Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Quick Start
   • Prerequisites
   • Download AcademyAssist
   • Things to Note Before You Start
   • Setting up AcademyAssist
     • Non-Technical Users
     • Technical Users
   • Getting Started
3. Command Summary
   • General Format
   • Command Format and Examples
   • Command Parameters Reference
   • Glossary
4. Features
   • Student Management
     • Adding a student
     • Deleting a student
     • Editing a student
     • Listing all students
     • Viewing a student’s detail
   • Searching and Sorting
     • Finding students
     • Sorting students
     • Filtering students
   • Subject Management
     • Adding subject(s) to a student
     • Tracking student count for each subject
   • Utility Features
     • Clearing all entries
     • Getting help
     • Exiting the program

5. Data Management

6. FAQ

7. Upcoming Features

8. Glossary

Introduction

Welcome to AcademyAssist, your ultimate solution for efficient student contact management, targeted at tuition centers operating in Singapore. This desktop application is designed to streamline your administrative tasks, allowing you to focus your efforts on keeping operations smooth and organized for optimal student support.

AcademyAssist is designed for a diverse range of users, primarily targeting tuition center administrators and administrative staff. Whether you are responsible for managing student information or need quick access to data for efficient operations, AcademyAssist is here to help.

AcademyAssist combines the power of a Command Line Interface (CLI) with the user-friendly aspects of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). This hybrid approach ensures that you can manage your student database with lightning-fast efficiency while still enjoying the visual benefits of modern software design.

Whether you’re a seasoned administrator or new to digital management systems, AcademyAssist is intuitive enough for beginners yet powerful enough for experts. With features like quick student addition, easy information retrieval, and automated data saving, AcademyAssist is set to revolutionize how you manage your tuition center.

Let’s embark on this journey to simpler, faster, and more effective student management!

Quick start

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing and running the AcademyAssist application for both non-technical and technical users. Please follow the instructions that correspond to your level of expertise.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have Java 17 or above installed in your computer.

Check Java Version

1. Open up command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS, Linux).
2. Type java -version and press Enter to check your Java version.
3. If your Java version is not 17 or above, you will need to install the latest version.

Download Java

1. Download the latest version of Java from the Oracle website.
   • For Windows users: Download the Windows x64 Installer.
   • For macOS users: Download the macOS Installer.
   • For Linux users: Download the Linux x64 Compressed Archive.
2. Follow the installation instructions provided on the download page.
3. After installation, run the java -version command again to confirm that the installation was successful.
4. Close the terminal after confirming the installation.

Download AcademyAssist

Download the latest academyassist.jar file from the latest release in our GitHub repository. You can find the file under the Assets section of the release.

Things to note before you start

When you first use AcademyAssist, some sample student contacts have been added to help you familiarise yourself with our features. Once you are ready to manage your tuition center’s students, simply use the clear command to clear all existing contacts and reset the StudentID.

Caution: Please note that clear action is IRREVERSIBLE! All student entries will be deleted permanently.

Setting up AcademyAssist

Non-Technical Users

1. Create a new folder at your Desktop. (e.g. AcademyAssist)
2. Move the downloaded academyassist.jar file into this folder.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS, Linux).
4. Navigate to the folder by typing the following command and pressing Enter:
   • For Windows: cd Desktop\AcademyAssist
   • For macOS and Linux: cd Desktop/AcademyAssist
5. Type java -jar academyassist.jar and press Enter to start the app.

Technical Users

1. Move the downloaded academyassist.jar file to a directory of your choice.
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS, Linux).
3. Navigate to the directory where the academyassist.jar file is located.
4. Type java -jar academyassist.jar and press Enter to start the app.

Getting Started

For all users, upon first running the application, a help window will appear automatically, providing details on some basic features. You may refer to the Command Summary section for a quick overview of the available commands. The Features section provides a more detailed explanation of each feature.

User Interface Overview

Main Window

1. Top Bar: Contains the following buttons
   • Help: Click on this to view the help window.
   • Exit: Click on this to exit the application.
2. Command Box: Enter your commands here to interact with the application.
3. Message Box: Displays messages to the user. Which includes success messages, error messages, and help messages.
4. Student List: Displays the list of students in the system. Each student is represented by a Student Card.

Student Card

1. Name: The name of the student.
2. Year Group: The year group of the student.
3. Subject List: The subject(s) the student is taking.
4. Student ID: The unique identifier for the student.
5. Phone Number: The phone number of the student or guardian.

