Array Structure Paper
University of Phoenix - Online

Array structures are important to any software that requires user inputs to be stored upon insertion. Maintaining a track on these inputs can result in quicker access times and convenience for the user when trying to access saved data. The question is how is this information stored? Well, our dear friend “Array” has that answer for us. An array is a data structure consisting of a collection of elements, values, or variables. Arrays have the ability to create tables, and directly label certain parts of a table to store significant data. This may have you wondering exactly how we would use this array to save our user input in our Dynamic Positioning software. We plan to use three different key ingredients to perform this action successfully that are, but not limited to using databases, Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), and a well-defined array structure. Well, let me explain in greater details. First, the way user inputted data is saved, is by storing that data into something called a database. A database is like a storage warehouse, where you can save many types of data forms at this place for later use. This is exactly where we plan to save our user inputted data for our DP system. This database will be set up using something called MySQL, which is the largest open source database management system. This software is available under the GNU General Public License, which promotes it as free software for anyone and everyone to use commercially. There are two variants of this software, which entails a community server and an enterprise server. Next step, we have to design the program to execute a store procedure when the user inputs their information. This is done by developing with Object-Oriented Programming. For example, we create an object called userDistance and program it to store its inputted data. Where the data is stored is where the array will come in. The userDistance object will be programmed to store within a certain range of variables. When the user inputs data depending on the object they are submitting, in this case the userDistance object. That data will be stored within the MySQL database in the object header, Distance or whatever the array may be labeled as.
This stored data will then be saved and retrievable at a later date when the user may need that data down the road. In this case, let’s say a vessel captain has a destination at Oil Rig 1, well every time he needs to return to Oil Rig 1 he won’t have to keep programming the software to the correct specification at that location. All he/she has to do is find the saved data in the log from that location and it will automatically input into the system more efficiently. Lastly, we match up the data that is inputted by the user with where we want to store it in MySQL database. This is handled by our array structure that we are implementing in the design. The array structure will be developed as a table