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The Development Project: Analysis and Design

Internal and external constraints on the solution

  • 3 things to know
  • A2 Unit 2

Overview

Constraint in a development project and difference between an internal and an external constraint.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Give four internal constraints on a new system.

Key term

How does the choice of development software follow from the constraints?

Key term

What is a constraint in a development project?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is a constraint in a development project?

    Model answer

    A constraint is a limit the solution must be built within, whatever the designer would otherwise prefer. Constraints are identified during analysis because they rule out designs before effort is spent on them.

  2. 2

    What is the difference between an internal and an external constraint?

    Model answer

    An internal constraint arises inside the organisation and could in principle be changed by it, such as the budget or the existing hardware. An external constraint is imposed from outside and cannot be negotiated, such as legislation or an industry standard.

  3. 3

    Give four internal constraints on a new system.

    Model answer

    Internal constraints include the money available, the deadline by which the system must be working, the hardware and software the organisation already owns, and the technical skills of the staff who will maintain it.

  4. 4

    How does existing hardware constrain a solution?

    Model answer

    A solution has to run acceptably on the machines the organisation has, so available memory, processor speed, screen size and storage limit what can be built unless the budget stretches to replacing them.

  5. 5

    How do the skills of the end users constrain a design?

    Model answer

    A design must be usable by the people who will actually operate it, so an interface that assumes technical knowledge the staff do not have will be worked around or abandoned however well it is built.

  6. 6

    Give four external constraints on a new system.

    Model answer

    External constraints include data protection law, accessibility requirements, the file formats or interfaces of systems it must exchange data with, and any regulatory or industry standard the organisation is bound by.

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