1. Refactoring Meteorology's Online Weather Center Software Suite
Chris Zeniecki – Dusten Knull – Colin Braun – Professor Nick Rosasco (Advisor)
Languages
Abstract
The Valparaiso University Meteorology Department uses a website to present radar and satellite image data as well as a variety of student collected meteorological data. While the existing system successfully provides the required functionality, the current solution is not easily extensible or maintainable. Additionally, the applications currently in production are very inconsistent with style of the adjoining Valparaiso institutional websites. After considering Rails and Spring Boot, as options, the team opted to utilize Django to refactor and restructure the site. This also allows easier integration with the complex institutional style and formatting requirements. The use of Python as the basis for Django also facilitated rapid development, as the team was already familiar with it, and was something that would enable the customer to assume long term maintenance responsibilities easily. Long term maintainability was also enhanced by the Django miniature applications architectural construction, and the built-in template generation engine.
Python 3 (with Django framework)
HTML 5
CSS 3
Javascript ES 6 (with JQuery)
Use Case Diagram
The First image was the legacy version of the online Weather Center homepage. The Second is the newly updated Javascript ending with the third image, the new view of the online Weather Center.
Not Shown Features
Future Work
Implemented file submission using a Login API
Django Framework usage to decrease file density throughout
Weather data text file reading to update certain pages automatically
More modular CSS to work on all machines, perhaps even mobile
Greater maneuverability within the looped images (Zoom, more specific map data)
More eye-catching and thematic images
Editable announcements page for admin users
Challenges
Acknowledgements
Software engineer schedule conflicts
Learning curve for framework and programming languages
Constant issues with CSS working in different setups
Mr. David Goines, Staff Meteorologist
Professor Nick Rosasco, DSc
The Department of Computing and Information Sciences
The Department of Meteorology