Hi guys!
One of the classes I’m in is this semester is ITP 482, Engineering Database Applications. It’s sort of an extension of ISE 382 (Database Design, Management, and Implementation), which I took last semester.
In ISE 382, I learned how to use tools, such as Microsoft Access and Visio, to design and maintain relational databases. Part of the course was learning how to set up data tables to have fields that referred to fields in other data tables, and ensuring that these values were consistent with one another. It was sort of difficult at first, but once I understood the big picture, I realized how applicable a lot of what I learned was to various industries.
This motivated me to take the next course in sequence, ITP 482. This is one of my favorite classes this semester. Now that I understand the concepts behind databases, I am learning how to design a database-driven website using a program called Drupal. One of the neat things about Drupal is that it allows one to manage multiple websites at a time. Also, once you have put content on a webpage, you can rearrange it however you want without altering the content itself. Furthermore, most of the functionality of Drupal doesn’t require any programming knowledge to implement!
We’ve finished learning all the basics of Drupal, and are now starting a large project as a class. The project? Redesigning the website for L.A. Orthopaedic Hospital. My professor, Professor Kale, has been in contact with a few employees there, and they are as excited as we are to begin the redesigning process! When we are done, it will be much easier for the hospital employees to manage the website and alter it if they want to. Also, it will hopefully also be easier to navigate for people visiting the site!
This is a really cool project for me to be involved in, especially with my previous experience in healthcare. I can combine my knowledge of what is most important to hospital employees when it comes to technology with the technology itself. Also, I think that this is something that can be applied to all kinds of other industries!
That’s it for this week! Everyone have a good weekend!
