Part I
Design
We will first spend some time explaining the basic steps to designing a system. My suggestion is as follows: "Design is the first stage of any successful system, and encompasses everything that you work on before you begin implementation." In this section, we will focus on the general principles and core aspects of each element of the system.
Two main core elements should be at the forefront when designing each part of the system: The interface, or how an element of the system connects to the rest, and data storage, how this element stores information that can be retrieved later.
Both are critical. The interface defines what the system is and its functionality from the point of view of any user. A well-designed interface hides the implementation details and provides some abstractions that allow for a consistent and comprehensive way of performing actions.
The heart of virtually every successful working system is the data. This...
