TS/MP Pathsend and Server Programming Manual (G06.24+, H06.03+)

Designing Your Application
NonStop TS/MP Pathsend and Server Programming Manual–132500
2-2
Analyzing Data Flow
Analyzing Data Flow
Analyzing the flow of data involves identifying what information is required for a
business task, determining the order in which that information is required, and
specifying how the information is to be handled. To automate the order-processing tasks
of the previously described distributorship, for example, you could analyze the flow of
information as follows:
1. Accept the customer’s identification number, a requested delivery date for the order,
and shipping instructions such as the delivery address.
2. Check the customer’s identification number to ensure that the customer is defined in
the \REG database; get the customer’s name and address from the \REG database;
and get a new order identification from the \REG database.
3. Accept a list of order items along with the requested quantity for each order item.
4. Check the current quantity available, in the database on \WHS, of each ordered item
to ensure that sufficient quantity exists to fill the order.
5. Accept any special instructions, such as back-ordering out-of-stock items, required
to process the order.
6. Calculate the total order cost; get the current customer balance and credit limit from
the \REG database; add the total order cost to current customer balance; and ensure
that the new balance does not exceed the customer’s credit limit.
7. Ask the customer to confirm the order.
8. After the customer has confirmed the order, subtract the quantity ordered from the
current quantity available, in the \WHS database, for each ordered item.
9. Add the total order cost to the customer’s current balance in the \REG database.
10. Record the order information in the \REG database.
11. Transmit the order information in the accounts receivable files to the \CORP
database and record the information in the database.
12. Record the order shipping information in inventory files on the \WHS database.
Assume that your analysis of the previous flow of information shows that only two
transactions need to be created to support order processing: an Add New Customers
transaction and an Enter Sales transaction. The Enter Sales transaction, which accepts
and records all the information associated with a customer order, is the example used in
the rest of this section.
The data flow outlined in the previous steps is illustrated in Figure 2-1
.