Helping Pyramid

Client Requirement

The client who happens to be one of the worlds leading Philanthropy and Welfare Organizations required a social networking application targeted towards a Philanthropy and also wanted to highlight the importance of Peace, Democracy and development.

The main aim of the application was to create a platform for various users of various nationalities to come together and discuss the probabilities of helping people from other countries that are facing issues with regards to food, democracy, health, medicines etc. The application also enables users to donate to a specific cause using the “advertise with us” option, they have the choice of donating funds to the organizations which they want to.

The application should also have a unique facility of having your animated character, the users will have the ability to choose the color and shape of the animated character, the character will be a part of the pyramid .In the Pyramid users will hold hands with other members from all corners of the earth and link up with them. No one will ever be on the top of it. Every time the Pyramid fills up, it will reshuffle and users will link up with new people for peace, democracy and development.

Challenges

1. Creating a Pyramid using Flash, Also integrating a system wherein the pyramid reshuffles when new users are connected

2. Minimal requirements provided, a lot of time was allocated towards requirement mapping and analyzing the requirements and providing the best suggestions for the following:

a. Technology
b. Database
c. Animated characters
d. Preparing and integrating an algorithm

3. Ensuring the site to operate at top speeds even in peak traffic hours and maintaining good load balance. Ensure safe and secure transfer of data.

4. Enabling full control of the user generated content to the administration panel.

5. Maintaining the site and doing revisions as per the client and programming suggestions.

Tools and technologies used

Probably the most popular language on the Internet used for web based scripting. Very fast interaction with databases. Read more Free, highly customizable low maintenance database management system. Consistently stable in high volume data environment with a wide range of support available for free over various forums and support portals. The preferred database used with PHP as a scripting language. Read more JavaScript and Asynchronous JavaScript and XML used for Crossover browser support, quick data updates. Scalable JavaScript used to provide enhanced user experience and validation. Open source and license free, sturdy platform with powerful capabilities used as Server.

Resources

Project manager 1 Business analyst 1 Designer(s) 2 Programmer(s) 5 Testing & QA stuff 3 Total manpower 12

Architecture

PHP and MySQL formed the basis of development as the site has a program of Social Networking portal with extensive features. All business layer components were coded to use this library for data accessing process from database. The UI layer was kept free of any business logic with images.

Data Tier – MYSQL – Store Procedures
Processing Tier – PHP
Presentation Tier – Smarty , HTML, Ajax, Lightbox, Flash and Javascript