This section describes the process of defining the OS/2 Version 2.0 requirements for a typical, inexperienced user, selecting the components and setting up the system. In this case, our user will be running on a stand-alone system. LAN considerations are discussed in Using the Workplace Shell in a LAN Environment.
For instance, a user has a range of tasks to complete as part of his normal job. These include:
We will examine the task of creating customer quotations in some detail to illustrate how we would set up the system for any task.
Creating quotations involves:
Each task is represented by a work area. The reason we use a work area is that when it is closed it closes all the programs which have been opened from within it. Since memory and disk space may be restricted on our system, leaving programs open could cause us performance problems. Closing them when we finish one task and switch to another should help prevent that problem.
Each task involves other subtasks. For example, calculating the price might involve looking back at the outcome of previous quotations or checking to see whether the customer was traditionally a late payer (in which case a penalty charge might be levied within the price quoted).
When we look at the information required we see that we need the same information in several of the subtasks. The customer name and address would be needed in both the quotation document (which includes the terms and conditions which apply to the quotation) and the covering letter.
From the activities above, we can see that we need the following programs:
We decided to use the following programs to illustrate a possible mix of operating systems and show what degree of interaction is possible under OS/2 Version 2.0.