Program 4 Employee Savings Database Csci 6617 Spring 2016

Program 4 Employee Savings Database Csci 6617 Spring 20161 Goals 1

Construct an application that simulates a human resources system to track employee savings, implemented using Java with multiple classes in a package called “savings”. The program uses a text file for data persistence and includes exception handling, static class variables, boolean and Date variables, an ArrayList collection, and follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern. The application allows a user to enter their own data to become the Boss, read existing employee data from a file, create new employees, display employee lists, and modify employee data. It also supports login/logout functionality for employees, writes data back to the file upon exit, and provides a menu-driven interface, initially over the console. Key classes include Employee (model) with static and final variables for employee IDs, constructors for initialization, mutator methods for salary, savings percentage, and name, and a toString() method for formatted output; and Savings (controller), managing the collection, menu operation, file input/output, exception handling, and user interactions. The program emphasizes robust exception management, with try-catch blocks for IO operations, and ensures unique Employee IDs via a static counter. The first run has no data file, prompting data entry for the Boss; subsequent runs load data, allowing employee management. On termination, the system saves all data, overwriting the previous file. This project is incrementally built in phases, with a focus on proper class design, data encapsulation, and user interaction.

Paper For Above instruction

The development of a human resources management system for employee savings tracking involves designing a modular, object-oriented Java application that embraces the MVC architectural pattern. This system aims to provide functionalities such as employee data management, login/logout processes, data persistence, and user interface interactions, divided across multiple classes and packages for clarity and maintainability.

The central component, the Employee class, acts as the model in MVC. It encapsulates employee attributes including a unique Employee ID, name, login name, base salary, savings percentage, hiring date, and an active status boolean. The class maintains a static integer, nextId, to generate unique IDs, starting with 00000 for the Boss (initial user) and incrementing for each new employee. The Employee constructor initializes all attributes, employing mutator methods for modifying mutable fields. Its toString() method provides consistent formatted output for file storage and display purposes, with each employee record stored as a single line with tab-separated fields.

The Savings class functions as the controller, managing the collection of Employee objects stored within an ArrayList. It handles user interactions through a console menu, allowing employees and the Boss to log in, create new employees, view employee lists, and modify data. The class includes utility methods such as login() for authentication, newEmployee() for adding employees, and placeholder methods for listing, editing, terminating, and reporting employees, which will be refined in later project phases. The menu operates within an infinite loop, processing user choices via a switch statement and ensuring a clean exit when the user selects to quit.

File handling operations are critical for data persistence. During startup, the Savings constructor attempts to read from the employee data file. Using a try-catch block, it manages cases where the file might be missing (notably during the first run). If the file exists, it reads each line, creating Employee objects accordingly, then initializes the static nextId to the stored value, ensuring ID continuity. In case of a missing file, it prompts the user to enter the Boss’s data directly, instantiating the initial Employee with ID 00000.

Upon program termination, the application serializes the Employee objects back into the data file, overwriting previous contents. This operation is executed within a finally block, guaranteeing data saving regardless of exceptions during execution. Proper exception handling with specific catch blocks ensures that IOExceptions and other potential errors do not crash the application unexpectedly but are logged for troubleshooting.

Moreover, the application emphasizes robust input validation for fields such as login names and salaries, enforcing constraints like minimum length for login and proper numeric inputs for salary and savings percentage. The Employee’s mutator methods support updates to these fields, reflecting real-world scenarios like name changes or savings adjustments.

Finally, testing is an integral part—initially, the user enters their data as the Boss, then adds employees, and tests saving/loading functionalities. The system is tested across multiple runs with modified data files to observe behavior when files are missing or contain inconsistent data, ensuring reliability and data integrity. Such testing ensures that the system handles exceptions gracefully, maintains unique IDs, and accurately records all employee data before exiting.

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