i.   A web-based system for purchasing tea.

ii.  Joseph Masters

iii. Abstract
  I intend to create a full-service website to allow users to view and purchase a selection of tea, grouped by country of origin, degree of fermentation, cost, or other relevant features.


iv. What
  This web site will provide users with searchable information about a business' stock of tea.  The website will allow for purchasing tea, reviewing past orders, and will serve as a forum for rating each variety of tea.

  A user will be able to create an account, browse a catalog and place an order. Essentially, it will resemble on-line shopping sites such as sears.com, starbucks.com or gap.com.


v. Why
  This course has been my first experience with web programming.  I would like to see if I can create a web site that duplicates some of the best features I see on other sites, particularly for ordering products.  I see the possibly to use any of the languages we've learned in the course to create this web site.  The idea is broad enough to allow me to move in different directions as the project progresses, and to add any number of additional features.

  Why tea?  Well, there are enough distinguishing features of the product to allow it to be grouped in a number of different ways.  The prices change periodically and people who drink it tend to have certain tastes for similar varieties (i.e. predictable buying behavior).  Also, I like tea, so I think working on a project related to it will make the work more enjoyable.


vi. How
  One or more XML databases will contain information about tea varieties, stock and user profiles (including purchase history).  I will use JAVA and XSLT to dynamically create web pages, primarily for the display of catalog information, based on the user's search criteria.  I intend to use XPATH or XQuery to quickly locate products from the database.

  I might employ XSL-FO to create purchase orders or receipts that the customer can print on their home computer.  I also may use SOAP to request product information, but at this point, I'm not sure where or how.


vii. Questions
  Is it reasonable that I expect to determine the extent of additional features as I go along?