Using AcademyAssist

To interact with AcademyAssist, type your commands into the command box and press Enter. Here are some sample commands you can try out to get started:

1. Add a student: add n\John Doe i\S1234567A yg\2 p\91234567 e\johndoe@yahoo.com a\10 Orchard Road s\Science s\Math
2. Edit a student: edit S00001 a\Clementi Street 14
3. Delete a student: delete S00001
4. Find a student: find John
5. List all students: list
6. View a student’s details: detail S00001
7. Sort students by name: sort by\name
8. Filter students by year group: filter yg\2
9. Add a subject to a student: addsubject S00001 s\Science
10. Track the number of students taking each subject: tracksubject

No worries if you make a mistake - AcademyAssist will guide you through the messages displayed in the message box. You can also use the help command to view the help window at any time.

Conclusion

You are now ready to use AcademyAssist! If you encounter any issues during installation or usage, please refer to this documentation or contact us via our email (academyassist@gmail.com). Enjoy using the application!

Command Summary

General Format

The general format of commands in AcademyAssist is as follows:

COMMAND [PARAMETERS]

Where:

• COMMAND refers to the action you want to perform (e.g., add, delete, edit).
• PARAMETERS are the inputs required for the command to execute successfully.

Note: Not all commands require parameters. Some commands are standalone and do not require any additional inputs. Refer to the tables below or the Features section for more details on each command.

Command Format and Examples

This section provides a quick overview of the available commands for managing student records. Each command is accompanied by its format and an example to help you understand how to use it effectively.

Command Parameters Reference

In this section, you’ll find detailed information about the parameters for each command. Each command is broken down into its constituent parameters, including their prefixes, descriptions, and constraints. This reference will guide you in ensuring that your inputs are valid and conform to the required formats.

Features

• Words in UPPER_CASE are the inputs to be supplied by the user. e.g delete STUDENT_ID means the user has to enter the ID number of the student to be deleted.

• Every student added will be assigned a unique, non-modifiable STUDENT_ID that begins with S followed by a 5 digit number (e.g. S00003).

Note: The STUDENT_ID of a student is non-replaceable once deleted. i.e. if you have one student with STUDENT_ID S00001 and you delete that student, the next student you add will be assigned the next STUDENT_ID e.g. S00002 (instead of replacing S00001).

• Parameters can be in any order. e.g. if the command specifies n\NAME p\PHONE_NUMBER, p\PHONE_NUMBER n\NAME is also acceptable.

• Items in square brackets are optional. e.g. s\SUBJECT [s\MORE_SUBJECTS] can be used as s\SUBJECT or s\SUBJECT s\MORE_SUBJECTS.

• Items with ... after them can be repeated. e.g. s\SUBJECT [s\MORE_SUBJECTS]... can be used as s\SUBJECT, s\SUBJECT s\SUBJECT, s\SUBJECT s\SUBJECT s\SUBJECT.

• Item are compulsory unless specified as optional. e.g. add n\NAME i\NRIC yg\YEARGROUP p\PHONE e\EMAIL a\ADDRESS s\SUBJECT [s\MORE_SUBJECTS]... means that all parameters are compulsory except for [s\MORE_SUBJECTS].

• Commands are case-sensitive (e.g., add is not the same as Add). Hence, commands should be in lowercase.

• Prefixes are case-sensitive (e.g., n\ is not the same as N\). Hence, prefixes should be in lowercase.

• Parameters are case-insensitive (e.g., Science, SCIENCE, science are treated as the same) except for sort function.

• Leading and trailing spaces will be removed from the parameters. Hence, the length of the parameters is not affected by the leading and trailing spaces.

• Extraneous parameters for commands that do not take in parameters (such as tracksubject,help, list, exit and clear) will be ignored.
  e.g. if the command specifies help 123, it will be interpreted as help.

• If you are using a PDF version of this document, be careful when copying and pasting commands that span multiple lines as space characters surrounding line-breaks may be omitted when copied over to the application.

Student Management

Adding a student : add

Adds a new student to the student management system.

Format: add n\NAME i\NRIC yg\YEARGROUP p\PHONE e\EMAIL a\ADDRESS s\SUBJECT [s\MORE_SUBJECTS]...

Parameters Constraints:

• NAME: Must not be blank, should be 2 to 255 characters long, contain only alphabets, spaces, and the special characters (-/’) excluding parenthesis, start and end with an alphabet, and not have more than one consecutive special character or space.
• NRIC: Should follow the format of Singaporean IC and FIN numbers. It should start with one of S, T, F, G, M followed by a 7-digit number and another alphabet (e.g., S1234567A).

