Author Topic: Desktop Application Programming  (Read 1205 times)

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Offline dillond21

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Desktop Application Programming
« on: September 01, 2012, 08:15:42 pm »
This was i guess the prompt for this competition i am entering, but i have no idea how to do this...What program should i use, where can i get more info on it? are there any tutorials?


Here it is:


Your school has a lending library with resources to
assist students with preparing for student organization competitive events and career related projects. You
have been contacted to create an application that keeps
track of  the items in the lending library.  Types of 
items in the library include, but are not limited to,
books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs. 
For this program you will create four comma separated
data files as described below. You must save your data
files as text (*.txt) files. You will need to choose appropriate data types to store and manipulate your data
while running the program.
DATA FILES
You must be able to differentiate between different
types of  items.  To help with this, you will create a
data file called TYPES that contains one record for
each type of  item in the lending library. This data file
should contain two fields as follows:
•    unique code for the type of  item (abbreviation)
•    description of  type
It is necessary to keep track of  all the items you have in the lending library;
therefore, you will need to create a data file called LIBRARY that contains one
record for each item in the lending library. This data file should contain five fields
as follows:
•    unique number for each item in the lending library (can be an auto number)
•    type of  item (must match a code from the TYPES data file)
•    title of  the item
•    author/singer/publisher (author(s) or singer(s) where available otherwise
publisher in the case of  magazines, movies, etc.)
•    published date (month/year)
In order to determine who is borrowing items from the lending library, you will
create another data file called PATRONS. The PATRONS data file will keep
track of  all people who can potentially borrow items from the lending library and
will contain one record for each person. This data file should contain nine fields as
follows:
•    unique number for each patron (can be an auto number or a user name type
entry)
•    first name, last name, e-mail address, phone number, street address, city, state,
and zip code
Finally, you must keep track of  the items that have been borrowed from the lending
library. You will create a data file that tracks these items called ITEMS_OUT
with a record for each item borrowed containing four fields as follows.
•    item number (populated from the LIBRARY data file)
•    patron number (populated from the PATRONS data file)
•    date checked out
•    date due (two weeks after check out date)

Offline Kulverstukas

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Re: Desktop Application Programming
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2012, 08:30:24 pm »
Well this is a rather giant problem you got. No one is going to code so much, neither will I, but we CAN help with theory. So I'll start:
I had to do a similar thing some time ago. Back then I used Java and it was OK. For this you really want to use an OOP language. I would suggest Java because I like it and such tasks would be easier.
By "program" I assumed you were asking what kind of language. If by that you meant "IDE", then that depends on the language.

Offline dillond21

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Re: Desktop Application Programming
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2012, 08:33:56 pm »
The only thing is everytime i try to download a fucking development kit it doesnt ever work, and i have tried at least five times to get java, but it never works...

Also could this be even remotely possible to do in two hours? And how difficult was it for you to make it?

Staff Edit:
Do not double post simply edit your post
« Last Edit: September 02, 2012, 06:02:58 am by skidiot.h »

Offline Daemon

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Re: Desktop Application Programming
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2012, 02:22:09 am »
Please don't double post, just edit your post before. The red text the admins subsequently put up after a double post hurts my sensitive eyes :)

I would write this in C++ personally. I have done several projects that do components of what you suggest, and I don't think it would be that hard since it doesn't need a GUI or anything.

You would need a class with a seperate structure for each item in the libary to hold the info in the catalog
Then I would have it read from the four data files into seperate dynamic arrays, one for each product, at the beginning of your code. And each item would have it's own struct plus a struct (or an array, not positive as that's too much thought if I'm not building the program. use your best judgement) for the LIBRARY file. For example (in pseudocode):

struct book:
string author
string publishDate
int productNumber


Next would be a menu asking the user if they want to display or change values or exit the program.
Then I would have the structure for each item write into a the LIBRARY array. Pseudocode:

string tempLib
for i in book
tempLib = book.title
library.book = tempLib

Finally I would have the program write out to the LIBRARY file and then to each of the other files.

Hope that's enough to get you started at least, if you have questions about specific implementations you can hit me up on IRC and if I'm not busy I'll see what I can do to help you out. No way i'd be done in two hours of coding though, I get distracted easily lol :P

Good luck!
« Last Edit: September 02, 2012, 02:24:29 am by Daemon »
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Offline techb

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Re: Desktop Application Programming
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2012, 02:33:17 pm »
If you go with Java, Eclipse is the best IDE. I'm assuming your on windows, so it is as simple as clicking the installer, I don't see how you could mess that up.
>>>import this
-----------------------------

Offline dillond21

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Re: Desktop Application Programming
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2012, 10:20:12 pm »
I will try again. Can you give a link doe?


Offline Daemon

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Re: Desktop Application Programming
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2012, 02:09:04 am »
We don't mind helping you out, but Eclipse is super popular so we're not going to hold your hand there. Google it and use a bit of brain power to figure out which version you want and how to install it (read the help or documentation on the site maybe? google install questions?)

Theres a time for questions, and a time for being independent. This is one of those times where you should do it yourself mate.

Cheers
This lifestyle is strictly DIY or GTFO - lucid

Because sexploits are for h0edays - noncetonic


Xires burns the souls of HF skids as a power supply