribute. Simply assign the name as the value of the target attribute for the associated hyperlink. Figure 1 shows an example of this. The in-line frame is named samp. Three links in the example use this name to target the frame. When you click on a link, the related source file is loaded into the frame.

EXAMPLE 1: Target in-line frames using the name attribute's value.

<HTML>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Inline Frames Example</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF">

<DIV>

<H1 align="center">Calculators R Us</H1>

<IFRAME name="samp" src="samples.htm" width="325"

        height="500" align="right" frameborder="0"></IFRAME>

Our catalog features over 500 products that you can

sample online. We invite you to try the product demos

and stay awhile. Today's featured product is 25% off.

See other featured products by selecting them.</P>

<A href="feature1.htm" target="samp">

   S5000 Scientific Plus</A> <BR>

<A href="feature2.htm" target="samp">

   E2800 Engineering Max</A> <BR>

<A href="feature3.htm" target="samp">

   M3500 Statistical Plus</A></P>

</DIV>

</BODY>

</HTML>

2.1.1.2 Mulimedia

Another major step forward is the adoption of the object element, which provides a general-purpose tag for working with different types of media such as Java applets, in-line video, streaming audio, and images. Thus it should eventually replace the various tags for different media types. Instead of using applet, img, and embed, you'll simply use object.

The object element can even be used to display text-based files in a browser window, acting in this case much like an in-line frame. Originally, object was proposed as a compromise to using tags designed for a specific purpose like img and applet. Unfortunately, although browser developers saw the need for a standard way to include multimedia in Web pages, they didn't necessarily agree on a way to do this. And so the object tag did not become part of the official HTML specification for some time. Finally, with HTML 4.0, the object element is being recognized as the solution to the future of embedded multimedia in Web pages.

HTML 4.0-compliant browsers will have no problem interpreting <object> tags, but older browsers may not fare so well, and as a result won't know how to display and run your embedded multimedia. For backward compatibility, you may want to insert media-specific tags within the object element. Be sure that these tags immediately follow the first <object> tag. In the following example, if the browser can't understand the <object> tag it will try to use the <embed> tag:

<object data="cougar.bmp" type="image/bmp">

<embed src="cougar.bmp">

</object>

2.1.1.3 Tables

Most of the table innovations in HTML 3.0 remain intact in HTML 4.0, and there are new features as well. You can now group columns together and define column properties at the beginning of the table. You can also define header, footer, and body sections for tables.

You define individual header or data cells with the th and td elements, and you tell browsers what columns in the table look like using two elements: The colgroup tag creates a structural grouping that sets the characteristics of columns within the group, and col shares attributes within this structure. Together, these elements allow browsers to start displaying table columns immediately and to build the table incrementally as it is being downloaded.

Using these new elements in a table is easier than you may think. The elements support an identical set of attributes, which gives you a great degree of freedom in defining group structures. The width, cellhalign, and cellvalign attributes set the default column width, horizontal cell alignment, and vertical cell alignment respectively, and span sets the number of columns that share an element's attributes. You can also use attributes for style sheets and intrinsic events to make your tables more dynamic.

Example 2 shows how these attributes can be used in a table, we see several different ways to set the structure for an identical group of columns. Note that if you use relative widths for columns instead of defining absolute widths in pixels, you will need to set the entire table width using the table element's width attribute.

You can group table rows into header, footer, and body sections using the thead, tfoot, and tbody elements. The header and footer contain information about the table's columns and the table body contains rows of table data. Ideally, browsers will use this separation to display tables intelligently. For example, if the table extends beyond the current window, the browser could allow the reader to scroll through the body of the table while the header and footer sections remain on the screen. Or when a large table is being printed, the browser could include the header and footer sections on each page of the document.

These elements are easy to use. You insert the header and footer sections into the beginning of the table and then define the body sections. Header and footer sections come first so that browsers can display the table even if the body sections are still being retrieved. Example 3 defines a standard header and footer for a table. Note that the end tags are used for table headers, footers and body sections even though they aren't required in the specification.

EXAMPLE 2: Using the COLGROUP and COL elements.

//Setting the width of each column individually

<COLGROUP>

<COL width="100">

<COL width="100">

<COL width="100">

<COL width="75">

<COL width="75">

<COL width="75">

</COLGROUP>

//Using spans to make the code more compact

<COLGROUP>

<COL span="3" width="100">

<COL span="3" width="75">

</COLGROUP>

//Assigning the column width and span directly to the column groups

<COLGROUP span="3" width="100">

</COLGROUP>

<COLGROUP span="3" width="75">

</COLGROUP>

EXAMPLE 3: Use headers and footers to help the browser structure the table.

<TABLE BORDER=2 WIDTH=50%>

<COLGROUP>

<COL width="100">

<COL width="75">

<COL width="75">

<COL width="75">

</COLGROUP>

<THEAD>

<TR> <TH>&nbsp;</TH> <TH>1996</TH> <TH>1997</TH> <TH>1998</TH> </TR>

</THEAD>

<TFOOT>

<TR><TD>Company data provided for statistical purposes only.</TD></TR>

</TFOOT>

<TBODY>

<TR> <TH>Week 1</TH> <TD>252</TD> <TD>267</TD> <TD>289</TD> </TR>

<TR> <TH>Week 2</TH> <TD>194</TD> <TD>197</TD> <TD>205</TD> </TR>

<TR> <TH>Week 3</TH> <TD>212</TD> <TD>225</TD> <TD>234</TD> </TR>

<TR> <TH>Week 4</TH> <TD>145</TD> <TD>176</TD> <TD>179</TD> </TR>

<TR> <TH>Week 5</TH> <TD>167</TD> <TD>182</TD> <TD>193</TD> </TR>

<TR> <TH>Week 6</TH> <TD>185</TD> <TD>201</TD> <TD>205</TD> </TR>

<TR> <TH>Week 7</TH> <TD>197</TD> <TD>207</TD> <TD>213</TD> </TR>

. . .

<TR> <TH>Week 52</TH> <TD>203</TD> <TD>221</TD> <TD>279</TD> </TR>

</TBODY>

</TABLE>

2.1.1.4 Forms

Forms haven't changed much since they were introduced in previous versions of HTML. This is unfortunate, because forms aren't entirely user-friendly and have needed improvements for a long time. This time around, however, the HTML specification addresses some of the most obvious shortcomings.

There are many new features for forms, but let's focus on some of the most useful: tab indexes and access keys. With tab indexes, you can provide a way for users to navigate easily through form fields with a keyboard. You do this by specifying the tabbing order for each element in the form, which makes it possible to use the Tab key to move back and forth through form fields. In the following example, the tabbing order is set sequentially with the tabindex attribute.

<form action="cgi-bin/data.pl" method="post">

<P>Name: <input tabindex="1" type="text" name="userName"></P>

<P>Email: <input tabindex="2" type="text" name="userEmail"></P>

<P>Phone: <input tabindex="3" type="text" name="userPhone"></P>

<P><input tabindex="4" type="submit">

<input tabindex="5" type="reset"></P>

</form>

When the user presses Tab, the userName field will be accessed first, the userEmail field next, and so on. The tabbing order can include any number from 0 to 32,767. Browsers use the numerical value to determine the next or previous field.

Form fields can also be assigned an access key. Access keys let you use keyboard shortcuts for quick access to a specific field in a form. For example, if you assigned the N key to the userName field in the previous example, you would be able to use this key to go directly to the field. The way access keys work depends on the operating system you are running. On Microsoft Windows systems, you typically press the Alt key in addition to the access key. Thus, to access the userName field on a Windows system, you'd press Alt-N.

Browsers should display the access key for an input field in some unique way, such as with underlined or bold text. You can assign the access key to a form field directly using the accesskey attribute, but you can help the browser better determine how to render the access key by labeling your input fields and assigning the access key to the label. Labels are new to HTML 4.0. When you label a form field, you attach information to the field. Labels use a for attribute to identify the related form field. The value of this attribute must correspond to the value of an id attribute in the related field. The following sample uses labels with text input fields:

<form action="cgi-bin/data.pl" method="post">

<label for="name" accesskey="N">Name: </label>

<input id="name" type="text">

<label for="email" accesskey="E">Email: </label>

<input id="email" type="text">

<label for="phone" accesskey="P">Phone: </label>

<input id="phone" type="text">

<P><input accesskey="S" type="submit">

<input accesskey="R" type="reset"></P>

</form>

Another useful form enhancement is the button element. This element creates a push button, much like the Reset and Submit buttons used in forms. However, you can add content to these new buttons (something you couldn't do with standard push buttons), so your new buttons can contain images, paragraphs of text, and other extras.

To add these extras, all you need to do is insert them between the opening <button> tag and the closing </button> tag. Thus, you could replace the standard Submit and Reset buttons used in a previous example with button elements. To make these elements stand out, you could add text and images, such as

           . . .

<button tabindex="4" accesskey="S" name="submit" type="submit">

Enter your name in the database! <img src="go.gif" alt="Submit it!">

</button>

<button tabindex="5" accesskey="R" name="reset" type="reset">

Start over! <img src="ohno.gif" alt="Try again!">

</button>

Older browsers may not be able to use the button element. Instead of a push button, you'll see only the button's contents. A workaround is to place submit and reset fields within the button element, such as

<button name="submit" type="submit">

<input type="submit"></button>

<button name="reset" type="reset">

<input type="reset"></button>

2.1.1.5 Scripting

Scripting is the key to interactivity on the Web. Until recently, however, scripting mechanisms weren't well defined in the HTML specification, leading to a lot of inconsistency in how browsers handled scripts. The good news is that HTML 4.0 takes a more thorough approach.

One of the most important changes involves how you specify scripts in your Web pages. With the meta element, you can now define a default scripting language for all scripts in a page. You do this by specifying a value for the Content-Script-Type HTTP header . If you do not assign a default value in a <meta> tag, the browser can try to extract this value from the associated field in the actual HTTP header sent by the Web server.

When you set a default scripting language, you use the MIME content type for scripts. Most often, the MIME content type will be either text/vbscript for VBScript or text/JavaScript for JavaScript, but other valid content types can be used, such as text/tcl for TCL. To set the default scripting language to JavaScript, you'd use

You can override the default scripting language at any point in your pages with the script element, but note that the specification no longer recommends that you use the language attribute with it. Instead, the HTML specification recommends that you use the type attribute, which lets you specify the MIME content-type for your scripts, for example <script type="text/vbscript">. But, if you use the type attribute, some older browsers may not be able to handle your scripts properly. While all this gets sorted out, it is probably a good idea to know that the type attribute is valid but doesn't have to be used just yet.

Another important change for Web scripting is that most HTML elements now support a wide range of event attributes. Events occur automatically when a certain condition exists. Some events are user-driven, by the press of a key or a click of the mouse. Others are browser-driven, such as when the browser finishes loading an image. Event attributes allow you to specify the conditions you want an element to detect. For example, you can create clickable cells in tables, paragraphs of text that light up when the mouse is over them, and a whole lot more.

There are several ways to work with events. You can use event attributes, such as onclick or onkeypress, to detect the event and then pass it off to a script function. On the other hand, if you want to check for a specific event within your code, you can create a function to detect and handle the event directly. The following example shows how you could use the onmouseover event attribute with the <a> tag:

<href="main.htm" onmouseover="show('Visit our home page')">Main</a>

When the mouse pointer is over the anchor text, the show() function is called and passed the associated text. As you'll discover, the best time to use event attributes in this way is when you want to use the same function repeatedly.

