A brief description of what this project does and who it's for.

Hostel Mess Management System

A web-based hostel mess management system that simplifies and streamlines mess operations in hostels. This system is designed to reduce manual work, improve communication, and offer real-time updates to both students and administrators, making hostel mess management more transparent and user-friendly.

Features

Student Dashboard

• View Meal Menu: Students can check the current meal plans.
• Feedback Submission: Provides an option for students to share feedback about the mess services.
• Fee Payment: Allows students to pay their mess fees online.
• Notifications: Displays notices and announcements from the administration in real-time.

Admin Dashboard

• Manage Meal Plans: Enables administrators to update and modify the meal menu.
• Send Notifications: Allows admins to post announcements and notices for students.
• Payment Management: View and manage student payment statuses.
• Feedback Monitoring: Access and analyze feedback submitted by students for continuous improvement.

Objectives

The system aims to:

• Reduce Manual Work: Automates repetitive tasks, such as tracking payments and managing menus.
• Improve Communication: Facilitates clear, organized communication between students and mess administration.
• Enhance Transparency: Makes mess operations and payment statuses accessible to both students and administrators.
• Provide Real-Time Updates: Ensures that both students and admins have the latest information on meal plans, announcements, and payment statuses.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Objectives
• Requirement Analysis
• Tech Stack
• Getting Started
• Project Structure
• Usage
• Screenshots
• Future Enhancements

Requirement Analysis

Functional Requirements:

• User Management & Student Registration/Login
• Meal Management & Meal Scheduling
• Menu Management & Menu Planning
• Billing & Payments
• Admin Dashboard Centralized Control
• Feedback Analytics

Non-Functional Requirements:

• Usability: Easy to navigate, with a simple registration and login flow.
• Accessibility: Cross-browser compatibility, mobile responsiveness.
• Security: Password encryption, secure API endpoints, and validation checks.
• Performance: Quick response time.

Tech Stack

The project is built with:

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React.js
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB
• Payment Integration: Razorpay
• Deployment: LocalHost

Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and run the project locally.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager)
• MongoDB (or a connection to a MongoDB Atlas cloud database)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/rakeshdas07/CSE_IIITG.git
   cd CSE_IIITG

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables:

   Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

   PORT=3000
   MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/hostel_mess_management
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   

   • PORT: Port number the server will listen on.
   • MONGODB_URI: MongoDB connection string.
   • JWT_SECRET: Secret key for JWT authentication.

4. Run the Application:

   npm start

   The application will be accessible at http://localhost:3000.

Seed Database (Optional)

npm run seed

This command populates the database with initial data.

Project Structure

FrontEnd/
├── src/
    ├── components/
    │   ├── Homepage/
    │   │   ├── HomePage.js
    │   │   ├── HomePage.css
    │   ├── StudentDashboard/
    │   │   ├── Registration.js
    │   │   ├── Registration.css
    │   │   ├── Login.js
    │   │   ├── Login.css
    │   │   ├── PaymentStatus.js
    │   │   ├── PaymentStatus.css
    │   │   ├── NoticeBoard.js
    │   │   ├── NoticeBoard.css
    │   │   ├── Calendar.js
    │   │   ├── Menu.js
    │   │   ├── FeedbackForm.js
    │   │   ├── Timings.js
    │   │   ├── Timings.css
    │   │   ├── studentdashboard.js
    │   │   ├── studentdashboard.css     
    │   ├── AdminDashboard/
    |   |   ├── AdminLogin.js
    |   |   ├── AdminLogin.css
    |   |   ├── AdminDashboard.js
    |   |   ├── admindashboard.css
    │   │   ├── MealPlan.js
    │   │   ├── AttendanceReport.js
    │   │   ├── BillingHistory.js
    │   │   ├── ReportAnalytics.js
    │   │   ├── FeedbackAnalysis.js
    │   └── common/
    │       ├── Navbar.js
    |       ├── Navbar.js
    │       ├── Footer.css    
    │       ├── Footer.js
    |       ├── PrivateRoute.js
    ├── context/
    │       └── authContext.js
    ├── services/
    │       └── api.js
    ├── App.js
    ├── index.js
    └── styles/
            └── common.css



BackEnd/
├── src/
│   ├── models/             # Database models (e.g., Student, Admin, Menu, Payment)
│   ├── controllers/        # Logic for handling requests (StudentController,    AdminController)
│   ├── routes/             # Defines API routes (studentRoutes, adminRoutes)
│   ├── middleware/         # Middleware (authentication, error handling)
│   └── views/              # View templates (HTML, EJS files if applicable)
├── package.json            # npm dependencies and scripts
└── README.md               # Project documentation

Key Files and Directories

• public/: Contains static assets like CSS and JavaScript.
• src/models/: Contains MongoDB schemas for Student, Admin, Menu, Payment, etc.
• src/controllers/: Contains logic for handling different actions, such as registration, login, payment processing, etc.
• src/routes/: Defines routes for student and admin functionalities.
• src/middleware/: Custom middleware, such as authentication checks.

Usage

Student Workflow

1. Registration: Students register an account using their student details.
2. Login: After successful registration, students can log in using their email and password.
3. Dashboard:
   • View Meal Menu: Check the current meal schedule.
   • Submit Feedback: Provide feedback on mess services.
   • Make Payment: Pay mess fees online.
   • Check Notifications: View any notices from the administration.

Admin Workflow

1. Login: Admins log in using their admin credentials.
2. Dashboard:
   • Update Menu: Modify and update the meal plan for the mess.
   • Manage Payments: Track student payments and payment status.
   • Send Notices: Publish notices visible to students.
   • View Feedback: Monitor and analyze feedback from students.

Activity Diagram

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Screenshots

Screenshots here for the Student Dashboard, Admin Dashboard, and other main views to give users a preview of the application.

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Future Enhancements

• Automated Meal Notifications: Send meal reminders to students.
• Advanced Analytics: Implement data analysis for feedback trends and payment tracking.
• Mobile Compatibility: Improve the UI for mobile device accessibility.

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This README.md provides a comprehensive overview of the project, including setup instructions, functionality, contribution guidelines, and future enhancements. This helps to quickly understand the purpose and structure of the Hostel Mess Management System.