Note: Contacts added should not have the same NRIC number. New contacts having the same NRIC number as an existing contact will be treated as a duplicate and will not be allowed.

• YEAR_GROUP: Should be a number within 1-13 (which represents primary school years 1 - 6 and secondary school years 7 - 13).
• PHONE_NUMBER: Should only contain number. It should be between 4 and 20 digits long with no spaces in between.
• EMAIL: Should follow the format local-part@domain.
  • local-part: Must start and end with an alphanumeric character. It can include letters, digits, and the special characters +, _, ., -, but not consecutively or at the start/end.
  • domain: Made of domain labels separated by periods. Each label must start and end with an alphanumeric character and can contain hyphens, but not consecutively. The domain must end in a label at least 2 characters long.
• ADDRESS: Allow any characters and should not be empty. The maximum length is 300 characters including spaces in between.
• SUBJECT: Only the subjects listed below are allowed.
  • Subjects available: English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil, Math, Further Math, Science, History, Geography, Literature, Economics, Accounting, Business, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computing.
• [MORE_SUBJECTS]: Optional, and you can add multiple subjects by repeating the s\ field. The same constraints as SUBJECT apply.

Note: Repeated subjects will be ignored. For example, if you add s\Science s\Science, only one Science subject will be added.

Note: A student ID is automatically generated and assigned upon successful addition. It will be displayed in the success message and can be used for addsubject, edit, detail and delete.

Examples:

• add n\Sam Tan i\T3848559A yg\3 p\81003999 e\samtan@gmail.com a\9 Smith Street \Science
  • Adds a student named Sam Tan the respective details and the subject Science.
• add n\John Doe i\S1234567A yg\2 p\91234567 e\johndoe@yahoo.com a\10 Orchard Road s\Science s\Math
  • Adds a student named John Doe with the respective details and the subjects Science and Math.

Tip: Some contact fields such as address and email are intentionally hidden to avoid cluttering of information. To view all the details of a student, you can use the [detail command] (#viewing-a-students-detail–detail).

Tip: Exceptionally long names will be cut off on the display, but you can read the student’s full name using the detail command.

Deleting a student : delete

Removes a student from the tuition center management system.

Format: delete STUDENT_ID

• STUDENT_ID: Should begin with S followed by a 5-digit, starting from 00001 to 99999.
  • The ID of a student is automatically assigned when the student contact is first added and can be found by viewing the student’s details.

Note: The STUDENT_ID of a student is non-replaceable once deleted. i.e. if you have one student with STUDENT_ID S00001 and you delete that student, the next student you add will be assigned the next STUDENT_ID e.g. S00002 (instead of replacing S00001).

Caution: This action is irreversible. Once a student is deleted, the student’s details will be permanently removed from the system.

Examples:

• delete S00001
  • Deletes the student with the ID S00001.

Editing a student : edit

Edits an existing student’s details in the system.

Format: edit STUDENT_ID FIELD\NEW_VALUE

• STUDENT_ID: Should begin with S followed by a 5-digit, starting from 00001 to 99999.
  • The ID of a student is automatically assigned when the student contact is first added and can be found by viewing the student’s details.
• FIELD: Can be one of: Name(n\ ), NRIC(i\ ), Year Group(yg\ ), Phone Number(p\ ), Email(e\ ), Address(a\ ), or Subject taken(s\ ).
• NEW_VALUE: Should follow the constraints of the specified field. You may refer to the constraints of each field in the add feature section or the Command Parameters Reference section.

Note: Although editing the NRIC is allowed, it must not match any other student’s NRIC in the system. An error message will be shown if a duplicate is detected.

Caution: When editing a contact, the previously saved value of FIELD will be replaced entirely by NEW_VALUE. e.g. ‘edit S00001 n\Henry Teo’ replaces the name field of student S00001 with “Henry Tan”.

Examples:

• edit S00001 a\New_Address
  • Edits the address of the student with the ID S00001 to “New_Address”.
• edit s00002 p\91234567 a\New_Address
  • Edits the phone number and address of the student with the ID S00002 to “91234567” and “New_Address” respectively.

Tip: To more efficiently add a subject to a person, you can use the addsubject command. You may refer to the section “Adding subject(s) to a student” under “Subject Management” for more details.

Tip: To delete a subject, you can use the edit command. e.g. student S00120 takes the subjects English and Math, but wishes to drop the subject English, you can use the command ‘edit S00120 s\Math’.