Anytime you use events specific to HTML 4.0, it is a good idea to test your page in a noncompliant browser. Generally, these browsers ignore event attributes they don't understand, and as a result, the functionality you expect won't be supported. If you plan your Web page with this in mind, you should be able to avoid problems.

2.1.1.6 Style Sheets

When you want to create attractive Web pages, you'll find that cascading style sheets provide the necessary ammunition. Style sheets let you control the color of text and backgrounds, the positioning of content, and many other crowd-pleasing extras. Before style sheets came along, Web publishers had to rely on existing HTML structures to control the look and feel of their Web pages. If you wanted to change a page's background color, you used the bgcolor attribute of the body element. If you wanted to center text on the page, you used the center element, and so on.

Unfortunately, when you mix a document's presentation information with its content, you create a document that is unnecessarily complex and difficult to maintain. Because style sheets offer a way to separate the presentation of documents from the actual content, there is a major initiative to phase out most of the presentation elements and attributes from HTML. Keep in mind, however, that change takes time; it will likely be a while before these elements and attributes are completely removed.

Elements and attributes that are in danger of being dropped from the HTML specification are designated as deprecated (disapproved for use). One of the elements many Web publishers will miss is font, which is used to specify text color, font face, and font size. Other elements on the chopping block include: basefont, which is used to set default font information; center, used to center elements on the page; and a few other elements such as u for underlining and s for strikethrough text.

In addition to placing elements on the disapproved list, the specification declares some elements obsolete and others as not recommended for use. Obsolete elements are no longer listed in the HTML specification and there is no guarantee a browser will support them. Although it is very clear that you shouldn't use obsolete elements, elements not recommended for use are in a kind of nether realm. They aren't on the deprecated list, they aren't obsolete, and you aren't encouraged to use them either.

Obsolete elements include listing for code listings, plaintext for plain text listings, and xmp for examples. Instead of using these elements, you should use the pre element, which allows the use of preformatted text.

Elements not recommended for use are big for large text, small for small text, tt for monospaced text, i for italic, and b for bold. Although these elements aren't on the disapproved list, you are encouraged to use style sheets instead.

The list of deprecated attributes is substantial. For example, with the body tag, the background, bgcolor, link, text, alink, and vlink attributes are all on the hit list. Other deprecated attributes include border for images and objects, clear for line breaks, and noshade for horizontal rules; the list goes on and on. Remember, if you use an attribute for presentation, you're probably better off using a style sheet to control it.

2.1.1.7 Document Type Definitions

The developers of HTML thought about the issue of element and attribute support when you take a look at the DTDs for HTML 4.0. A DTD (document type definition) sets the rules and defines the structures you can use in compliant documents. HTML 4.0 defines three DTDs: a strict DTD, a loose DTD, and a frameset DTD.

The HTML 4.0 specification states that you must specify one of these DTDs in your Web pages. You specify the DTD by placing the document type declaration as the first line of the Web page. If you choose not to specify the DTD, be forewarned that the strict version is the one compliant browsers are supposed to use by default.

A key goal of the strict DTD is to enforce the separation of visual formatting from the actual content. You do this by using style sheets to control the presentation of your Web pages. Because of this, the strict DTD does not include any deprecated elements or attributes, or any structures used for frames. As you can see, this is the most restrictive DTD. If you have an HTML 4.0-compliant browser and you want to test your Web page with the strict DTD, you can use the following document type declaration:

<!doctype HTML public

"-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"

"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/strict.dtd">

The loose DTD doesn't restrict the elements and attributes used for presentation. Because this DTD is regarded as an interim stage, it is also referred to as the transitional DTD. As you might expect, you can use any of the deprecated elements and attributes with this DTD. Use the following declaration to test a page with the transitional DTD:

<!doctype HTML public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"

"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">

The final DTD is designed for frame-enhanced Web pages. This version supports all the structures in the loose DTD as well as the structures needed for frames. To specify this DTD, use this declaration:

<!doctype HTML public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Frameset//EN"

"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/frameset.dtd">

2.1.2 Writing HTML programs

HTML programs are written with text editors, especially notepad, which is the default text editor that comes with all versions of Microsoft Windows. The code, after being written out, is saved in the following form:

“sowande.htm”

After this, the default browser is used to view the web page.

2.2 Object-Oriented Programming: Java

In order to use Java, one has to understand the concept of object oriented programming, popularly called OOP.

Object oriented software is all about objects. An object is a “black box”, which receives and sends messages. A black box actually contains code(sequences of computer instructions) and data(information which the instructions operate on). Traditionally, code and data have kept apart. For example, in the C language, units of code are called functions, while units of data are called structures. Functions and structures. Functions and structures are not formally connected in C. A C function can operate on more than one type of structure, and more than one function can operate on the same structure.

This is not the case in object-oriented programming. In object-oriented programming, code and data are merged into a single indivisible thing – an object. This has some big advantages. A primary rule of object-oriented programming is this: as the user of an user of an object, you should never need to know what is inside the box.

All communication is done via messages. The object, which a message is sent to, is the receiver of the message. Messages define the interface to the object. Everything an object can do is represented by its message interface. So you shouldn’t have to know anything about what is in the black box in order to use it.

Not looking inside the object in the black box doesn’t tempt you to directly modify that object. If you did, you would be tampering with the details of how the object works. Suppose the person who programmed the object in the first place decided later on to change some of the details? Then you would be in trouble, your software would no longer work correctly. But as long as you just deal with objects as black boxes via their messages, the software is guaranteed to work. Providing access to an object only through its messages, while keeping the details private is called information hiding or encapsulation.

Why all this concern for being able to change software? Because experince has taught us that software changes. A popular adage is that “software is not written, it is re-written”. And some of the costliest mistakes in computer history have come from software that breaks when someone tries to change it.

2.2.1 Classes

How are object defined? An object is defined via its class, which determines everything about an object. Objects are individual instances of a class. For example, you may create an object called Bingo from class Dog. The Dog class defines what is to be a Dog object can act upon. All object-oriented languages have some means, usually called a factory, to “manufacture” object instances from a class definition.

You make more than one object of this class, and call them Bingo, Fido, Rover, etc. The Dog class defines messages that Dog objects understand, such as “bark, “fetch” and “roll-over”.

You may also hear the term method used. A method is simply the action that a message carries out. It is the code, which gets executed when the message is sent to a particular object.

Arguments are often supplied as part of a message. For example, the “fetch” message might contain an argument that says what to fetch, like “the-stick”. Or the “roll-over” message could contain one argument to say how fast, and a second argument to say how many times.

2.2.1.1 Examples

If you wanted to add two numbers, say, 1 and 2, in an ordinary, non-objected-oriented computer language like C, you might write this:

a=1;

b=2;

c=a+b;

This says,

“Take a, which has the value 1, and b, which has the value 2, and add them together using the C language’s built-in addition capability. Take the result, 3, and place it into the variable called c.”

Now, here’s the came thing expressed in Smalltalk, which is a pure object-oriented language:

a : =1.

b : = 2.

c : = a + b.

This looks almost exactly the same, but the meaning is dramatically different.

In Smalltalk, this says,

“Take the object a, which has the value 1, and send it the message “+”, which included the argument b, which, in turn, has the value 2. Object a, receive this message and perform the action requested, which is to add the value of the argument to yourself. Create a new object, give this the result, 3, and assign this object to c.”

This seems like a far more complicated way of accomplishing exactly the same thing. However, objects greatly simplify matters when the data gets more complex. Suppose you wanted a data type called list, which is a list of names. In C, list would be defined as a structure.

Struct list {

} ;

list a,b,c;

a = “Olubunmi Sowande”;

b = “Gbenga Sesan”;

In C, you cannot perform the following command:

c = a + b;

The C compiler will generate an error, because it doesn’t know what to do with a and b. C compilers just know how to add numbers. One can do the same thing in Smalltalk, but this time, list is made a class, which is a subclass of the built-in Smalltalk class called “String”:

a : = List fromString: ‘Olubunmi Sowande’.

b : = List fromString: ‘Gbenga Sesan’.

c : = a + b

The first two lines simply create List objects a and b from the given strings. This now works, because the list class was created with a method which specifically “knows” how to handle the message “+”. For example, it might simply combine the argument with its own object by sticking them together with comma separating them (this is done with a single line of Smalltalk). So c will have the new value:

‘Olubunmi Sowande ,Gbenga Sesan’

2.2.2 Using Non-Object-Oriented Languages

It’s also possible to use objects and messages in plain old non-object-oriented languages. This is done via function calls, which look ordinary, but which have object-oriented machinery behind them. Among other things, this allows sophisticated client-server software to run “transparently” from within ordinary programming languages.

Suppose you added a “plus” function to a C program:

int plus(int arg1, int arg2)

{return (arg1 + arg2);}

This hasn’t really brought you anything yet. But suppose that instead of doing the addition on you own computer, you automatically sent it to a server computer to be performed:

int plus(int arg1, int arg2)

{return server_plus(arg1, arg2);}

The function server_plus() in turn creates a message containing ar1 and arg2, and send this message, via a network, to a special object which sits on a server computer. This object executes the “plus” function and sends the result back to you. It’s object-oriented programming via a ‘back-door’ approach.

This example is not very fancy, and of course, it’s easier to simply add two numbers directly. But, there’s no limit to the complexity of an object. A single object can include entire databases, with millions of pieces of information. In fact, such database objects are common in client-server software.

This also illustrates the flexibility of the object-oriented approach. In the usage just described, the object is very different from the earlier “a + b” example. Here, it receives two arguments, namely, the two objects it was supposed to add. Previously, in the Smalltalk example, the object that was receiving a message was the first object, a. But in a client-server environment, the addition is not done locally, on the client machine, but remotely, on a server machine. The server machine contains the object that the message is sent to, and since it doesn’t how anything about the forst argument, you have to send both arguments.

2.2.3 Inheritance

If there is already a class which can respond to a group of different messages, what if you wanted to make a new, similar class which adds just a couple of more messages? Why have to rewrite the whole class?

Of course, in any good object-oriented language, you don’t. All you need to do is create a subclass (or derived class, in C++ terminology) of the original class. This new class inherits all the existing messages, and therefore, all the behaviour of the original class. The original class is called the parent class, or superclass, of the new class. A subclass is said to a specialization of its superclass, and the conversely a superclass a generalization of its subclasses.

Inheritance also promotes reuse. You don’t have to start from scratch when you write a new program. You can simply reuse an existing repertoire of classes that have behaviours similar to what you need in the new program.

For example, after creating the class Dog, you might make a subclass called Wolf, which defines some wolf-specific messages such as hunt. Or it might make more sense to define a common class called Canis, of which Dog and Wolf are subclasses.

Much of the art of object-oriented programming is determining the best way to divide a program into an economical set of classes. In addition to speeding up development time, proper class construction and reuse results in far fewer lines opf code, which translates to less bugs (errors) and lower maintenance costs.

2.2.4 Object Oriented Languages

There are almost two dozen major object-oriented languages in use today. But the leading commercial object-oriented languages are far fewer in number. They are:

· C++

· Smalltalk

· Java

2.2.4.1 C++

C++ is an object oriented version of C. It is compatible with C (it is actually a superset), so that existing C code can be incorporated in C++ programs. C++ programs are fast and efficient, qualities which helped make C an extremely popular programming language. It sacrifices some flexibility in order to remain efficient, however, C++ uses compile-time binding, which means that the programmer must specify the specific class of an object, or at the very least, the most general class that an object can belong to. This makes for high run-time efficiency and small code size, but it trades off some of the power to reuse classes.

