Hi-Tech Distribution Management System

Overview

Windows application developed to manage inventory and orders for a fictional company supplying computer science books to universities. Built with Microsoft Visual Studio 2022, using C# and SQL Server 2019. The application leverages ADO.NET for both connected and disconnected database operations and implements Entity Framework for order management and secure user authentication via username and password.

Features

Technical Specifications

• Developed using Microsoft Visual Studio 2022, C#, and SQL Server 2022/2019.
• Utilizes ADO.NET for database programming (both connected and disconnected modes).
• Implements the Entity Framework for managing orders.
• Secure login with username and password authentication.

User Roles and Operations

1. MIS Manager (Henry Brown)

   • Add, update, delete, search, and list user information
   • Add, update, delete, search, and list employee information

2. Sales Manager (Thomas Moore)

   • Add, update, delete, search, and list customer information

3. Inventory Controller (Peter Wang)

   • Add, update, delete, search, and list book information and related information

4. Order Clerks (Mary Brown, Jennifer Bouchard)

   • Add, update, cancel, search, and list customer orders

Business Rules

• Books must have ISBN, Title, UnitPrice, YearPublished, and Quantity on Hand (QOH) fields.
• Books can have multiple authors and be published by one publisher.
• Authors have unique IDs, first name, last name, and email.
• Customers are colleges and universities with detailed information (name, address, phone, fax, credit limit).
• Orders can be taken via phone, fax, or email and payments are made by direct withdrawal.

Setup and Installation

1. Clone the repository.
2. Open the project in Microsoft Visual Studio 2022.
3. Restore NuGet packages.
4. Update the database connection string in the app.config file.
5. Create the database in SQL Server:
   • Use the provided SQL script to create the database schema and populate initial data.
   • Execute the script in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

Database Setup

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
2. Connect to your SQL Server instance.
3. Open the SQL script file provided in the repository (DatabaseSetup.sql).
4. Execute the script to create the database and tables, and to insert initial data.
5. Update the app.config file with your database connection string.

Usage

1. Launch the application.
2. Log in with the following credentials for testing:
   • Username: paulaMiano
   • Password: 0123
3. Navigate through the various user roles and operations to manage books, customers, and orders.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository and submit a pull request with detailed changes.