School Management System

Overview

This School Management System is a C++ project designed as a learning opportunity for intermediate to advanced C++ programmers. It demonstrates the use of modern C++ features, object-oriented programming principles, and integrates various software development practices.

Features

• Create and manage multiple schools
• Add classes to schools
• Add students to classes
• Save and load data using JSON files
• Command-line interface for user interaction

Prerequisites

• C++17 compatible compiler (e.g., GCC 7+, Clang 5+, MSVC 2017+)
• CMake 3.10 or higher
• Git (for version control)

Project Structure

school_management_system/
├── CMakeLists.txt
├── src/
│   ├── main.cpp
|   ├── menu.cpp
|   ├── query_system.cpp
│   ├── school.cpp
│   ├── class.cpp
│   └── student.cpp
├── include/
│   ├── menu.h
|   ├── query_system.h
│   ├── school.h
│   ├── class.h
│   └── student.h
├── lib/
│   └── json.hpp
├── data/
│   └── schools.json
├── build/
├── .vscode/
│   ├── tasks.json
│   └── launch.json
└── README.md

Setup and Build

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd school_management_system
   

2. Create a build directory and run CMake:

   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   

3. Build the project:

   make
   

4. Run the program:

   ./SchoolManagementSystem
   

Development Milestones

Milestone 1: Basic Structure and Functionality

• Set up project structure with CMake
• Implement basic classes (School, Class, Student)
• Create a simple command-line interface
• Implement JSON serialization and deserialization

Milestone 2: Enhanced Functionality and Error Handling

• Implement input validation for all user inputs
• Add error handling using try-catch blocks
• Create custom exceptions for specific error scenarios
• Implement a logging system to track operations and errors

Milestone 3: Advanced Features

• Add more complex queries (e.g., find students by age range)
• Implement class average calculations
• Add support for courses and grades
• Create reports (e.g., student performance, class statistics)

Milestone 4: Performance and Scalability

• Optimize data structures for larger datasets
• Implement multithreading for improved performance
• Add database support (e.g., SQLite) for persistent storage

Milestone 5: User Interface and Experience

• Develop a graphical user interface using Qt or wxWidgets
• Implement user authentication and access levels
• Create a dashboard for quick overview of school statistics

Milestone 6: Testing and Documentation

• Write unit tests using Google Test or Catch2
• Implement integration tests
• Create comprehensive documentation using Doxygen
• Write a user manual

Learning Objectives

1. Modern C++ Features: Utilize C++17 features like structured bindings, if constexpr, and std::optional.
2. Object-Oriented Design: Apply SOLID principles and design patterns.
3. Memory Management: Use smart pointers and RAII techniques.
4. Generic Programming: Implement templates for reusable components.
5. Standard Library: Leverage containers, algorithms, and utilities from the C++ Standard Library.
6. Third-party Libraries: Integrate and use external libraries (e.g., JSON for Modern C++).
7. Build Systems: Gain proficiency with CMake for cross-platform project management.
8. Version Control: Practice Git workflows and collaborative development.
9. Error Handling: Implement robust error handling and logging mechanisms.
10. Multithreading: Apply concurrent programming techniques for performance optimization.
11. GUI Development: Create user-friendly interfaces using C++ GUI frameworks.
12. Database Integration: Connect and interact with SQL databases from C++.
13. Testing: Write and maintain unit and integration tests.
14. Documentation: Create clear and comprehensive documentation for the project.

Contributing

This project is not open for contributions. Please follow these steps to fork and do your own experiment:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch for your feature
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to your branch
5. Create a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• JSON for Modern C++ by Niels Lohmann
• All contributors and supporters of this learning project