C++ has become so popular that most new C compilers are actually C/C++ compilers. However, to take full advantage of object-oriented programming, one must program (and think) in C++, not C. This can often be a major problem for experienced C programmers. Many programmers think they are coding in C++, but instead are only using a small part of the languages object-oriented power.

2.2.4.2 Smalltalk

Smalltalk is a pure object-oriented language. While C++ makes some practical compromises to ensure fast execution and small code size, Smalltalk makes none. It uses run-time binding, which means that nothing about the type of object needs to be known before a Smalltalk program is run.

Smalltalk programs are considered by most to be significantly faster to develop than C++ programs. A rich class library that can be easily reused via inheritance is one reason for this. Another reason is Smalltalk’s dynamic development environment. It is not explicitly compiled, like C++. This makes the development process more fluid, so that “what if” scenarios can be easily tried out, and class definitions easily refined. But being purely object-oriented, programmers cannot simply put their toes into the object-oriented waters, as with C++. For this reason, Smalltalk generally takes longer to master than C++. But most of the time is actually spent learning object-oriented techniques, rather than the details of a particular programming language. In fact, Smalltalk is syntactically very simple, much more than either C or C++.

Unlike C++, which has become standardized, the Smalltalk language differs somewhat from one implementation to another. The most popular “dialects” of Smalltalk are:

· VisualWorks from ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc.

· Smalltalk/V and Visual Smalltalk from ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc.

· VisualAge from IBM

2.2.4.2.1 VisualWorks

VisualWorks is arguably the most powerful of Smalltalks. VisualWorks was developed by ParcPlace, which grew out of the original Xerox PARC project that invented the Smalltalk language. VisualWorks is platform-independent, so that an application written under one operating system, say, Microsoft Windows, can work without any modification on any of a wide range of platforms supported by ParcPlace, from Sun Solaris to Macintosh. VisualWorks also features a GUI (Grpahic User Interface) builder that is well integrated into the product.

2.2.4.2.2 Smalltalk/V and Visual Smalltalk

Digitalk’s versions of Smalltalk are somewhat smaller and simpler, and specifically tailored to IBM compatible PCs. A Macintosh version was available, but support has since been abandoned. This does not bode well for Digitalk cross-platform efforts. Digitalk has a separate GUI builder, called PARTS Workbench (bundled with Visual Smalltalk), which allows quick construction of an application.

ParcPalce and Digitalk were merged into a single company, ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc. The future of the Digitalk product line is uncertain, and it may just be spun off back into a separate company.

2.2.4.2.3 VisualAge

IBM’s version of Smalltalk, VisualAge, is comparable to Smalltalk/V with PARTS. Both of these Smalltalks allow programmers to readily exploit machine-specific features, at the expense of some portability. IBM has adapted existing industry standards for such things as file management and screen graphics. When IBM talks, people listen, and IBM has made a substantial commitment to Smalltalk.

2.2.4.2.4 Java

This is the latest, flashiest object-oriented language. It has taken the software world by storm due to its close ties with the Internet and Web browsers. It is designed as a portable language that can run on any web-enabled computer via that computer’s Web browser. As such, it offers great promise as the standard Internet and Intranet programming language.

Java is a curious mixture of C++ and Smalltalk. It has the syntax of C++, making it easy (or difficult) to learn, depending on your experience. But it has improved on C++ in some important areas. For one thing, it has no pointers; low-level programming constructs that make for error-prone programs. Like Smalltalk, it has garbage collection, a feature that frees the programmer from explicitly allocating and de-allocating memory. And it runs on a Smalltalk-style virtual machine, software built into your web browser which executes the same standard compiled Java bytecodes no matter what type of computer you have.

Java Development tools are being rapidly deployed, and are available from such major software companies as IBM, Microsoft, Borland and Symantec.

Object-oriented programming offers a new and powerful model for writing computer software. Objects are “black boxes” which send and receive messages. This approach speed the development of new programs, and, if properly used, improves the maintenance, reusability, and modifiability of software.

Object-oriented programming requires a major shift in thinking by programmers, however. The C++ language offers an easier transition via C, but it still requires and object-oriented design approach in order to make proper use of this technology. Smalltalk offers a pure object-oriented environment, with more rapid development time and greater flexibility and power. Java promises much for Web-enabling object-oriented programs.

2.3 Java – the programming language

The primary need for Java is for developing software over networks. It works consistently, anywhere, on any platform – and interacts with other applications. It can access disparate and distributed information sources, and can be extended and upgraded seamlessly. In summary, it is a machine-independent programming language that is both safe to traverse networks and powerful enough to replace native executable code.

Java is a network programming language that was developed by Sun Microsystems. It’s already in widespread use for creating animated and interactive web pages. However, it is rich enough to support entirely new kinds of applications, like dynamically extensible browsers and mobile agents. There are entirely new kinds of computer platforms that are being developed around Java (handheld devices and network computers) that download all their software over the network.

Sun and other industry giants are fast producing Java chips and microprocessors tailored to run media-rich Java applications. Hardware implementations of Java could power inexpensive network terminals, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and other information appliances, to take advantage of transportable Java applications. Software implementations of Java are available now for portable computing devices like the popular Palm^TM PDA. We could soon have Java applets running on wristwatches! You can already get “smart cards” and “wearable” devices like rings and dog-tags that have Java interpreters embedded in them. These devices are capable of doing everything from financial transactions (paying a hotel bill) to unlocking a door (the door to your hotel room) to rerouting phone calls (so your hotel room receives your business calls). The hardware is already there; it can’t belong before the rest of the software infrastructure begins to take advantage of it. A Java wristwatch is not a silly notion.

2.3.1 A Virtual Machine

Java is both a compiled and interpreted language. Java source code is turned into simple binary instructions, much like ordinary microprocessor code. However, whereas C or C++ source is refined to native instructions for a particular model of processor, Java source is compiled into a universal format – instructions for a virtual machine.

Compiled Java byte-code, called J-code, is executed by a Java runtime interpreter. The runtime system performs all the normal activities of a real processor, but it does so in a safe, virtual environment. It executes the stack-based instruction set and manages a storage heap. It creates and manipulates primitive data types, and loads and invokes newly referenced blocks of code. Most importantly, it does all this in accordance with a strictly defined open specification that can be implemented by anyone who wants to produce a Java-compliant virtual machine. Together, the virtual machine and language and definition provide a complete specification. There are no features of Java left undefined or implementation-dependent. For example, Java specifies the sizes of all its primitive data types, rather than leave it up to each implementation.

The Java interpreter is relatively lightweight and small; it can be implemented in whatever form is desirable for a particular platform. On most systems, the interpreter is written in a fast, natively compiled language like C or C++. The interpreter can be run as a separate application, or it can be embedded in another piece of software, such as a web browser.

All of this means that Java code is implicitly portable. The same Java application byte-code can run on any platform that provides a Java runtime environment, as shown in the diagram below. You don’t have to produce alternative versions of your application for different platforms, and don’t have to distribute source code to end users.

Figure 2.1 Portability of Java Source Code

The fundamental unit of Java code is the class. As in other object-oriented languages, classes are application components that hold executable code and data. Compiled Java classes are distributed in a universal binary format that contains Java byte-code and other class information. Classes can be maintained discretely and stored in files or archives on a local system or on a network server. Classes are located and loaded dynamically at runtime, as they are needed by an application.

Java also has some fundamental classes that contain architecture-dependent methods, called native methods. They serve as a gateway between the Java virtual machine and the real world. They are implemented in a natively compiled language on the host platform, providing access to resources such as the network, the windowing system and the host file system. The rest of Java is written entirely in Java, and is therefore portable, including the Java compiler and HotJava web browser.

Java is a relatively fast interpreted language, as it runs compiled byte-code. It has also been designed do that software implementations of the runtime system can optimise their performance by compiling byte-code to native machine-code on the fly, a process called just-in-time compilation. However, array bounds checking will always reduce the performance of Java, but this is for the sake of security.

The latest compilation technique is a new virtual machine that Sun calls HotSpot. It measures (profiles) the code as it is executing, to see which parts are being executed repeatedly. Once it knows which parts of code are crucial to the performance, HotSpot compiles those sections – and only those sections – into true machine code, it can afford to take the time necessary to optimise those portions. The rest of the program may not need to be compiled at all- just interpreted –saving memory and time.

2.3.2 Java compared with other languages

Java is extremely similar to C or C++ when it comes to syntax, but the similarities end there. C trades functionality for portability, Java trades speed for portability. Java also addresses security issues, while C doesn’t. As an interpreted language, it can’t be as fast as a compiled language, but it is fast enough for interactive network-based applications, where the application is often idle, waiting for the user to do something or waiting for data from the network. For situations where speed is critical, just-in-time compilation can be used.

Scripting languages like Perl, Python Tcl/Tk are suitable for safe, networked applications but they are not designed for serious, large-scale programming. They are rather casual about program structure and data typing. However, they are dynamic; they provide powerful tools for text-processing tasks that more general-purpose languages find unwieldy, they are powerful tools for rapid prototyping and are also highly portable. Java offers some of the essential advantages of a scripting language, along with the benefits of a low-level language.

Incremental development with object-oriented components, combined with Java’s simplicity, make it possible to develop applications rapidly and change them easily, with a short concept-to-implementation time. Java also covers with a large base of core classes for common classes for common tasks such as building GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) and doing network communications. But along with these features, Java has the scalability and software-engineering advantages of static languages. It provides a safe structure on which to build higher networked tools and languages.

2.4 The Hardware Aspect – The OAU computer network

For the software to work efficiently, the environment that the program will run in must be fully studied. Up to two thousand people may be using the network at any given time, so we need to ensure that the network is completely optimised for this purpose and eliminate possible bottlenecks.

Figure 2.2 The OAU computer network - a schematic diagram showing the location of all the servers

Figure 2.3 The main hub of the OAU computer network located at the computer building

Figure 2.4 The architecture of most subnets and the servers available
The diagrams above give a very detailed description of the school network. In summary the network is as described below:

2.4.1 Servers

The typical server configuration on the network is

· Pentium II MMX 400 MHz

· 128MB RAM

· 8.4 GB HDD (several instances of this may be available)

· CD-Rom Drive (50 Speed)

2.4.2 Location

The central server is located at the computer building, while the other servers are located in:

· Faculty of Science (White House)

· Faculty of Agriculture

· School Library

· Secretariat (Senate Building)

· Health Sciences Building

· Centre for Energy Research and Development / NACETEM

· Faculty of Technology (Civil Engineering Building)

The main function of these servers is to provide authentication services for users located in these areas.`

2.4.3 Transmission

Communication between each server location and the others is FULL DUPLEX – it transmits and receives from both ends at the same time. The transmitters in the non-central locations are unidirectional. The central transmitter is omnidirectional and communicates by creating a circular waveform that is received by each receiver.

The university telephone exchange, that caters for internal communications, is employed in the University network. It connects individuals and corporate bodies through dial-up networks; e.g. Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, Space Research, etc.

The NITEL exchange for ‘individual’ external communicates also, through a modem, helps link individuals in staff quarters, town and even Ibadan, to the OAU network.

2.4.3.1 Proactive Network Management

The school network spans over several servers placed in key positions all over the campus. Due to the rapid expansion of the network over the last two years, the network has become increasingly slow, this is especially noticed when you try to access the Internet.

