FindStuff - Lost & Found Item Tracker - College Management System

Enterprise Java console application with MySQL integration for campus lost item recovery

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🚀 Overview

College Lost & Found Tracker is a comprehensive console-based management system designed to streamline campus lost item recovery:

• Secure authentication with SHA-256 password hashing and salt-based encryption
• Role-based access control with Admin and Student privilege levels
• Auto-generated tracking numbers (Format: LF-YYYYMMDD-XXXX) for efficient item identification
• Advanced search functionality with multi-criteria filtering by category, location, and status
• Business intelligence dashboard with comprehensive admin reports and analytics
• JDBC optimization with prepared statements, connection pooling, and ResultSet management

Built with pure Java, MySQL database, and enterprise design patterns for scalability and reliability.

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🌟 Key Features

Feature	Description
🔐 Secure Authentication	SHA-256 password hashing with custom salt generation, failed login tracking, and account activation management
👥 Role-Based Access	Dual privilege system: Admin (full CRUD operations) and Student (personal item management and search)
📊 Item Tracking System	Auto-generated unique tracking numbers, multi-status workflow (LOST/FOUND/CLAIMED/RETURNED), and timestamp tracking
🔍 Advanced Search Engine	Keyword search across multiple fields, category/location/status filters, and advanced multi-criteria search
📈 Admin Dashboard	User management, item oversight, system reports (status/category/activity), and bulk operations
🎨 Console UI Framework	Custom-built ConsoleUI with formatted tables, input validation, menu navigation, and cross-platform screen clearing

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📁 Project Structure

📁 lost-and-found-tracker/
├── 📁 backend/
│ ├── 📄 DatabaseConnection.java # Singleton DB connection with pooling
│ ├── 📄 PasswordUtil.java # SHA-256 hashing utilities
│ ├── 📄 ValidationUtil.java # Input validation engine
│ ├── 📄 User.java # User model/POJO
│ ├── 📄 Item.java # Item model/POJO
│ ├── 📄 UserOperations.java # User CRUD operations
│ ├── 📄 ItemOperations.java # Item CRUD operations
│ └── 📄 SearchOperations.java # Advanced search functionality
├── 📁 frontend/
│ ├── 📄 ConsoleUI.java # Reusable UI components
│ ├── 📄 LoginView.java # Authentication screens
│ ├── 📄 ItemView.java # Item management views
│ ├── 📄 SearchView.java # Search interface
│ ├── 📄 StudentMenu.java # Student dashboard
│ ├── 📄 AdminMenu.java # Admin dashboard
│ └── 📄 Main.java # Application entry point
├── 📄 schema.sql # Database schema
├── 📄 database.properties # DB configuration

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🚀 Core Capabilities

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Database Architecture 🗄️

• Schema Design: 3-table normalized structure (users, items, status_updates) with foreign key constraints
• User Table: Secure credential storage, role management, login tracking, account activation flags
• Item Table: Comprehensive metadata (tracking_number, category, location, dates), status workflow, soft-delete support
• Status Updates: Complete audit trail with timestamp logging and user attribution
• Indexes: Optimized queries with indexes on tracking_number, username, status, category

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Security Implementation 🔒

Password Security: SHA-256 hashing → Custom salt generation → Secure verification → Account lockout after failed attempts
SQL Injection Prevention: PreparedStatement usage → Parameter binding → Input sanitization → Validation layer
Access Control: Role-based permissions → Session management → Admin privilege checks → User data isolation
Data Integrity: Foreign key constraints → Transaction support → Soft-delete pattern → Audit logging

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Search & Analytics 📊

• Search Capabilities: Keyword search with LIKE patterns, Category filtering, Location-based search, Status tracking
• Admin Reports: Items by status (LOST/FOUND/CLAIMED/RETURNED), Category distribution analysis, User activity metrics, System performance statistics
• Data Export: SQL query results, Business insights, User reports, Item tracking history

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Technical Implementation 🔧

MVC Architecture: Clear separation of concerns → Backend services → Frontend views → Modular design
JDBC Optimization: Connection pooling → PreparedStatements → ResultSet management → Resource cleanup
Console UI Framework: Formatted tables → Input validation → Menu navigation → Cross-platform support
Error Handling: Try-catch-finally patterns → User-friendly messages → Graceful degradation → Exception logging

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🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Required Softwares:

JDK 8 or higher

MySQL Server 5.7+

MySQL Connector/J JDBC Driver (mysql-connector-j-8.0.33.jar)

Command Prompt / Terminal

Note:

add your actual local mysql password in- database.properties file - "db.password=  //your device mysql password
" in this line

Installation

1. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/vishnupriyanpr/lost-and-found-tracker.git
cd lost-and-found-tracker

