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Input Control

By | August 2012
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Input Control
Jamie Robinson
Professor Mohammed
CIS 210
August 11, 2012

Input Control
Input controls are fail safes that ensure that data is entered correctly, completely, and securely, in order to complete forms. As a systems analyst, one must focus on input control in every step of input design. There are many types of input control that can be implemented during the design process; all of which have a function necessary to maintain the integrity of the transaction. To list all of the input controls would take forever, so we will cover four in the following paragraphs.

One type of input control is the standard text box. The text box can display messages or provide a place for the user to enter data. The text box is used when the system requires the user to type information such as city names, airport codes, or web page addresses. When using a text box, it is often helpful to use an auto complete function to help ensure proper data entry. This would be beneficial when the number of choices are too numerous to be displayed in a drop down list box. The data integrity error that is possible from using a text box is almost always going to occur due to human error. If the text box is programmed to accept letters (i.e. Name) and the user inserts a number, this will result in a data integrity error.

Another type of input control is the previously mentioned drop-down list box. “The drop- down list box displays the current selection; when the user clicks the arrow, a list of the available choices displays.” (Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2012) This input control method is used when there are only a specific number of choices to be made. A common example for the drop-down list is when a user is being asked in which state they reside. There are fifty choices, and these are the only options that are acceptable answers to the inquiry. If this input control method was not in place, there could be a multitude of things entered in this block that have nothing to do...

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