The program we are developing will run as a network application, therefore we have to anticipate the effect of running the program on the network. There are seventeen servers on our proposed network, and it is expected that up to 100 people could be using the program at 11 of these sites and about 20 people at the remaining six sites, all at the same time, making a total of 1,220 people using the network at peak periods of the day. This will mean efficient network management, both before the deployment of the program and after.

There are two approaches to network management: reactive and proactive solutions. Reactive solutions are what is found commonly in Nigeria today, users complain about network problems, these problems, those problems are fixed, and then users complain about new problems. This leads to a seemingly endless cycle, and the result is that morale suffers, productivity is slowed, and most importantly, users eventually learn to distrust the network.

Proactive strategies involve anticipation of problems and minimizing their impact ahead of time. These strategies include regular network baselining, proactive testing and building network testbeds. You detect minor problems before they become major failures. We are deploying a proactive solution to the deployment of our program to anticipate the impact on the network. We will study certain scenarios where similar problems to the ones we anicipate to face have occurred and how they were solved.

Some tools used in the process of network baselining and testing are described below:

2.4.3.1.1 Advanced Cable Testers

Advanced cable testers work beyond the lower levels of the OSI model to give real insight into how the network is functioning. They display all sorts of information, including:

· Frame Counts

· Congestion errors

· Network Utilization

· Late Collisions

· CRC errors

· Network-level statistics

· Protocol Statistics

· Information concerning which applications are using the network

By using the statistics, you can watch for network errors such as collisions caused by excessive cable length or congestion errors due to an overloaded segment. Normally, problems resulting from these statistics are segment- or network-wide and affect all users.

An example can be found at www.fluke.com

2.4.3.1.2 Network Monitors

Network monitors are software programs that track and show information about a network. They can generate reports showing utilization, errors and overall traffic patterns on your network – reports that are very beneficial, as they show the network growth over time. By watching the growth, you can predict when problems may arise and take proactive steps before they do.

2.4.3.1.3 Protocol Analyzers

Protocol analyzers can do the job of network monitors, and much more. A protocol analyser often proves to be an important tool when debugging problems on a network. Also called network analyzers or sniffers, protocol analyzers can be hardware only or a combination of hardware and/or software. They collect information by examining all data going across the network and decoding the information for display.

Some problems that protocol analyzers can find are:

· Bad network Cards

· Bottlenecks

· Configuration errors in protocols

Protocol analyzers are excellent tools for finding most problems on a network. They can look at the network packet by packet and tell you exactly what is being transmitted. You may even use them to debug network applications by looking at the ‘conversation’ going on.

Many administrators constantly keep a protocol analyser working on their network. Most analyzers allow you to set threshold levels for errors and other conditions – such as maximum number of collisions per second or network utilization – and alert you when thresholds are reached.

Some popular protocol analyzers are Network General’s sniffer, Hewlett-Packard’s Network Advisor, Novell’s LANalyzer and Microsoft’s Network Monitor.

Many common protocol analyzers run on a normal workstation computer. They use the workstation’s network hardware to access and monitor the network. The correct choice of network card is important in the computer that will be running the protocol analyzer software, as the network card must be able to function in what is called promiscuous mode. Normally, the MAC address on a network frame header is checked at the Data-Link layer. IF the MAC address is found to be different from the computer reading it, it is discarded. A network card in promiscuous mode passes all frames up to the higher level processes, whether the frame was intended for it or not.

Some network cards will hide certain errors from protocol analyzers because they can be given to upper-level processes. 3Com network cards would commonly do this, as do most PCMCIA cards (used in laptop computers).

Most Token Ring networks cannot run in promiscuous mode. This is common with cards that have an IBM chipset. Special Token Ring cards can be bough that do allow promiscuous mode operation.

CHAPTER 3: Software Development

We studied the entire registration process and realized that certain aspects of the process require a physical appearance of the student:

1. Verification of Certificates

2. Payment of fees

3. Medical examination and tests (Health Centre)

We designed a web chart that acts as a flowchart outlining the process. The web chart also acts as flowchart for the entire process, so it shows an outline of the registration process as well as a web chart. Each process in the chart will be designed as a web page, to simplify the entire thing.

The web chart is shown on the next page.

3.1 Hardware Examination

The process of optimising the network for the program would involve equipment whose total cost runs into a few thousand dollars. This was obviously a problem for us. What happened was that we contacted Network General, a company that specialises into optimisation of computer networks, and told them what we planned to do. They examined our network diagrams and gave us five possible problems we could anticipate and case studies of their clients who had encountered similar problems. With this information, we could propose proactive solutions to the problems anticipated. The five problems are outlined below.

3.1.1 Problem 1: New Client/Server Application Deployment

The actual deployment of our program may lead to a problem in itself. No matter how well managed an existing client/server system is new problems inevitably crop up when a new application is put on the network. The roll-out of new client/server applications often causes problems like sluggish performance, poor response time and even downtime. When new applications are deployed in existing networks, they can affect the performance and reliability of other applications on the network, e.g. email and Internet services, in ways that are difficult to predict, understand, isolate and solve. Problems can range from graceful degradation, to intermittent failure, to disaster. Often higher levels of client/server protocols and long transaction sequences must be understood to isolate faults. The costs – both the initial problem solving and the additional maintenance required – are often not anticipated in the original planning.

Figure 3.1: Client/Server Architecture

Some specific steps that can be taken in the process of deploying the program:

Ø Remember that the performance and reliability of client/server applications are directly dependent upon the performance and reliability of the network that carries their communication, not the other way around.

Ø To minimize problems and optimise application performance, run the new application on a limited test bed before you begin deployment.

Ø To monitor application performance and analyse any problems related to response time in the test bed network, use distributed protocol analysis and troubleshooting tools with visibility into all seven layers of the OSI model.

Ø Identify and resolve bottlenecks before deployment by evaluating the performance and capacity of the production network to assess the network’s ability to support the new application.

Ø After you optimise the new application’s performance, and tune the network, plan a staged application roll-out to the entire enterprise.

Ø Implement advanced full-time proactive monitoring tools with high-level protocol decoders and expert analysis upfront to help detect problems during testing phases, before the network is affected.

Ø Maintain seven-layer network visibility. If the application is deployed and problems exist, the better the visibility, the faster you can find a solution and achieve the benefits of the new system.

Ø Develop a written deployment plan, then follow the plan using the right tools and training.

Correct application of these principles will result in fewer problems and a smoother transition.

3.1.1.1 Case Study

The benefits of proactive testing were understood at a major insurance company in the USA; management wanted 300 Netware clients in Accounting to have direct access to Human Resources information in an Oracle database on a UNIX server.

Figure 3.2: Case-Study – Clients need to have access to Human Resources Server

One option was to upgrade the NetWare clients with the necessary TCP/IP stack and Oracle TCP Protocol Adapter software – costly and time consuming. The alternative was a less expensive $1,500 Multi-Protocol Interchange (MPI) software upgrade to the NetWare server. MPI software provides a gateway service that allows Oracle clients and servers to communicate using different protocols.

Before approaching the latter, the IT manager wanted assurance that this solution would not cripple the response time of important and repetitive transactions caused by delays added by MPI software. Using the Distributed Sniffer System (a product of Network General), the server upgrade solution theory was tested. At the time, the longest transaction involved 200 packets, with a total response time of 2-3 seconds. Testing showed that users were dissatisfied and less productive when response time approached six seconds.

The Database Module measured the added latency of the MPI software on the server to be acceptable: only five milliseconds/packet, or a one-second addition in response time. The benefits of this proactive approach were:

1. Three hundred tedious desktop software upgrades were avoided.

2. A cost-saving solution was deployed, satisfying management and users alike.

3. The right decision was made based on hard data,, not on conjecture and guesswork.

3.1.1.2 Application to this project

Before this program is deployed on the entire network, we have to ensure that it is run for a particular period on a test bed. We would run the network on a small section of the network, perhaps Faculty of Sciences building, where it could be tested and any potential problems could be discovered and possible solutions developed before the program is employed network-wide. Also, the steps taken in the case study above could also be employed, especially the use of the distributed Sniffer system, which will not only help to solve this problem, but will also help further proactive troubleshooting of the network.

3.1.2 Problem 2: Migrating to new technologies

Many organisations have started using high-speed and switched network technologies to improve network performance. Surprised at the unexpected problems, delays and inefficiencies they quickly learn that adopting new technologies, while essential can be time consuming and risky.

To reduce deployment time and lower risks, we need a thorough understanding of the network and the new technologies – top to bottom, end-to-end information. By combining RMON and other standards based tools with distributed data collection and expert analysis consoles, we can get a detailed understanding of traffic flow patterns, network utilization and protocol turn-around times.

Since we plan to upgrade to switches, we need solid information – not guesswork. Some steps we can take to get the information we need are:

Ø As we plan our migration strategy, we should learn as much as we can about the network.

Ø Employ device analysis tools such as RouterPM^TMand SwitchPM^TM to baseline the network to document trends and utilisation patterns, understand where the critical segments, users, and applications are, as well as the impact of downtime or poor performance, identify the segments that are candidates for upgrade. Additionally, trending functionality helps you project when you will need the capacity.

Ø Use distributed protocol analysis and troubleshooting tools with visibility into all seven layers of the OSI model to gather information an application performance, top network conservations, server bottlenecks, and more.

Ø Based upon the information obtained about the network, determine which elements of the network; determine which elements of the network to upgrade to improve response time for particular users.

Ø Pinpoint inefficiencies such as excessive retransmissions, time-out, unexpected network hogs, and poor frame sizing so you can make more informed decisions about to higher bandwidth network technologies or tuning your network.

Ø Remember that what works on a small scale in isolated network segment can bring the whole enterprise down when deployed in quantity on the production network.

Ø Use connectivity and performance tools such as NETSYS products to create a modelling environment. Then you can simulate using ‘what-if’ scenarios, allowing you to effectively plan and implement upgrades, new technologies or routing changes.

Ø Use network performance test tools such as Chariot to test new technologies and devices and to verify performance and capacity before buying and deploying new equipment. Also, stress test new devices to certify reliability.

Ø Design in fault and performance management tools that match the needs of the new technologies; e.g. purchasing FDDI and ISDN protocol analysers if installing FDDI backbones and ISDN in remote branch offices.

3.1.2.1 Application to our project

In case the network is upgraded to meet the demands of the high bandwidth needed by the program, we would probably add switches to replace the hubs, which would increase the number of collision domains, and therefore, the speed of the network. Addition of switches would require training for the staff to learn how to configure them, and also, it should be ensured that the addition of the switches would not add any new problems to the network. We can use Network Monitor, software that comes free with Microsoft Windows NT^®, a networkmanagement tool, that helps you to see what is happening on your network, to help find any problems that occur due to the addition of the switches.

3.1.3 Problem 3: Poor Network Performance

Isolating and solving poor network response time is one of a network manager’s biggest frustrations. If poor network response time becomes chronic, the network manager is put under stress, searching for bandwidth, bottlenecks or router problems.

The complexity of today’s network is a factor. A typical network transaction involves multiple vendors, technologies, sites and potential points of failure. Poor network response time can be caused by a variety of problems including inadequate bandwidth, network errors, server bottlenecks, misconfigured routers, PC configuration errors, and inefficient applications software.

Or the problem may be the result of the complex end-to-end interaction of all these components. This problem, which is becoming more common as the enterprise moves to client/server architectures, requires a significant amount of time and energy, as well as various levels of technical knowledge to isolate and resolve. Often, the problem is only resolved through a combination of tedious hand-decoding of long transactions trace files, expert knowledge, and time on the phone with several vendors.

