Timetable Builder Application

A comprehensive Java Swing application for educational institutions to manage, schedule, and view timetables for courses.

System Requirements

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 17 or newer
• Maven 3.6.0 or newer
• Windows, macOS, or Linux operating system with GUI support

Project Architecture

File Structure

TT/
├── pom.xml
├── Readme.md
├── data/
│   ├── classrooms.json
│   ├── courses.json
│   ├── instructors.json
│   ├── sections.json
│   ├── students.json
│   ├── timetable.json
│   └── users.json
├── src/
│   └── main/
│       └── java/
│           └── com/
│               └── timetablebuilder/
│                   ├── Main.java
│                   ├── model/
│                   │   ├── Classroom.java
│                   │   ├── ComponentType.java
│                   │   ├── Course.java
│                   │   ├── Instructor.java
│                   │   ├── Section.java
│                   │   ├── Student.java
│                   │   ├── TimeSlot.java
│                   │   └── ...
│                   ├── service/
│                   │   ├── AuthService.java
│                   │   ├── DataRepository.java
│                   │   ├── PersistenceService.java
│                   │   ├── TimetableGenerator.java
│                   │   └── TimetableService.java
│                   ├── solver/
│                   │   └── TimetableSolver.java
│                   ├── ui/
│                   │   ├── AutoTimetablePanel.java
│                   │   ├── CourseBrowserPanel.java
│                   │   ├── DataInputPanel.java
│                   │   ├── LoginDialog.java
│                   │   ├── MainFrame.java
│                   │   ├── ManualTimetablePanel.java
│                   │   ├── StudentTimetablePanel.java
│                   │   ├── TeacherTimetablePanel.java
│                   │   └── ...
│                   └── util/
│                       └── PasswordUtils.java
└── target/
    ├── TimetableBuilder-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar
    └── classes/
        └── com/
            └── timetablebuilder/
                └── ...

System Design Overview

• UI Layer (ui/): Java Swing panels, dialogs, and frames for all user roles (Admin, Teacher, Student). Handles user input and displays data.
• Model Layer (model/): Java classes representing core entities (Classroom, Course, Instructor, Section, Student, TimeSlot, etc.).
• Service Layer (service/): Contains business logic, authentication, data management, and timetable generation. Key classes:
  • AuthService: Handles user authentication and session management.
  • PersistenceService: Loads and saves data to JSON files.
  • TimetableService & TimetableGenerator: Manage and generate timetables.
• Solver Layer (solver/): Implements algorithms for automatic timetable generation and conflict resolution.
• Utility Layer (util/): Helper classes for tasks like password hashing.

Data Flow:

1. User interacts with the UI (e.g., logs in, manages data, views timetables).
2. UI calls service layer methods to perform actions.
3. Service layer updates models and persists changes using PersistenceService.
4. Data is loaded from and saved to JSON files in the data/ directory.

Data Architecture

• All persistent data is stored as JSON files in the data/ directory.
• Each file corresponds to a specific entity or relationship:
  • classrooms.json: Classroom details (id, name, capacity, type, etc.)
  • courses.json: Course information (code, name, credits, etc.)
  • instructors.json: Instructor profiles and assignments.
  • sections.json: Course sections, including schedule, assigned instructor, and classroom.
  • students.json: Student records, enrollments, and credentials.
  • users.json: User login credentials and roles (admin, teacher, student).
  • timetable.json: The master timetable, mapping sections to time slots and classrooms.

Persistence Mechanism:

• On startup, the application loads all JSON files into memory.
• Any changes made via the UI (add/edit/delete) are immediately saved back to the corresponding JSON file.
• The PersistenceService abstracts file I/O, ensuring data consistency and integrity.

Example Data Structure (section of sections.json):

[
  {
    "id": "SEC101",
    "courseId": "CSE101",
    "instructorId": "INST01",
    "classroomId": "CR01",
    "timeSlot": {
      "day": "Monday",
      "startTime": "09:00",
      "endTime": "10:00"
    },
    "enrolledStudents": ["STU01", "STU02"]
  }
]

System Diagram:

[User]
   │
   ▼
[UI Layer] ──calls──> [Service Layer] ──manages──> [Model Layer]
   │                                   │
   │                                   ▼
   └──────────reads/writes────────> [PersistenceService] ──JSON──> [data/]

Setup Instructions

1. Install Java Development Kit (JDK)

If you don't have JDK installed:

1. Download JDK from Oracle's website or use OpenJDK.

2. Install the JDK by following the installation wizard.

3. Verify installation by opening a terminal or command prompt and running:

   java -version

2. Install Maven

If you don't have Maven installed:

1. Download Maven from Apache Maven's website.

2. Extract the archive to a location of your choice.

3. Add Maven's bin directory to your system's PATH variable.

4. Verify installation by running:

   mvn -version

3. Download the zip

download and extract the ZIP file from the drive.

