Lost and Found Management System

This system is a Spring Boot + Java + MySQL web application designed for managing lost and found items. Users can register, log in, and report lost or found items. The system is structured with a backend for handling business logic and a frontend for user interaction.

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1. Cloning the Project from GitHub

To download the project, follow these steps:

Option 1: Clone via Git Terminal

1. Open a terminal.
2. Run:

   git clone <repository_url>

   Replace <repository_url> with the actual GitHub repository link.
3. Open the project in VS Code.

Option 2: Download as ZIP

1. Visit the GitHub repository.
2. Click Code and select Download ZIP.
3. Extract the ZIP file to a directory on your PC.
4. Open the project folder in VS Code.

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2. Required Software and Setup

Before running the project, install the following:

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 17+

  • Download from Oracle JDK.

• Spring Boot

  • Already included via pom.xml.

• MySQL Server

  • Required to store user and lost/found item data.

• VS Code Extensions
  Install the following in VS Code:

  • Live Server (for running the frontend).
  • Spring Boot Extension Pack (for backend development).
  • Java Extension Pack (for Java support).
  • Lombok Annotations Support for VS Code

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3. Setting Up the Database (MySQL)

1. Start MySQL Server.
2. Open MySQL Workbench or a terminal.
3. Import the provided SQL file (lostandfounddb_mysql), which contains all required tables queries.
4. Verify that the tables have been created:

   USE LostandFoundDB;
   SHOW TABLES;

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4. Running the Backend (Spring Boot)

The backend is located in com.example.LostAndFound, which includes:

• config (security and database settings)
• dto (data transfer objects)
• entity (database models)
• repository (database interaction)
• service (business logic)

Steps to Run the Backend:

1. Open VS Code and load the project.

2. Open application.properties and configure database settings:

   spring.datasource.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/LostandFoundDB?useSSL=false&serverTimezone=UTC
   spring.datasource.username=root
   spring.datasource.password=your_password

   Replace: root with your MySQL username, and your_password with your MySQL password.

3. Run the backend:

   • In VS Code, open the main class (LostAndFoundApplication.java).
   • Click Run or execute this command in directory containing pom.xml:

     mvn spring-boot:run

   • If you don't have MAVEN installed, or it gives an error, Run or execute:

   ./mvnw spring-boot:run 

4. The backend should now be running on http://localhost:8080.

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5. Running the Frontend

The frontend is located in com.example.LostAndFound.resources.static, containing:

• CSS folder (styling)
• JS folder (JavaScript functionality)
• Pictures folder (images)

Steps to Run the Frontend:

1. Open the VS Code project.
2. Navigate to the static folder.
3. Open front.html.
4. Right-click and select Open with Live Server or open http://localhost:8080/front.html in your broswer.
5. The frontend should now be running.

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6. Testing the Application

Sign Up

• Open the sign-up page.
• Enter user details and click Sign Up.

Login

• Open the login page.
• Enter credentials and click Sign In.

If login is successful, the user will be redirected to the dashboard.

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7. Common Issues and Fixes

Backend Not Starting

• Ensure MySQL is running.
• Verify application.properties has the correct database credentials.

Login Not Working

• Check the browser console (F12 > Console).
• Ensure the backend is running.

Signup Not Storing Data

• Verify the MySQL database contains the necessary tables.

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This document provides the necessary steps to set up and run the Lost and Found Management System.