Ø Obtain total visibility of the network. If you can’t see the cause of the problems, you can’t solve the problems. Put into operation network fault and performance management tools and systems that extend visibility beyond the LAN and into applications, systems and databases. Partner with a network vendor that offers proven experience and technology to help maximize network visibility.

Ø Clearly define the problem. A statement such as “the network is slow” describes a symptom, not the root problem. You must narrow the problem down to a statement such as “the file server does not respond fast enough to user requests because it does not have the processing power”, so you can then decide if an increase in bandwidth or a shift to micro segmentation will improve performance. Definitive, measurable statements will help you find and fix the problem.

Ø Employ expert-based analysis systems. They speed resolution and can be upgraded over time, letting you take advantage of the growing base of troubleshooting experience of the other industry professionals.

Ø Design into the network powerful distributed monitoring systems as part of a full-time management strategy. The data necessary to detect the source of slowly degrading performance can be captured over time and solutions planned long before users complain.

Ø Consider building a partnership relationship with a reliable provider of networking services. A full-service partner can provide valuable expertise to planning to troubleshooting.

3.1.3.1 Case Study – Improving Network Performance

A major international insurer maintains its leadership position by organising its global resources into a single enterprise working toward common goals. The backbone of the enterprise is the extensive LAN and WAN network connecting offices around the globe.

In less than three months following the installation of the Distributed Sniffer System, the company improved network response time by identifying where delays took place and making necessary corrections.

In one instance, desktop access to critical information on a VAX server was improved by using the Distributed Sniffer System. By determining the time a packet took to cross a switch, the distributed solution provided the key information leading to the discovery of a bottleneck.

In another instance, the Distributed Sniffer System successfully indicated that a problem with a switch was causing a delay. The network administrator was able to fix the problem locally and send a trace of the delay to a switch manufacturer who used the information to correct the problem for users with similar configurations. This proactive measure saved the insurer a tremendous amount of time in troubleshooting other locations with related performance problems.

The benefits of this proactive approach were:

Ø The root causes of network performance problems were more easily and quickly identified and solved using expert analysis.

Ø Instead of dealing with vendor finger-pointing, the insurance company was able to promptly identify which vendor’s products were the cause of poor performance.

Ø In many cases, network performance problems were solved before users ever complained about poor response time.

Ø The insurance company has increased overall productivity, as well as its ability to compete in the marketplace, by proactively maintaining high network performance.

3.1.3.2 Application to our project

The OAU computer network has a very serious problem concerning performance. The network is extremely slow especially when using Internet services from the proxy server. Investigation revealed that the Faculty of Science building network is operating at a speed of 2 Mbps, and the link to computer building is also 2 Mbps. The rest of the school is also operating at a similar speed. Before anything else, the network will need to be upgraded to a speed of at least 10 Mbps.

3.1.4 Problem 4 – Not Enough Staff

Networks grow in size and complexity, but the resources to manage them usually don’t keep pace. Budgets are stretched. Existing staff must be leveraged as effectively as possible.

Figure 3.3 : The widening gap between network complexity and network management resources

One way to increase the effectiveness of your network management resources is to improve the quality of your service.

Some specific steps are:

Ø Make proactive network management your standard operating procedure. The best fault and performance detection and correction tools must be designed into the network and operated full time, rather than on a crisis basis.

Ø Use expert systems, which leverage the experience of others.

Ø Integrate network analysis tools to stretch your management resources.

Ø Ask industry vendors to work together more closely to solve problems and communicate solutions to users.

Ø Deploy advanced tools with distributed data gathering devices and expert-based centralised analysis consoles to help you monitor your entire network with fewer people, solve problems faster and make better decisions for the future.

Ø Utilize tools that allow you to automate tasks, such as data gathering and report generation, as much as possible.

Ø Take advantage of products that provide exception reports and high-level summaries. This information can help you prioritise problems focus resources on the most critical needs.

3.1.4.1 Case Study – Maximizing Existing Resources

A large government contractor had a network consisting of 50 Ethernet segments with an FDDI backbone. The contractor’s three locations used WAN connections to share a mission-critical project management application. Then a serious problem developed: data was being lost over the WAN connections.

Four trouble-shooters spent two weeks trying to diagnose the cause, with no results. At night, they extensively tested network interface cards, routers and the WAN connection. Finally, it seemed that a router was dropping packets, but the cause could not be determined. After installing the Distributed Sniffer System, the trouble-shooters used the expert analysis capabilities to zero in on the problem – it was the application software itself. The acknowledgement time pre-programmed in the software were insufficient for use over a WAN connection. The solution was to dedicate a 10Mbps link for the critical application.

To further maximise network performance, the contractor could implement a rules-based analysis tool, such as RouterPM, to perform round-the-clock monitoring and expert analysis of all router interfaces. Automatic analysis of data and display of a prioritised list of potential problems allow a network manager to take corrective action without having to wait until a failure or critical user problem manifests itself. Additionally, partnering with a reliable provider of networking services can give you the advantage of proven expertise in meeting planning, design, implementation and management requirements.

The benefits of using centralized problem-solving system were:

Ø The Distributed Sniffer System finds the causes of problems in minutes, not days, saving critical time for the entire network management organization.

Ø The distributed fault and performance management solution realized cost saving in its very first assignment. The Distributed Sniffer System was able to locate, in a matter of minutes, a problem that stymied four people for a total of 120 hours (Four people at $25/hour is $12,000, which greatly exceeds the investment in the Distributed Sniffer System)

Ø From a personnel utilization standpoint, those four people could have been working on other projects such as proactively optimising network performance to avoid problems in the future.

3.1.4.2 Application to our project

The OAU computer network does not appear to have the problem of staffing, but as the network grows, the staff will also need to grow. Also, the staff should be given adequate training, do as to keep up with the latest technology and also to make friends with other Information Technology experts and form an expert system.

3.1.5 Problem 5 – Network Downtime

When your network or part of it is unavailable, what does it cost? Today the performance of the network is closely tied to the performance of the organisation as a whole. If the program ever gets used, it would be disastrous if the network failed at any time as NO WORK CAN DONE!!

Given the complexity and nature of the technology, as well as human factors, some network downtime is virtually unavoidable. However, networks can be designed to recover more quickly from failures. Here are some specific steps you take to reduce network downtime:

Ø Identify all mission critical network segments first. Determine what network segments, routers, servers or other devices are absolutely essential to the daily operations and health of the organisation.

Ø Provide redundant or backup systems that can be brought online quickly or even automatically during failures.

Ø Consider upgrading to full-time network fault and performance systems. Rather than be reactive to critical failures, it actually costs the organisation less money to be using a proactive, full-time network communications management solution.

Ø Use advanced tools that help you quickly locate problems and determine their exact causes by providing visibility into every layer of network traffic.

Ø Measure and track downtime with automated tools to help proactively identify problems and document availability.

Ø Stress test the network after making off-hours equipment or configuration (e.g. router table) changes did not adversely affect network connectivity, performance or reliability.

Ø Use integrated expert systems to provide the analysis to determine the root causes (not just the symptoms) of problems and recommend solutions. Expert Systems can detect problems at an overall lower cost than the low productivity from network downtime.

3.1.5.1 Case Study – Reducing Downtime

An international airline relied on a network of 60 remote-token ring LANs with Cisco and IBM source route bridges connected via high-speed internetwork links. The network was used to process over 300,000 flights annually and provide mission critical services for over 2,000 end users.

Users of a critical application that ensured proper staffing of revenue-generating routes began to have access problems. Without it, staffing for flights had to be coordinated manually at a very high cost. There was also increased risk that critical revenue-generating flights would go unstaffed and be unable to depart.

The application resided on a remote file server, which generated TCP/IP traffic across internetwork links to token ring segments. Isolating the problem in this complex path was elusive. First it was assumed that it was Net BIOS related because many of the company’s applications were built on Net BIOS and had a history of excess bandwidth consumption problems in the network configuration.

The Distributed Sniffer System was able to isolate the problem to a particular hardware component on the internetwork link that was causing Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) errors on large sized frames. Once the problem was identified, access to the essential application was quickly restored.

The benefits to this major airline were:

Ø The cause of the problem was pinpointed immediately, avoiding guesswork and speculation.

Ø Network downtime was eliminated in a mission critical revenue-generating application, allowing the company to continue to be competitive and productive.

3.1.5.2 Application to our project

The OAU computer network has no fault tolerance built into it whatsoever, the network has been crippled several times, due to simple faults. There should be alternate paths from the computer building that forms loops on the network, so as to give a simple form of fault tolerance.

CHAPTER 4: Software Analysis

This chapter discusses the project’s phases as experienced during the course of its execution. It also seeks to compare the final output with the intended project while not leaving out the reasons for such alterations.

As it is done with any software development process, the following stages were encountered in this project. They are Problem Definition, Program Design, Coding, Debugging, Testing and Validation, Documentation, Maintenance, Extension and Redesign experiences.

4.1 Problem definition

As earlier explained in the background, the problem of unnecessary multiple data, the rigours of moving from location to location and the obvious inaccuracy in data storage and retrieval prompted the actualisation of the project. With the knowledge that a software-based system would reduce the bottlenecks, a proposal was presented and work began on approval.

4.2 Program Design

The need for consultation could not have been eliminated in a project that has the potential of changing the face of operations in the whole academic community. The Registrar, Director of Academic Affairs, Information Technology and Communication Unit’s point-man, and Professor Kunle Kehinde (the project supervisor) threw light on various dark spots of the project.

The webchart, describing the flow of the entire work, was constructed and the hardware aspect was also taken into consideration.

4.3 Coding and Debugging

Armed with the required skills in HTML and the Java flavour (along with some other aids such as VBScript, image preparation tools and materials from the various consultations), the coding began in stages and was halted at the point where the database link gave problems. The problems were:

Ø Improperly installed Microsoft Access

Ø Database link problems

Ø Irregular power supply

The installation problem was tackled by re-installing the software. The database link problems (which took majority of the problem-time) were faced with assistance with downloaded codes on the Internet and consultations. There was no control over the power supply but time management and a desperate lookout for power supply helped the successful completion of the project.

Debugging commenced as soon as the project was completed and errors were corrected with the major aim of the project in mind.

4.4 Testing and validation

Sequel to the major task of coding and debugging, the software had to be subjected to testing and validation to ensure the durability and efficiency of the procedure. A series of database samples were assumed and used for the testing. The major task of testing had to do with the following:

Ensuring proper assessing of pages when links are clicked
Ascertaining that the VB Script and scripting codes carry out the defined tasks by simulating results
Editing text to avoid embarrassing grammatical errors

The task of validating the software involved testing raw data for processing in the procedure.

4.5 Documentation

The beauty of any software design is enhanced by the continuity of the project, i.e. the possibility of someone other than the original author taking up the project and taking it to another level of proficiency. The documentation of this project is considered necessary since it is obviously an open-ended project.

The appendix includes the source code and the statements within the code that can make continuity possible.

4.6 Maintenance, Extension and Redesign

The maintenance of the project is basically a post-implementation job and lies with the Network Administrator and the major users of the software. The possibility of extending and redesigning for a similar task would be made possible by the documentation and the ease of use of the software.

Apart from the usual steps or phases involved in the software design, another factor of importance is the envisaged set of problems. They are:

Possible staff lay-off due to less demand for manpower
Loss of direct interaction between staff and students
The unavailability of an electronic fund transfer system in the University
The need for any student to get physically to the Health Center for registration and tests as may be suggested in the registration pack
The obvious necessity of verification of results due to standalone procedures being operated by both the University and the West African Examination Council.

