← VCE Software Development U3O2

Technical constraints

A limit set by technology, such as the hardware, operating system, network or existing software, that a solution must work within.

Part of: VCE Software Development - U3O2 - Analysis and Design — Module 35, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1 — Understanding Digital Problems — Module 36, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 3 — Real-World Problems and Solution Requirements — Module 13, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 4 — Complex Digital Data Exchange Problems and Solution Requirements — Module 5

Understanding Technical constraints in VCE Software Development U3O2

What it does: A fixed screen size and memory amount are hardware limits from the target device that the solution must work within. The slow network is a technology limit, and the page load time must be achieved within it, so it is a performance-related technical constraint. Technical constraints come from technology. Limits on money are economic constraints. Android is the operating system, so this limits how the solution is built. The Privacy Act is a legal constraint. Limited memory restricts how well software can run, so it is a performance limit. Brand colours are a design preference. If the hardware, OS or existing system only supports certain technology, your choices of language, tools and design are limited.

Common mistakes: The operating system constraint means the device needs at least the minimum OS version. The condition should use >=, not <=, or newer systems would be rejected. The hardware constraint is a minimum amount of RAM. The warning should show when RAM is less than the minimum (<), not when it is more (>).

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 26–41) and word search (Modules 26–51).

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Learning
Duo
Which statement best describes a technical constraint?
A limit from technology, such as hardware, OS, network or existing software, that the solution must work withinA limit on how much money the client can spend on the solution
Matches
Technical constraint: The client has a budget of $5000
↓
This is an economic constraint, not a technical one. A technical constraint is a limit from technology such as hardware, operating system, network or software.
Applying
Meanings
Term
Technical constraint
Meaning
A limit set by technology, such as the hardware, operating system, network or existing software, that a solution must work within.
Practice
Technical constraints
Testing
Gaps
Type:
Check Answer
Spots
2INPUT osVersion
3IF osVersion <= minOS THEN

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Quick Questions

1. Which statement best describes a technical constraint?
A. A limit on how much money the client can spend on the solution
B. A limit from technology, such as hardware, OS, network or existing software, that the solution must work within ✓
Technical constraints come from technology. Limits on money are economic constraints.
2. A school's app must run on its old Windows 10 laptops. What type of constraint is this?
A. Technical constraint (target devices and operating system) ✓
B. Legal constraint
The solution is limited by the hardware and operating system it must run on, so it is a technical constraint.
3. Which is an example of a technical constraint?
A. The app must connect to the school's existing student database ✓
B. The app must be finished before Term 4 starts
Compatibility with an existing system is a technical constraint. A due date is a time constraint, not a technical one.
4. A tradie's app must work on a phone with slow 3G mobile data in regional areas. Which sub-theme of technical constraints is this?
A. Performance limits (network speed) ✓
B. Compatibility with existing systems
A slow network limits how fast data can load, so it is a performance limit.
5. A solution must run only on Android phones. Which is the technical constraint?
A. The Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth)
B. The operating system the solution must work on ✓
Android is the operating system, so this limits how the solution is built. The Privacy Act is a legal constraint.

Match the Pairs

Runs on Windows 10 and macOS only → A technical constraint on the operating system: the solution must work on these platforms and no others.
Must read data from the school's existing SQL database → A technical constraint on compatibility with existing systems: the solution must work with software already in use.
Target devices limit a solution because the hardware may have a small screen or little memory. → App must run on a 5-inch phone with 2 GB RAM
Performance limits are set by technology, such as network speed or processing power, that the solution must cope with. → Must load each page in 3 seconds on a 4 Mbps connection
Technical constraint: The client has a budget of $5000 → This is an economic constraint, not a technical one. A technical constraint is a limit from technology such as hardware, operating system, network or software.
Technical constraint: Users would like a blue and white theme → This is a user preference, not a limit from technology. It does not restrict the hardware, operating system, network or existing software.

Key Term

Technical constraint
A limit set by technology, such as the hardware, operating system, network or existing software, that a solution must work within.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Constraint: Must run on Windows 10 only Type: Technical
Hint: Type the category of constraint caused by the operating system a solution must work with.
2. IF screenWidth < 800 THEN DISPLAY "Use mobile layout" END IF
Hint: Type the comparison operator that detects a small target device screen.
3. IF fileType ≠ "CSV" THEN DISPLAY "Cannot import file" END IF
Hint: Type the operator meaning 'not equal', so the check finds data the existing system cannot read.
4. IF appRAM > deviceRAM THEN DISPLAY "Not enough memory" END IF
Hint: Type the variable for the memory the app needs, which is compared with the device's performance limit.
5. IF os = "iOS" OR os = "Android" THEN DISPLAY "Mobile app supported" END IF
Hint: Type the logical keyword that allows either of two operating systems to pass the check.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A minOS ← 10
B INPUT osVersion
C IF osVersion <= minOS THEN
D OUTPUT "Supported"
E END IF
Line C — The operating system constraint means the device needs at least the minimum OS version. The condition should use >=, not <=, or newer systems would be rejected.
Question 2
A minRAM ← 4
B INPUT deviceRAM
C IF deviceRAM > minRAM THEN
D OUTPUT "Not enough memory"
E END IF
Line C — The hardware constraint is a minimum amount of RAM. The warning should show when RAM is less than the minimum (<), not when it is more (>).
Question 3
A INPUT fileSizeMB
B INPUT speedMBps
C time ← fileSizeMB / speedMBps
D IF time < 30 THEN
E OUTPUT "Too slow for users"
F END IF
Line D — Network speed is a performance limit. The 'Too slow' warning should appear when the transfer time is greater than 30 seconds (>), not less than it.
Question 4
A INPUT deviceType
B IF deviceType ← "tablet" THEN
C screenWidth ← 1024
D END IF
Line B — To check the target device you must compare values with =. The ← arrow assigns a value and cannot be used as a condition.
Question 5
A OUTPUT fileFormat
B IF fileFormat = "CSV" THEN
C OUTPUT "Import to legacy"
D END IF
Line A — To check compatibility with an existing system, the program must first get the file format from the user. Line 1 should be INPUT fileFormat, not OUTPUT.

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