But note that the subject will be replaced entirely by the new subject. For example, if the student is taking English and Math and you use the command ‘edit S00120 s\Science’, the student will only be taking Science.

Listing all students : list

Shows a list of all students in the system.

Format: list

Viewing a student’s detail : detail

Displays a window that shows the student’s details.

Format: detail STUDENT_ID

• STUDENT_ID: Should begin with S followed by a 5-digit, starting from 00001 to 99999.
  • The ID of a student is automatically assigned when the student contact is first added and can be found by viewing the student’s details.
• The student’s details will be displayed in a pop-up window.
• User may use keyboard shortcut B to close the pop-up window.

Examples:

• detail S00001
  • Displays the details of the student with the ID S00001.

Searching and Sorting

Tip: All the following commands will update the list of students shown in the main window. To return to the full list of students, use the list command.

Finding students : find

Finds students whose name contains any of the given keywords.

Format: find KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS]

• The search is case-insensitive (i.e. John, JOHN, john are all treated the same way).
• You can only search for a student by their name.
• KEYWORD: Each keyword must be between 1-255 characters long contains only alphabets and special characters (-/’) excluding parenthesis, separated by spaces.
• Students matching at least one keyword will be returned.

Examples:

• find John
  • Returns John and John Doe
• find John Jane
  • Returns any student having names John or Jane
• find J
  • Returns any student having names starting with J

Tip: You can use the find command to locate the student ID, which allows the admin to use other commands like edit, detail, addsubject, etc., that require the student ID.

Tip: After finding, you can use list command to return to the full list of students.

Sorting students : sort

Sort the list of students based on a specified field.

Format: sort by\FIELD

• FIELD: Can be either name, subject, studentID or yearGroup.
• Sorting by name will sort students in lexicographical ascending order of their names.
• Sorting by subject will sort students based on the lexicographically smallest subject they are taking.
• Sorting by studentID will sort students based on ascending order of studentID.
• Sorting by yearGroup will sort students in ascending order based on their year group.

Note: FIELD is case-sensitive (e.g., NAME is not the same as name). Hence, FIELDs should be in lowercase.

Examples:

• sort by\name
  • Sorts the students by their names.
• sort by\subject
  • Sorts the students by the subjects.
• sort by\yearGroup
  • Sorts the students by their year group.
• sort by\studentId
  • Sorts the students by their student ID.

Tip: Sort command will sort the current list of students shown in the main window. For example, if you have filtered the list by year group 2 students and then use the sort by\name command, only year group 2 students will be sorted.

Filtering students : filter

Shows a list of students filtered by year group or subject.

Format: filter FIELD\VALUE

• You can only filter by EITHER year group or class.
• You can only filter one value (eg. filter by Science only).

Examples:

• filter yg\2
  • Filters the list to show only year group 2 students.
• filter s\Science
  • Filters the list to show only students taking Science.

Tip: After filtering, you can use list command to return to the full list of students.

Tip: The filter function can be useful for tracking the number of students, as the number of students in the filtered list will be displayed.

Tip: Filtering by year group followed by tracksubject allows you to see what subjects are taken by the students in the current year group.

Subject Management

Adding subject(s) to a student : addsubject

Adds one or more subjects to an existing student’s record.

Format: addsubject STUDENT_ID s\SUBJECT [s\MORE_SUBJECTS]...

• STUDENT_ID: Should begin with S followed by a 5-digit, starting from 00001 to 99999.
  • The ID of a student is automatically assigned when the student contact is first added and can be found by viewing the student’s details.
• SUBJECT: Only the subjects listed below are allowed.
  • Subjects available: English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil, Math, Further Math, Science, History, Geography, Literature, Economics, Accounting, Business, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computing.
• [MORE_SUBJECTS]: Optional, and you can add multiple subjects by repeating the s\ field. The same constraints as SUBJECT apply.

Note: Repeated subjects will be ignored. For example, if you add s\Science s\Science, only one Science subject will be added.

Examples:

• addsubject S00001 s\Science
  • Adds the subject Science to the student with the ID S00001.
• addsubject S00002 s\Science s\Math
  • Adds the subjects Science and Math to the student with the ID S00002.

Tracking student count for each subject : tracksubject

Displays a window that shows how many students are taking each of all the subjects.

Format: tracksubject

• The subject count will be displayed in a pop-up window.
• User may use keyboard shortcut B to close the pop-up window.