CHAPTER 5: Conclusion and Recommendation

Having weighed all possible sides of the project, it was discovered that it would eventually be more advantageous to implement the software-based student registration procedure.

The following recommendations are thus put forth:

That the project should be implemented, maintained and monitored by the University through its dynamic academic and institute staff membership
That a second phase of upgrading and constant redesign be put into perspective even from now
That the members of staff that would be involved with either storage, retrieval or processing of any information on the registration module be trained in the art of computing
That a hardware upgrade for the intranet be considered. For instance, the following locations need to be connected to the OAU Intranet for effective actualisation of the project’s capabilities:

Ø The Health Centre complex

Ø Division of Student Affairs

Ø All Halls of residence

Ø Faculty of Administration

Ø Faculty of Law

Ø Faculty of Social Sciences

Ø Faculty of Pharmacy

Ø Faculty of Education

Ø Faculty of Arts

Ø Faculty of Environmental design and Management

It would also be wise to dedicate a particular Network Administration Setup to the monitoring of the procedure. There is room for expansion for the project to be upgraded to include:

Ø Student registration for non-freshers

Ø Continuous assessment result gathering and processing

Ø Lecture notes for students to download

Ø Assignment upload and grading facilities

Ø A cyber-library

Ø Secure Electronic Fund Transfer

Ø A networked environment in relation to the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for easier and more secure student information processing

Ø eHealth Facilities for electronically driven health management systems via the school’s intranet.

REFERENCES

1. Yesufu T.K. (2001), Lecture Notes on “EEE 510: Microcomputer Hardware and Software Techniques”

2. Ayara A.A. (2001) A seminar on “Internet Technologies and the Future of Nigeria” delivered during the Electronic Week 2001 of the EEESS (Electronic and Electrical Students’ Society)

3. A Handbook of “Proactive Solutions to the Five Most Critical Networking Problems, A Network Visibility Guide” compiled by the Staff of Network General Inc. for the specific purpose of this project

4. Nash, Jason (1999), Networking Essentials MCSE Study Guide

5. Niemeyer, Patrick and Knudsen, Jonathan (2000), Learning Java

6. Walsh, A.E. (1999), Java for dummies (3^rd edition)

7. Lemay, Laura and Cadenhead, Rogers (1999), SAMS Teach Yourself Java 2 in 21 days

8. Buyens, Jim (1999), Running Microsoft FrontPage 2000

Appendix A – Source Code

Java Listing

GNUMakeFile

AnalogClock.class

CustomParser.class

JavaClock.class

JavaQuote.class

ParamParser.class

TextQuote.class

TextScript.class

HTML Code

Default.htm

<HTML>

<!--

// Number of visits variable :

var visits = 0;

var user = " " ;

// Standard cookie functions:

function extractCookieValue (val) {

if ((endOfCookie = document.cookie.indexOf(";", val)) == -1) {

endOfCookie = document.cookie.length;

}

return unescape(document.cookie.substring(val,endOfCookie));

}

function ReadCookie(cookiename) {

var numOfCookies = document.cookie.length;

var nameOfCookie = cookiename + "=";

var cookieLen = nameOfCookie.length;

var x = 0;

while (x <= numOfCookies) {

var y = (x + cookieLen);

if (document.cookie.substring(x, y) == nameOfCookie)

return (extractCookieValue(y));

x = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", x) + 1;

if (x == 0)

break;

}

return (null);

}

function createCookie(name, value, expiredays)

{

var todayDate = new Date( ) ;

todayDate.setDate(todayDate.getDate( ) + expiredays);

document.cookie = name +

"=" +

value +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

}

function showHits( ) {

//First we'll check if the user has visited this page before by examining

//the _visitSite cookie:

userCookie = ReadCookie("_visitSite");

userid = ReadCookie("username") ;

if (userCookie == null)

visits = 1; //This is the first visit

else

visits = parseInt(userCookie) + 1;

// Create or update existing cookie:

createCookie("_visitSite", visits, 30);

document.write("<div align=center><font face=Verdana size=1 color=navy><b><font color=brown>Obafemi Awolowo University</font></b>, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, welcomes you to your visit number <b><font color=red>" +

visits +

"</font></b> in this site</font></div>");

}

//-->

</script>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Student Registration Procedure: A project by 'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

<!--

document.cookie = "username" +

"=" +

useid +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

-->

</td><td align=center>

<font size=1 face=Verdana color=blue><b>Visit the <br><a href="http://www.oauife.edu.ng">OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY website!</a></font>

</td></tr></table>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</table>

<td>

showHits( );

</script></td>

</tr></table>

<tr>

<a href="general.htm">General Information</a><p>

<a href="more.htm">More Information</a><p>

<a href="form.htm">Start Registration</a><p>

<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

<a href="gallery/gallery.htm">OAU in Pictures</a></b></font>

</div></tr>

</table>

</td>

<div align=center><font size=2 color=navy>Please follow the links to the left to gain access to

some necessary information to guide you through this registration procedure. You may choose to read the <b><a href="general.htm">General Information</a></b> page

before proceeding to other pages. The forms have been arranged such that the registration procedure is sequential and thorough;

please follow the links.</font><hr>

<font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown><marquee><b>©   'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande 2001.</b></marquee>All

correspondence to <a href="mailto:gbengasesan@yahoo.com">webmaster@gbengasesan.freeservers.com</a> and <a href="mailto:bsowande@beta.linkserve.com">webmaster@members.xoom.com/mrboso</a></font>

</div>

</td>

</table>

</BODY>

</HTML>

Exit.htm

<HTML>

<!--

// Number of visits variable :

var visits = 0;

var user = " " ;

// Standard cookie functions:

function extractCookieValue (val) {

if ((endOfCookie = document.cookie.indexOf(";", val)) == -1) {

endOfCookie = document.cookie.length;

}

return unescape(document.cookie.substring(val,endOfCookie));

}

function ReadCookie(cookiename) {

var numOfCookies = document.cookie.length;

var nameOfCookie = cookiename + "=";

var cookieLen = nameOfCookie.length;

var x = 0;

while (x <= numOfCookies) {

var y = (x + cookieLen);

if (document.cookie.substring(x, y) == nameOfCookie)

return (extractCookieValue(y));

x = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", x) + 1;

if (x == 0)

break;

}

return (null);

}

function createCookie(name, value, expiredays)

{

var todayDate = new Date( ) ;

todayDate.setDate(todayDate.getDate( ) + expiredays);

document.cookie = name +

"=" +

value +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

}

function showHits( ) {

//First we'll check if the user has visited this page before by examining

//the _visitSite cookie:

userCookie = ReadCookie("_visitSite");

userid = ReadCookie("username") ;

if (userCookie == null)

visits = 1; //This is the first visit

else

visits = parseInt(userCookie) + 1;

// Create or update existing cookie:

createCookie("_visitSite", visits, 30);

visits +

"</font></b> in this site</font></div>");

}

//-->

</script>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Student Registration Procedure: A project by 'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

<!--

document.cookie = "username" +

"=" +

useid +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

-->

</td><td align=center>

<font size=1 face=Verdana color=blue><b>Visit the <br><a href="http://www.oauife.edu.ng">OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY website!</a></font>

</td></tr></table>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</table>

<td>

showHits( );

</script></td>

</tr></table>

<tr>

<a href="general.htm">General Information</a><p>

<a href="more.htm">More Information</a><p>

<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

<a href="gallery/gallery.htm">OAU in Pictures</a></b></font>

</div></tr>

</table>

</td>

<hr>

This project is in fulfilment of the award of <b>BSc</b> in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.<p>

The project, supervised by <b><i><a href="mailto:lkehinde@oauife.edu.ng">Prof L. O. Kehinde</a></b></i>, was designed by <b><a href="http://gbengasesan.netfirms.com">'Gbenga Sesan</a> and <a href="http://www.members.xoom.com/mrboso">Bunmi Sowande</a></b></div>

</font>

<hr>

<font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown><marquee><b>©   'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande 2001.</b></marquee>All

correspondence to <a href="mailto:gbengasesan@yahoo.com">webmaster@gbengasesan.freeservers.com</a> and <a href="mailto:bsowande@beta.linkserve.com">webmaster@members.xoom.com/mrboso</a></font>

</div>

</td>

</table>

</BODY>

</HTML>

Form.htm

<HTML>

<!--

// Number of visits variable :

var visits = 0;

var user = " " ;

// Standard cookie functions:

function extractCookieValue (val) {

if ((endOfCookie = document.cookie.indexOf(";", val)) == -1) {

endOfCookie = document.cookie.length;

}

return unescape(document.cookie.substring(val,endOfCookie));

}

function ReadCookie(cookiename) {

var numOfCookies = document.cookie.length;

var nameOfCookie = cookiename + "=";

var cookieLen = nameOfCookie.length;

var x = 0;

while (x <= numOfCookies) {

var y = (x + cookieLen);

if (document.cookie.substring(x, y) == nameOfCookie)

return (extractCookieValue(y));

x = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", x) + 1;

if (x == 0)

break;

}

return (null);

}

function createCookie(name, value, expiredays)

{

var todayDate = new Date( ) ;

todayDate.setDate(todayDate.getDate( ) + expiredays);

document.cookie = name +

"=" +

value +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

}

function showHits( ) {

//First we'll check if the user has visited this page before by examining

//the _visitSite cookie:

userCookie = ReadCookie("_visitSite");

userid = ReadCookie("username") ;

if (userCookie == null)

visits = 1; //This is the first visit

else

visits = parseInt(userCookie) + 1;

// Create or update existing cookie:

createCookie("_visitSite", visits, 30);

visits +

"</font></b> in this site</font></div>");

}

//-->

</script>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Student Registration Procedure: Basic Student Bio-data Form</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

<!--

document.cookie = "username" +

"=" +

useid +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

-->

</td><td align=center>

<font size=1 face=Verdana color=blue><b>Visit the <br><a href="http://www.oauife.edu.ng">OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY website!</a></font>

</b>

</td></tr></table>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</table>

<td>

showHits( );

</script></td>

</tr></table>

<tr>

<a href="general.htm">General Information</a><p>

<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

</div></tr>

</table>

</td>

<tr>

<p align="center"><b><font color="brown" size="6">OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY,<br> ILE-IFE,

NIGERIA.</font></b></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<hr><p><font color="#800000">Please <i> enter</i> your <b>names </b>in the spaces indicated below and ensure that

you enter all other details in the form accurately. All confidential

details </font></p><hr>

<p><b><font color="#FF00FF" face="Arial Black">GENERAL STUDENT INFORMATION</font></b></p>

<p><b><font face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2>Surname</font><font face=Verdana color=navy size=2>:</font></b><font face=Verdana color=navy size=2><input type=text name=surname size=15 maxlength=25>  </font><b><font face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2>Other

names</font><font face=Verdana color=navy size=2>:</font></b><font face=Verdana color=navy size=2><input type=text name=othernames size=22 maxlength=35>

</font></p>

</td>

</tr>

<p> 

<p><b>Date of Birth:</b>

<option selected>1

<option>2

<option>3

<option>4

<option>5

<option>6

<option>7

<option>8

<option>9

<option>10

<option>11

<option>12

<option>13

<option>14

<option>15

<option>16

<option>17

<option>18

<option>19

<option>20

<option>21

<option>22

<option>23

<option>24

<option>25

<option>26

<option selected>27

<option>28

<option>29

<option>30

<option>31

</select>

<option>Jan

<option>Feb<option>Mar<option>Apr<option>May<option>Jun<option selected>Jul<option>Aug<option>Sep<option>Oct<option>Nov<option>Dec

