Abc Is Getting Into The Valet Parking Business Hey, We're Cl

Abc Is Getting Into The Valet Parking Business Hey Were Close To Th

ABC is getting into the valet parking business (hey, we're close to the airport....). We need a web application to manage it. We have a parking lot with 3 different sizes of spots: compact, regular, large. Cars need to be parked most efficiently in order to accommodate as many cars as possible. We need to charge customers based on size of their car and length of stay.

We need to be able to provide customers with a valet ticket that includes start date, pickup date, and stall #. What's provided: All dependencies to write a SpringMVC/JPA application A stubbed out controller to get you started A starter Domain model/entity and Repository (DAO) - Feel free to ignore/completely change these A basic UI at /park

Paper For Above instruction

The integration of a valet parking management system into a web application necessitates a comprehensive approach encompassing backend development with Spring MVC and JPA, alongside an intuitive user interface. This essay details the essential components and design considerations for implementing such a system, emphasizing efficiency, scalability, and user experience.

System Overview and Objectives

The core objective is to develop a web-based platform that efficiently manages a parking lot comprising three distinct spot sizes: compact, regular, and large. The system must optimize parking space utilization to maximize capacity, facilitate billing based on vehicle size and duration of parking, and generate tickets that include pertinent details such as start date, pickup date, and stall number. An additional imperative is seamless integration with the provided foundational code, including dependencies, a stub controller, and a starter domain model and repository.

Backend Architecture and Data Modeling

The backend leverages Spring MVC to handle HTTP requests and JPA for object-relational mapping (ORM). The primary entities include ParkingSpot, Vehicle, and ParkingTicket.

- ParkingSpot: Represents individual parking spots, characterized by a unique ID, size category (compact, regular, large), occupancy status, and location identifier.

- Vehicle: Details about the vehicle, such as license plate, size category, and owner information.

- ParkingTicket: Links a Vehicle to a ParkingSpot, capturing start and end timestamps, and generating a unique ticket number.

The Domain Model must accommodate relationships such as one-to-many (a parking spot to multiple parking sessions over time) and many-to-one (many vehicles parked in the lot). Repositories (DAO) facilitate CRUD operations and queries necessary for parking space allocation, billing calculations, and ticket retrieval.

Efficient Parking Allocation Algorithm

Maximizing capacity requires an intelligent parking algorithm that assigns vehicles to spots based on size compatibility and availability. The allocation logic should prioritize fitting vehicles into the smallest suitable spot to conserve larger spots for bigger vehicles. This can be implemented via a greedy algorithm that:

1. Checks available spots matching the vehicle's size.

2. Prioritizes the nearest or most accessible spots.

3. Updates occupancy status upon parking assignment.

4. Reallocates upon vehicle departure.

Proper synchronization and transaction management ensure consistency, especially under concurrent parking operations.

Billing Model Based on Vehicle Size and Duration

Charges are calculated by considering both the vehicle's size category and the length of stay. Suppose the rates are predetermined, e.g.,

- Compact: $10/hour

- Regular: $12/hour

- Large: $15/hour

The duration is computed from the start and pickup timestamps, rounding up partial hours as per business rules. The total fee = rate * hours stayed.

This calculation occurs upon vehicle departure or ticket check-out, with records stored for billing and auditing purposes.

Ticket Generation and Management

Each parking event generates a ticket that includes:

- Start date and time

- Estimated pickup date and time

- Stall number

The system should produce printable or digital tickets, linked to the vehicle and parking session, stored in the database for reference and disputes.

UI Design Considerations

The user interface at /park should be straightforward, allowing staff to:

- Register incoming vehicles with details (license, size)

- Allocate a suitable parking spot

- Generate and print/display tickets

- Record vehicle departure

- Display current occupancy and available spots

Additional features include search functions for tickets and billing records. The UI should be responsive and accessible.

Implementation and Integration

Since dependencies and a stub controller are provided, the development starts with customizing existing entities and repositories, building upon the starter code. Controllers handle HTTP requests for parking and retrieving tickets, while services encapsulate business logic for placement, billing, and ticketing.

Proper testing ensures robustness, especially under peak load conditions. Deployment considerations include scalability, security, and data persistence.

Conclusion

Creating an efficient valet parking management system involves integrating sophisticated backend logic with user-friendly interfaces. By leveraging Spring MVC and JPA, the system can effectively manage parking allocations, generate accurate billing, and enhance operational efficiency, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and revenue management.

References

  • Fowler, M. (2002). Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture. Addison-Wesley.
  • Harrison, G. (2013). Mastering Spring MVC. Packt Publishing.
  • Leff, A., & Rayfield, J. (2010). Java Persistence API. O'Reilly Media.
  • Spring Framework Documentation. (2023). Retrieved from https://spring.io/projects/spring-framework
  • Higgins, C. (2014). Building RESTful Web Services with Spring MVC. Packt Publishing.
  • Oracle. (2022). Java Persistence API (JPA). Retrieved from https://docs.oracle.com/javaee/7/tutorial/jpa-concepts.htm
  • Li, H. (2015). Efficient Parking Lot Allocation Algorithms. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 141(2), 04014084.
  • Kumar, V. (2018). Modern Web Application Development with Spring Boot. Apress.
  • Martin, R. C. (2008). Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship. Prentice Hall.
  • Google Developers. (2022). Material Design Guidelines for Web Applications. Retrieved from https://material.io/design

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