Automated Printing Management System

A complete prototype featuring an in-memory FastAPI backend and an interactive Python CLI client. This system digitizes and manages printing orders for the school canteen, automating cost calculations and replacing error-prone manual logging.

Project Structure

• app.py: The FastAPI backend server. It handles data validation, calculates pricing logic, and stores active orders in memory.
• client.py: The interactive terminal-based frontend. It provides a menu for the printing operator to input orders and communicates with the backend via HTTP requests.

Features

• Client-Server Architecture: Demonstrates a clean separation between the frontend interface and backend logic.
• Interactive CLI Menu: Easy-to-use terminal interface for adding and searching orders.
• Automated Cost Calculation: The backend automatically computes total prices using preset rates (B&W: ₱2.00, Colored: ₱5.00, Photo Paper: ₱20.00).
• Strict Validation: Ensures data integrity (e.g., rejects negative page counts or invalid print types) using Pydantic models.

Setup & Installation

1. Create and activate a virtual environment (Recommended)

# Windows
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

# macOS/Linux
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

2. Install dependencies

You will need the backend server packages (fastapi, uvicorn) and the HTTP client package (requests).

pip install fastapi uvicorn requests

How to Run the System

To see the system working, you must run the server and the client simultaneously in two separate terminal windows.

Step 1: Start the Backend Server Open your first terminal and run:

uvicorn app:app --reload --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000

(The server will start and wait for incoming requests in the background.)

Step 2: Start the CLI Client Open a second, separate terminal window, ensure your virtual environment is activated, and run:

python client.py

(You will be greeted by the interactive main menu where you can start placing orders.)

API Documentation (For Developers)

If you wish to test the backend API directly without using the CLI client, FastAPI provides an interactive testing interface out of the box.

Once the server is running (Step 1), open your browser and navigate to: http://127.0.0.1:8000/docs

Core Endpoints

• POST /orders
  • Body (JSON): Requires student_name, document_name, pages (int), and print_type ("Black & White", "Colored", or "Photo Paper").
  • Action: Generates a unique order_id, calculates the total_cost, and saves the order.
• GET /orders * Action: Returns a list of all active orders.
• GET /orders/{order_id} * Action: Fetches a single specific order using its ID. Returns a 404 Not Found if the ID does not exist.

Important Notes

• Data Persistence: Because this prototype uses in-memory storage (a Python list) to fulfill project constraints, all order data will be cleared whenever the app.py server is restarted.

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