</select>

<p><b>Place of Birth:</b>  <input type=text name=birthplace1 size=36>

<p>

<option selected>Male

<option>Female</select>

   <b>Marital Status:</b><select size=1 name=mstatus><option selected>Single<option>Married<option>Divorced<option>Widowed</select>

   <b>State:</b><select size=1 name=state><option>Abia<option>Adamawa<option>Akwa Ibom<option>Anambra<option>Bauchi<option>Bayelsa<option>Benue<option>Borno<option>Cross River<option>Delta<option>Ebonyi<option>Edo<option>Ekiti<option>Enugu<option>Gombe<option>Imo<option>Jigawa<option>Kaduna<option>Kano<option>Katsina<option>Kebbi<option>Kogi<option>Kwara<option>Lagos<option>Nassarawa<option>Niger<option>Ogun<option selected>Ondo<option>Osun<option>Oyo<option>Plateau<option>Rivers<option>Sokoto<option>Taraba<option>Yobe<option>Zamfara<option>Abuja</select>

<p>

<b>Local Government:</b><input type=text name=locagov size=15 maxlength=30> <b>Nationality:</b><input type=text name=nationality size=15 maxlength=35>

<p>

<b><u>ADDRESSES</u>:</b><br>

<b>Student Contact Address:</b><br>

<b>Student Permanent Home Address:</b><br>

<b>Parent/Guardian Name and Address:</b><br>

<b>Next-Of-Kin Name and Address:</b><br>

<b>Sponsor's Name and Address:</b><br>

</div>

<hr>

</font>

<p align="center"><b><font color="#FF00FF" face="Arial Black" size="2">ACADEMIC

INFORMATION</font></b></p>

<b>Faculty:</b><input type=text name=faculty size=15 maxlength=25>  <b>Department:</b><input type=text name=department size=20 maxlength=35><p>

<b>Course of Study:</b><input type=text name=cstudy size=20 maxlength=35>    <b>Degree:</b><input type=text name=degree size=10 maxlength=15><p>

<b>Current Session:</b><input type=text name=csession size=9> <b>Semester:</b><select name=csemester size=1><option selected>Harmattan<option>Rain</select>  <b>Part:</b><select name=cpart size=1><option selected>1<option>2<option>3<option>4<option>5<option>6<option>7<option>8<option>9</select><p>

<b>Mode of entry:</b><br><input type=radio name=mentry value="ume">UME<p>

<input type=radio name=mentry value="direct">Direct<p>

<input type=radio name=mentry value="transfer">Transfer<p>

<b>If transfer, name of previous University:</b> <input type=text name=university size=20 maxlength=40>

</font>

<b>Special Electives of Choice:</b></p>

</font></font>

<tr>

<td align=middle colspan=2 bgcolor="navy"><font color="yellow">Please input your name, UME Registration number and examination score. Please note that name must be as reflected on UME Registration slip.</font>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<th align="right"><font color=navy>Registration Number</font></th>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<th align="right"><font color=navy>UME Score</font></th>

</td>

</tr>

</table>

<hr>

<b><font face="Arial Black" size="2" color="#FF00FF">HEALTH INFORMATION</font></b>

<b><font face="verdana" size="2" color=navy>Please indicate any Medical problems you think we need to know (in few words):</font><br>

</font>

<hr>

<p>

<b>Please input your receipt number (from fee payment) here:<input type="password" name="pay" length=10 maxlength=20><p><hr>

</form>

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</table>

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Gallery.htm

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<title>'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande 2001</title>

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<marquee><font face=Verdana size=3 color=skyblue><b>Scenes from Obafemi awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Just like yesterday...This page is dedicated to our most honourable supervisor, Professor L. O. Kehine, we will miss you. Thanks...</b></font></marquee>

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General.htm

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<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

<a href="women.htm">For Women Students</a><p>

<a href="form.htm">Start Registration</a><p>

<a href="more.htm">More Information</a><p>

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<h1 align=center><font color=navy>GENERAL INFORMATION</font></h1>

I am pleased to welcome you to this University and hope you will have a successful career here. I give below some important items of information for your close attention:<p>

<h3><u><font color=green>Entrance Medical Examination</font></u></h3>

All freshmen are advised to read the instruction on the <a href="health.htm">Entrance Medical Examination</a> page. It is important that all <font colo=blue>freshmen</font> complete the Medical Forms accordingly. Students will not be allowed entry into Halls of Residence and/or lectures until their Medical reports are received by the <b><i>Director of Medical and Health Services</i></b>, Health Center, Obafemi Awolowo

University, Ile-Ife. In addition, they will not enjoy University Medical facilities. It is important to note especially that <i>Blood</i>, <i>Stool</i>

and <i>Urine</i> investigations should be done at the University Health Centre.<p>

<h3><u><font color=green>Dress and daily necessities</font></u></h3>

Students will not be required to wear <b>uniforms</b> but will be expected to maintain a high standard of neatness in their clothes and

surroundings. Students may, on <i>academic grounds</i>, be required to wear undergraduate gowns which are, at present, available on loan from the University.

For students who have secured accommodation in the Halls of Residence, the following will be required for daily use:

<ol type=a><b><li>Mattress (6" X 2<sup>1</sup>/<sub>2</sub>") to be provided by students

<li>Toilet necessities e.g. soap etc.

<li>Towels

<li>Night wear or pajamas

<li>Sport wear - White shorts or trousers</b></ol>

<h3><u><font color=green>Verification of documents/Registration</font></u></h3>

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has confirmed that the <font color=blue><b><i>Certificates</i></b></font> of candidates who sit for examinations would be prepared quickly and made available for collection. All freshmen are therefore required to bring with them <b>original</b> documents supporting their qualifications. Such documents will be carefully

scrutinized during the registration exercise and students who fail to produce their original <u>certificates</u> accordingly will <u><i>not</i></u> be registered.<br>

However, it is the responsibility of each student to ensure the security of his/her original certificates. <b>Receipts for fees paid should also be produced at the time of registration for courses.</b>

<h3><u><font color=green>Accommodation in the Halls of Residence</font></u></h3>

Admission into the University does not mean automatic admission into the Halls of Residence. Admission to a Hall of Residence is by application to the <b>Dean of Student Affairs</b>.

Accommodation is automatic for first year students and would be allocated on

completion of registration.<br>

While students are not obliged to live in the Halls, those who elect to do so must conform with certain regulations, the adherence to which will enable every student have a pleasant stay in residence. Students who are unsuccessful in obtaining accommodation in a University Hall of Residence shall make their own arrangements for lodging outside the Campus. <b>Freshmen will be provided accommodation on priority basis</b>.

<h3><u><font color=green>Code of Conduct for Students</font></u></h3>

Every student is expected to get himself/herself familiarised with the <b>Code of Conduct</b> for students as

approved by <font color=red>Governing Council</font> with effect from <i>25<sup>th</sup> November, 1990</i>.<b> In addition, students

should not belong to <font color=navy>secret societies</font>.</b>

<h3><u><font color=green><i>Change of Name</i> by Students of the University</font></u></h3>

It is very important to note that all students shall graduate with names by which they are admitted into the University and hat such names may only change consequent upon changes in <b><i>marital status</i></b> (in case of female students).<p>

<hr color=white><b>Once again, please accept my congratulations on your admission into <a href="http://www.oauife.edu.ng">Obafemi Awolowo University</a>. I hope you will have a pleasant time throughout the period of your studentship in our University.</b><p>

Thank you.<p>

<div align=right><b><i><font color="#abadca">Principal Assistant Registrar (Admissions)</font></i></b></div>

<hr>

<div align=center><font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown><marquee>©   'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande 2001.</marquee></font></div>

<div align=center><font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown>All co</font></font><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="brown">r</font><font size=2><font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown>respondence to <a href="mailto:gbengasesan@yahoo.com">webmaster@gbengasesan.freeservers.com</a> and <a href="mailto:bsowande@beta.linkserve.com">webmaster@members.xoom.com/mrboso</a></font></div>

</font>

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Health.htm

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<a href="general.htm">General Information</a><p>

<a href="women.htm">For Women Students</a><p>

<a href="form.htm">Start Registration</a><p>

</b></font>

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<h1 align=center><font color="navy">UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES</font></h1>

<p align=left>1. All freshmen are expected during the first week of resumption

to register at the <b>Health Centre</b>. <b><i>Blood, Stool and Urine </i></b>investigations

must be performed at the University Health Centre.</p>

<p align=left>(a) The <b>Medical Questionnaire <font color="#FF0000">(at the

health section of the <a href="form.htm">Student Information form</a>)</font></b>

should be carefully filled<i><b> </b></i>before arrival at the Health Centre.

Note that <b>it is a confidential report and shall not be used against your

admission.</b></p>

<p align=left>(b) The Medical Form should be carefully filled.</p>

<p align=left>(c) After <b><i>Blood, Stool and Urine </i></b>investigation at

the Health Centre, the physical Examination will be conducted by Medical Doctors

at the University Health Centre.</p>

<p align=left>(d) The cost of the 3 investigations listed in (c) above is <b><strike>N</strike>300..00

(cash)</b>.</p>

<p align=left>(e) <font color="#800000"><b>Condition for Matriculation. </b></font>It

is an offence against University Regulations for a student not to register at

the Health Centre. You will not be allowed to matriculate unless you register at

the Health Centre.</p>

<p align=left>2. The Health Centre offers a twenty-four-hours, round-the-clock

service. Doctors are in attendance between <b>7:30am and 3:30pm </b>on week

days, <b>11:00am and 12:00</b> noon on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays to

attend to emergencies or continue special treatment. At other times, a Nursing

Sister/Superintendent is on duty with other Nurses and will summon a doctor as

the condition of the patient may warrant.</p>

<p align=left>(a) Whenever possible, a student desiring to consult a doctor

should attend during the doctor's normal hors of duty.</p>

<p align=left>(b) In a medical emergency, the student who is ill should arrange

to inform the Porter on duty in his or her hall of residence.  The Porter

on duty will report immediately to the Nursing Sister or Superintendent on duty

at the Health Centre.</p>

<p align=left>(c) Students are requested to bring their Health Centre Cards

whenever they report sick at the Health Centre.</p>

<p align=left>(d) Difficulties or complaints arising from services at the Health

Centre should be reported to the Director of Medical and Health Services.</p>

<div align=right><b><i><font color="#abadca">Principal Assistant Registrar (Admissions)</font></i></b></div>

<hr>

Sesan and Bunmi Sowande 2001.</marquee></font></div>

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More.htm

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<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

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<h1 align=center><font color="navy">MORE INFORMATION</font></h1>

<p align=left><b><span style="text-transform: capitalize">A. Registration for

courses:</span></b></p>

<p align=left>(i) Freshmen will fill the form on the <b><a href="form.htm">Student

