E6: Evaluation Guidelines and Class Retrospective BLOG

15 Dec 2023

1. Briefly describe your system

My assignment 3 is about Wenailed a unique press-on nail shop. It stands out in the e-commerce landscape with its innovative approach, offering a distinctive range of press-on nails.

2. Any notable shortcomings, bugs, problems, or additional features not implemented?

While there were a few minor improvements I had hoped to address but didn’t have the opportunity to, they’re relatively inconsequential, and the overall functionality remains intact. One area I would have liked to enhance is the tiny icon responsible for displaying the quantity in the cart. It currently functions when text is entered, but it doesn’t retain the quantity number. Additionally, I had wished for more time to refine the CSS, as I believe it has the potential to enhance the overall aesthetics of the project.

3. Describe what you are most proud of about your system:

I take the most pride in the functionality of our A3, as it operates without any significant issues. My desire to make improvements primarily revolves around minor details. Additionally, I’m exceptionally proud of the uniqueness of my e-commerce website. To the best of my knowledge, none of the former ITM352 students have ever embarked on a project quite like mine. I find its concept to be incredibly distinctive, and that’s something I deeply cherish.

4. Describe what you are least happy with your system:

I have some reservations about IR5 – I believe there’s room for improvement in terms of styling and approach. Dan suggested implementing it alongside each product in the product display, but I personally prefer the original method we used, which was after receiving the invoice. Additionally, I wish I had designed the hrefs as buttons, as it gave a more polished appearance. Unfortunately, time constraints prevented me from making these changes.

5. How was developing this assignment different than assignment #2?

We transitioned to using cookies and sessions to store user data, which marked a significant departure from our previous approach. I found this shift to be quite challenging compared to previous assignments, as it involved a substantial amount of conceptualization.

6. When you ran into a problem, what did you do to address it?

When troubleshooting, my usual process involves utilizing the debugger and testing the code on the server. I closely inspect the console for any issues or errors. If this initial approach doesn’t yield a solution, I turn to ChatGPT for assistance. I carefully review the guidance it provides to understand the underlying issue. In cases where ChatGPT’s input doesn’t resolve the problem, my final resource is Dan. I find that Dan’s expertise often proves most effective, as he excels at diagnosing the problem and offering valuable solutions.

7. Describe what worked well in doing this assignment?

Our team maintained great communication throughout the assignment, ensuring effective collaboration. We consistently scheduled meetings and successfully coordinated with Professor Port to seek clarification and guidance on challenging tasks. Additionally, our project achieved a high level of functionality, aligning with our objectives. We encountered only minor issues that could have been refined or improved, but overall, our progress was commendable.

8. Describe what did not work well in doing this assignment?

The little icon indicating cart quantities had some functionality issues I intended to address in collaboration with Dan. Unfortunately, time constraints prevented us from doing so. While I acknowledge that not everyone opted for this approach in their assignment, I believe it added a visually appealing touch, closely resembling a typical e-commerce site.

9. What did you learn from doing this assignment?

Through this experience, I acquired valuable insights into teamwork dynamics, as well as a deeper understanding of cookies and sessions. I also gained practical knowledge about the time and effort required for debugging and experimenting with unfamiliar code. Moreover, I discovered that simplicity often prevails and that overcomplicating matters can lead to unnecessary time wasted on it.

10. If you could go back in time and do things differently, what would you change?

In hindsight, I realize that dedicating more time to this project and opting for solo work might have been a more efficient approach. Working in a team proved challenging due to the extensive requirements and complex tasks involved, particularly the demanding administrative back-end development and the implementation of the other IRs. Had I tackled this project individually, I believe I could have not only achieved all my intended goals but also incorporated additional enhancements. My concern primarily stemmed from the multitude of extra tasks within our group’s scope, which occasionally diverted my focus.

11. Estimate the % of time you spent (a) thinking about how to do something, (b) writing code (but do not include testing, (c) testing and debugging

I spent approximately 25% of my time thinking of solutions, 55% writing code, and 20% on testing and debugging.

12. Assign an estimated percentage on the amount each team member contributed to the assignment (including yourself) and explain briefly your rationale for the percentage breakdown. Be sure to include an overview of what specifically you and your partners contributed (e.g. “I worked on the security and my partner 1 worked on personalization”)