2. Setup MySQL Database
mysql -u root -p < schema.sql

3. Configure database.properties
db.driver=com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver
db.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/lostfound_db
db.username=root
db.password=your_password

4. Download MySQL JDBC Driver
Place mysql-connector-j-8.0.33.jar in project root
Download: https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/j/

5. Compile Java files

javac -cp ".;mysql-connector-j-8.0.33.jar" backend/.java frontend/.java

6. Run Application

java -cp ".;mysql-connector-j-8.0.33.jar" frontend.Main

First Run

Register Admin Account

Choose "Register New Account"
Enter username: admin
Enter email: admin@college.edu
Enter phone: 1234567890
Enter password: admin123
Select role: ADMIN

Login and Explore

Username: admin
Password: admin123

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💡 Usage Examples

Student Operations

Report Lost Item
Login → Report Lost Item
Item Name: Blue Backpack
Category: PERSONAL
Location: Library 2nd Floor
Date Lost: 2025-10-24
Get Tracking Number: LF-20251024-0001

Search Items
Login → Search Items
Choose filter: Category
Select: ELECTRONICS
View results in formatted table

Admin Operations

View All Users
Login as Admin → View All Users
See user table with ID, username, email, role, status

Generate Reports
Login as Admin → Generate Reports
Choose: Items by Status Report
View: LOST (15), FOUND (12), CLAIMED (5), RETURNED (3)

Delete Item
Login as Admin → Delete Item
Enter Tracking Number: LF-20251024-0001
Confirm deletion

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🗃️ Database Schema

-- Users Table
CREATE TABLE users (
user_id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
username VARCHAR(50) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
hashed_password VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL,
email VARCHAR(100) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
phone VARCHAR(15),
role ENUM('STUDENT', 'ADMIN') DEFAULT 'STUDENT',
is_active BOOLEAN DEFAULT TRUE,
failed_login_attempts INT DEFAULT 0,
last_login TIMESTAMP NULL,
created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

-- Items Table
CREATE TABLE items (
item_id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
tracking_number VARCHAR(20) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
user_id INT NOT NULL,
item_name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
description TEXT,
category ENUM('ELECTRONICS','BOOKS','PERSONAL','DOCUMENTS','ACCESSORIES','OTHER'),
location VARCHAR(100),
date_lost DATE,
date_found DATE,
status ENUM('LOST','FOUND','CLAIMED','RETURNED') DEFAULT 'LOST',
found_by INT,
is_active BOOLEAN DEFAULT TRUE,
created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(user_id),
FOREIGN KEY (found_by) REFERENCES users(user_id)
);

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🎯 Features Roadmap

Phase 1 (Current) ✅

• ✅ User authentication and registration
• ✅ Lost/Found item reporting
• ✅ Advanced search functionality
• ✅ Admin dashboard and reports
• ✅ Item tracking system

Phase 2 (Planned) 🚧

• 🔄 Email notifications for matches
• 🔄 Image upload support
• 🔄 SMS alerts integration
• 🔄 QR code generation for items
• 🔄 Mobile app development

Phase 3 (Future) 🎯

• 📊 AI-powered item matching
• 🌐 Web-based interface
• 📱 Mobile push notifications
• 🔐 Two-factor authentication
• 📈 Advanced analytics dashboard

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Development guidelines:

1. Fork Repository → Create feature branch (feature/AmazingFeature)
2. Code Standards → Follow Java conventions → Comment complex logic → Write clean code
3. Testing → Test all CRUD operations → Verify SQL queries → Check error handling
4. Documentation → Update README → Add code comments → Document new features
5. Submit PR → Detailed description → Link related issues → Request review

Areas for Contribution:

• Backend Enhancement - API development - Cloud integration - Performance optimization - Security hardening
• Frontend Development - GUI with JavaFX/Swing - Web interface - Mobile app - Dashboard improvements
• Database Optimization - Query optimization - Caching layer - Database migrations - Backup automation

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📜 License

MIT License (see LICENSE file)

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🙌 Acknowledgments & Core Team

This project is crafted with precision and innovation by Vishnupriyan P R.

Vishnupriyan P R JDBC Optimization • Security Implementation • Enterprise Architecture

Special Thanks

• MySQL Community - Database engine and JDBC driver
• Java Community - Platform and libraries
• GitHub - Version control and collaboration platform

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📞 Support & Contact

• Issues: Report bugs via GitHub Issues
• Discussions: Join GitHub Discussions
• Email: priyanv783@example.com
• LinkedIn: Vishnupriyan P R

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🔍 Connecting Lost Items with Their Owners Through Smart Technology 🎯

Made with ❤️ for College Communities