Information Page</a>, </b>which combines the:</p>

<p align=left><b>MIS 01(<i>Students Information form</i>), MIS 02 (<i>Course

Registration form</i>), Health Centre Questionnaire,</b></p>

<p align=left><b>ISR 04 (<i>Course Registration Cards</i>), ISR 01 (<i>Basic

Student Bio-data form)</i></b></p>

<p align=left>The contents of the form would be retrieved by the appropriate

quarters from the University's central database.</p>

<p align=left>(ii) The list of courses to be registered for during each Semester

(or Session for Faculties not operating the course unit system) will be made

available by the Head of Department, and would be accessible online.</p>

<p align=left>(iii) The minimum number of units are required for full-time

student is 15 units while the maximum is 24 units.</p>

<p align=left><b>B. Exemption form special electives:</b></p>

<p align=left>(i) That graduates of the University who had previously passed the

old <i>GNS</i> courses should be exempted automatically from taking special

electives for purposes of fulfilling the requirements for graduation.</p>

<p align=left>(ii) That in the case of graduates from other recognized

Universities and candidates transferring from other Universities/Higher

Institutions, the general studies courses taken by such students in their old

Institutions should be evaluated and processed for exemption by Senate where

appropriate.</p>

<p align=left><b>C. Change of electives:</b></p>

<p align=left>Change of electives, particularly restricted electives, should be

made only within the group of courses approved for a particular semester.</p>

<p align=left><b>D. Administration of Examination:</b></p>

<p align=left>(a) The person who teaches a course will be charged with

invigilation during the examination for that course.</p>

<p align=left>(b) Where courses are large in terms of student enrolment and cut

across disciplines, the Faculties in which the courses are based will be made

responsible for invigilation during the examination for those courses.</p>

<p align=left>(c) The setting, moderation and presentation of examination papers

to students in courses based in Departments should be the  responsibility

of individual Departments.</p>

<p align=left>(d) Efforts should be made to ensure that examination results are

ready before registration for the following Semester.</p>

<p align=left>(f) Competence in terms of academic and administrative leadership

should be emphasized in assigning persons the responsibility of Chief Examiners.</p>

<p align=left>(g) The Departmental Examiners should meet and prepare provisional

results within 4 working days after the submission of examination grades.</p>

<p align=left>(h) The provisional results approved by the Faculty Board of

Examiners should be used for registration purposes.</p>

<p align=left>(i) Henceforth, the University should provide stationery for

examinations so as to assist Faculties in processing examination results.</p>

<p align=left>(j) The examination results of graduating students should be

processed for the approval of Senate.  any result that is treated

administratively for the purposes of <b><i>NYSC</i></b> should be processed

later for the approval of Senate.  The results of non-graduating students

should be processed later of the approval of the Committee of Deans.</p>

<p align=left><b>E. Code of Conduct for the University community as approved by

Council with effect from 25th November, 1990</b></font>.</p>

<p align=left><font size=2>That an academic staff shall not favour any student

by disclosing examination questions before the scheduled time for such

examinations or by awarding unearned grades or by acting in any other manner

inconsistent with his or her status as a University Examiner.</p>

<p align=left><b>F. Examination Malpractice</b></p>

<p align=left>(i) Cases of examination malpractice should be submitted by the

Invigilators to the Dean of the Faculty within 24 hours of the examination

period.</p>

<p align=left>(ii) The result of any student involved in examination malpractice

should be withheld until the case is disposed of.</p>

<p align=left>(iii) Faculty Examination Malpractice Committee should consider

such cases and make appropriate recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor within

two months.</p>

<p align=left><b>G. Withdrawal from the University</b></p>

<p align=left>(i) That for Faculties running the Course Unit System, a student

should be allowed an additional period of 50% of the duration of his programme

after which his studentship should be deemed to have lapsed whether or not he

has a <b>C.G.P.A. of 1.00</b>.  The decision took effect from the beginning

of 1996/97 academic session.</p>

<p align=left>(ii) That for the Faculties of Clinical Sciences, Dentistry and

Pharmacy, a student should not be allowed to repeat a year more than once.</p>

<p align=left>(iii) That the period, i.e., the duration of programme, should

exclude approved periods of leave of absence granted to the student.</p>

<p align=left>(iv) That students on ground should be given additional 50% of the

remaining period to complete their programmes.</p>

<p align=left>(v) That the existing Regulation on probation should be retained.</p>

<p align=left>(vi) The names of students asked to withdraw from the University

should be processed to Senate for approval prompt.</p>

<p align=left><b>H. Intention to graduate:</b></p>

<p align=left>Students, in their final sessions,  must indicate their

interest in concluding their academic responsibilities by filling out

appropriate forms that would be made available on demand.</p>

<p align=left><b>I. Tutorial List</b></p>

<p align=left>A tutorial list of students is always kept in other to monitor the

students taking a course and to prepare the continuous assessment details from

time to time. Students should ensure that their names are correctly indicated on

the list.</p>

<div align=right><b><i><font color="#abadca">Principal Assistant Registrar (Admissions)</font></i></b></div>

<hr>

<div align=center><font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown><marquee>©   'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande 2001.</marquee></font></div>

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//First we'll check if the user has visited this page before by examining

//the _visitSite cookie:

userCookie = ReadCookie("_visitSite");

userid = ReadCookie("username") ;

if (userCookie == null)

visits = 1; //This is the first visit

else

visits = parseInt(userCookie) + 1;

// Create or update existing cookie:

createCookie("_visitSite", visits, 30);

visits +

"</font></b> in this site</font></div>");

}

//-->

</script>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Student Registration Procedure: A project by 'Gbenga Sesan and Bunmi Sowande</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

<!--

document.cookie = "username" +

"=" +

useid +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

-->

</td><td align=center>

<font size=1 face=Verdana color=blue><b>Visit the <br><a href="http://www.oauife.edu.ng">OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY website!</a></font>

</td></tr></table>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</table>

<td>

showHits( );

</script></td>

</tr></table>

<tr>

<a href="general.htm">General Information</a><p>

<a href="more.htm">More Information</a><p>

<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

<a href="gallery/gallery.htm">OAU in Pictures</a></b></font>

</div></tr>

</table>

</td>

<hr>

Thank you for taking time to fill the form correctly. Your information has been entered into the Intranet database and would be used for all necessary processes without bothering you with the stress of filling out any forms.

<p>

<b><font color=brown>Your matricultaion number is <font color=navy>EEE/2001/001</font></font><br>

<b><font color=brown>Your accommodation allocation is <font color=navy>Room 8, Block H, Angola Hall</font></font><br>

<b><font color=brown>Your appointment with the Health Centre is at <font color=navy>9:00am on Tuesday, 27th September, 2002</font></font><br>

<b><font color=brown>Your appointment for Certificate (SSCE, NECO, GCE) screening is at the Faculty Office on <font color=navy>Wednesday, 28th September, 2002 at 10:30am</font></font><br>

<p>

Once again, <b>congratulations</b> on your admission to this citadel of learning.

</font>

<hr>

correspondence to <a href="mailto:gbengasesan@yahoo.com">webmaster@gbengasesan.freeservers.com</a> and <a href="mailto:bsowande@beta.linkserve.com">webmaster@members.xoom.com/mrboso</a></font>

</div>

</td>

</table>

</BODY>

</HTML>

Welcome.htm

<html>

<head>

<title>Welcome to our Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife</title>

</head>

<font color=red size=6>O b a f e m i   

<font color=red size=6>A w o l o w o   

<p><div align=center><b><font color=navy size=2>The most beautiful <font color=brown>Campus</font> in Africa</b></div><p>

<marquee><font color=red size=1><i><b>"For Learning and Culture"</b></i></font></marquee></div>

</html>

Women.htm

<HTML>

<!--

// Number of visits variable :

var visits = 0;

var user = " " ;

// Standard cookie functions:

function extractCookieValue (val) {

if ((endOfCookie = document.cookie.indexOf(";", val)) == -1) {

endOfCookie = document.cookie.length;

}

return unescape(document.cookie.substring(val,endOfCookie));

}

function ReadCookie(cookiename) {

var numOfCookies = document.cookie.length;

var nameOfCookie = cookiename + "=";

var cookieLen = nameOfCookie.length;

var x = 0;

while (x <= numOfCookies) {

var y = (x + cookieLen);

if (document.cookie.substring(x, y) == nameOfCookie)

return (extractCookieValue(y));

x = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", x) + 1;

if (x == 0)

break;

}

return (null);

}

function createCookie(name, value, expiredays)

{

var todayDate = new Date( ) ;

todayDate.setDate(todayDate.getDate( ) + expiredays);

document.cookie = name +

"=" +

value +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

}

function showHits( ) {

//First we'll check if the user has visited this page before by examining

//the _visitSite cookie:

userCookie = ReadCookie("_visitSite");

userid = ReadCookie("username") ;

if (userCookie == null)

visits = 1; //This is the first visit

else

visits = parseInt(userCookie) + 1;

// Create or update existing cookie:

createCookie("_visitSite", visits, 30);

visits +

"</font></b> in this site</font></div>");

}

//-->

</script>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>Information for Women Students</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

<!--

document.cookie = "username" +

"=" +

useid +

"; expires=" +

todayDate.toGMTString( ) +

";"

-->

</td><td align=center>

<font size=1 face=Verdana color=blue><b>Visit the <br><a href="http://www.oauife.edu.ng">OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY website!</a></font>

</td></tr></table>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</applet>

</td>

</table>

<td>

showHits( );

</script></td>

</tr></table>

<tr>

<a href="health.htm">Health Services</a><p>

<a href="general.htm">Back to General Information</a><p>

<a href="form.htm">Start Registration</a><p>

</b></font>

</div></tr>

</table>

</td>

<h1 align=center><font color=navy>INFORMATION FOR WOMEN STUDENTS</font></h1>

The <b>Advisory Committee on Student Affairs</b> has approved the following conditions for treatment in the University for <i>Women Undergraduates</i>:<p>

<ol><li>Ease of undergraduate access to <i>obstetric facilities</i> cannot at this stage of University development be guaranteed. Until

facilities improve and can be considered adequate, the University is unable to accept liability of pregnant students. This

<a href="health.htm">University Health Services</a> will undertake to advise and direct students generally as may be necessary.

<li>A married student becoming pregnant will report her condition early to the Mistress of the Hall and Chief Medical Officer. The Chief Medical Officer will inform the Registrar of her state indicating her expected date of delivery.

<li>The <b>husband</b> of a pregnant student or the <i>potential father</i> of her expected baby will produce to the Registrar a written undertaking accepting the responsibility for the student's condition and any complications of it. He will make necessary arrangements for her ante-natal care, surveillance and delivery.

<li>An undergraduate who delays in reporting her <b>pregnancy</b> which is detected only because it becomes obvious to non-medical observers will be ejected from her hall of residence at seventy-two hours notice.

<li>The University will not be responsible for the obstetric expenses of a pregnant student unless she is by virtue of being the wife of a member of staff otherwise qualified.

<li>Pregnant undergraduates will be allowed to remain in their Halls of Residence and take part as fully as they may wish in al University activities until <b>six weeks</b> before their expected date of delivery when they shall move out of the campus and will be barred from all Lectures and Seminars until six weeks after delivery. During this <b><i>three-month period</i></b>, they will not be

allowed to take any University examination.

<li>An expectant, unmarried student who will not or cannot identify a potential father shall be sent down from the University by the Registrar until six weeks after the

delivery of the baby.</ol>

</font>

<hr>

and Bunmi Sowande 2001</marquee></font>

</div>

<font face=Verdana size=1 color=brown>All correspondence to <a href="mailto:gbengasesan@yahoo.com">webmaster@gbengasesan.freeservers.com</a> and <a href="mailto:bsowande@beta.linkserve.com">webmaster@members.xoom.com/mrboso</a></font>

</div>

</td>

</table>

</BODY>

</HTML>

Appendix B – Sample Screen Shots

Screen Shot 1: The Default Page

Screen Shot 2: The Form Page

Screen Shot 3: Health Information Page

Screen Shot 4: Confirmation Page

Screen Shot 5: Database Structure