4. Build the Project

Navigate to the project root directory and run:

mvn clean install

This will download all dependencies specified in the pom.xml file and build the project.

5. Run the Application

There are several ways to run the application:

Using terminal

Just run the Main.java using VScode or any other IDE as java application.

Using the JAR file

If the project is built with Maven, run the compiled JAR file:

java -jar target/TimetableBuilder-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar

Using an IDE

1. Open the project in your preferred IDE.
2. Ensure that all Maven dependencies are properly imported
3. Find the Main class (com.timetablebuilder.Main)
4. Right-click on the class and select "Run" or "Run As > Java Application"

Direct Java command (if all dependencies are in classpath)

If you have all the required dependencies (including Jackson libraries) in your classpath:

1. Compile the project:

   javac -cp "/path/to/dependencies/" -d target/classes src/main/java/com/timetablebuilder/**/.java

2. Run the compiled class:

   java -cp "target/classes:/path/to/dependencies/*" com.timetablebuilder.Main

For Windows users (Command Prompt): cmd javac -cp "path\to\dependencies*" -d target\classes src\main\java\com\timetablebuilder***.java java -cp "target\classes;path\to\dependencies*" com.timetablebuilder.Main

Using the Application

The application supports three user roles, each with different permissions and views:

Admin Role

Login Credentials:

• Username: admin1
• Password: admin123

Capabilities:

1. Data Management

   • Manage classrooms, instructors, courses, sections, and students
   • Add, edit, or remove any data entity
   • View all data in tabular format

2. Manual Timetable Management

   • View the master timetable
   • Schedule sections by selecting from unscheduled sections
   • Assign classrooms and time slots
   • Remove scheduled sections

3. Automatic Timetable Generation

   • Generate timetables automatically based on constraints
   • Preview generated timetables before applying
   • Apply generated schedules to the master timetable

Instructions for Common Tasks:

• Adding a Classroom: Go to Data Management tab → Select Classroom panel → Click "Add" → Fill in details → Submit
• Scheduling a Section: Go to Manual Timetable tab → Select a section from the unscheduled list → Select a classroom → Click on a time slot in the grid → Click "Assign"
• Generating Timetable: Go to Auto Timetable tab → Set parameters → Click "Generate" → Review → Apply to master

Teacher Role

Login Credentials:

• Username: ajith (or a specific instructor ID)
• Password: teacher123

Capabilities:

1. View Personal Timetable

   • See all sections assigned to the logged-in instructor
   • View by day and time slot

2. View Master Timetable

   • Read-only view of all scheduled sections

Instructions for Common Tasks:

• Viewing Your Schedule: After login, the personal timetable is displayed automatically
• Finding a Specific Class: Use the search functionality (if available) or locate the cell in the timetable grid

Student Role

Login Credentials:

• Username: vardhan (or a specific student ID)
• Password: student123

Capabilities:

1. View Personal Timetable

   • See all sections the student is enrolled in
   • View by day and time slot

2. Course Registration

   • Browse available courses and sections
   • Register for courses
   • Drop enrolled courses

Instructions for Common Tasks:

• Enrolling in a Course: Go to Course Registration tab → Browse available sections → Select a section → Click "Enroll"
• Dropping a Course: Go to Course Registration tab → View enrolled sections → Select a section → Click "Drop"
• Viewing Your Schedule: Go to My Timetable tab to see your personal schedule

Application Workflow

1. Admin Setup:

   • Add classrooms, instructors, courses, sections, and students
   • Schedule sections in the timetable
   • Save all changes

2. Instructor Usage:

   • Log in to view assigned teaching schedule
   • Plan accordingly

3. Student Registration:

   • Log in to view available courses
   • Register for courses
   • View personal timetable

Data Persistence

All data is saved in JSON format in the data directory:

• classrooms.json
• instructors.json
• courses.json
• sections.json
• students.json
• users.json
• timetable.json

The application automatically loads data from these files on startup and saves changes when operations are performed.

Troubleshooting

• Application won't start: Ensure Java is installed and properly configured
• Missing dependencies: Run mvn clean install to download required libraries
• Data not loading: Check if the data directory exists and contains valid JSON files