Note: Track subject displays the number of students based on the filtered list. For example, filtering by year 2 students followed by a tracksubject command will only show how many year 2 students are taking each of the subjects.

Caution: The subject tracker must be closed and reopened to refresh the data. If you filter the list and then run the tracksubject command without closing the pop-up, subsequent commands like list will not update the subject tracker. Please ensure to close the tracker to view the most current information.

Utility Features

Clearing all entries : clear

Clears all student entries from the system, and resets the studentID to S00001.

Caution: This action is irreversible. All student entries will be deleted permanently.

Format: clear

Getting help : help

Shows a help window with details of how to use the different commands.

Format: help

Exiting the program : exit

Exits the program.

Format: exit

Data Management in AcademyAssist

Welcome to the Data Management section of AcademyAssist! Here, we’ll explain how your important information is stored and managed.

How Your Data is Saved

Don’t worry about constantly saving your work - AcademyAssist has got you covered! Here’s what you need to know:

1. Automatic Saving: Every time you make a change, like adding a new student or updating information, AcademyAssist saves it right away. You don’t have to do anything!

2. Where Your Data Lives: All your information is safely stored on your computer in a special file. It’s like a digital filing cabinet just for AcademyAssist.

3. Easy to Understand: We use a format called JSON to store your data. While you don’t need to know the details, it’s designed to be easy for both computers and humans to read if needed.

Keeping Your Data Safe

Your information is important, so here are some tips to keep it secure:

1. Make Backups: It’s always a good idea to have an extra copy of your data. Once a week, why not copy your AcademyAssist file to a USB drive or cloud storage?

2. Be Careful with Editing: While it’s possible to open and edit the data file directly, we don’t recommend it unless you’re an expert in CLI applications. It’s safer to make changes through the AcademyAssist program.

Caution: Be aware that if your modifications to the data file create an invalid format, Academy Assist will erase all existing data and start with a blank data file the next time it runs. To prevent data loss, it is advisable to back up the file before making any changes.

Additionally, certain alterations may cause Academy Assist to function improperly (for instance, if a value entered is outside the permissible range). Only edit the data file if you are sure you can do so accurately.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

Don’t panic! AcademyAssist is designed to handle most issues smoothly. But if you do run into problems:

1. Check for Messages: If there’s an issue loading your data, AcademyAssist will show a helpful message explaining what’s wrong.

2. Use Your Backup: This is where your backup copy comes in handy. You can replace the problematic file with your backup to get back on track.

Remember, AcademyAssist is here to make managing student information easy and stress-free. If you ever have questions about your data, just ask - we’re always happy to help! You can reach us via our email (academyassist@gmail.com).

FAQ

This section provides answers to frequently asked questions about AcademyAssist. If you have any other questions or encounter issues while using the application, please feel free to reach out to us via our email (academyassist@gmail.com).

Q: How do I transfer my data to another Computer?
A: Install the app in the other computer and overwrite the empty data file it creates with the file that contains the data of your previous AcademyAssist folder.

Q: Why is there a gap in the studentID after I deleted a student?
A: This is an intentional design, kindly refer to the note under Features for more details.

Q: Why do the system doesn’t replace the studentID of a deleted student?
A: This is an intentional design. Setting the studentID as irreplacable ensures data consistency and integrity, similar to a primary key in a database, by preventing duplicate or erroneous entries.

Q: Why is the maximum studentID capped at S99999?
A: The maximum student ID is capped at S99999 to meet the needs of small and medium-sized tuition centers. This limit is sufficient for managing hundreds of students while providing a safe buffer for growth over the years. As student IDs are irreplacable, this capacity remains adequate even with operations such as deleting student records.

Q: Some of the subjects I want to add are not available. How can I add them?
A: Currently, the system only supports a predefined set of subjects. However, we are working on a feature that will allow users to create their own subjects. Stay tuned for updates on this feature!

Q: How can I view the full list of students after filtering or sorting?
A: You can use the list command to view the full list of students after filtering or sorting. This command will reset the list to display all students in the system.

Q: Why is the subject tracker not updating after filtering the list?
A: The subject tracker must be closed and reopened to refresh the data. If you filter the list and then run the tracksubject command without closing the pop-up, subsequent commands like list will not update the subject tracker.

Q: I can’t see the full details of a student in the main window. How can I view all the details?
A: Currently, we only display the student’s name, student ID, year group, subjects taken, and phone number in the main window for a cleaner user interface. To view more detailed information about a student, you can use the detail command followed by the student’s ID. This will provide you with all the additional details you need.

Upcoming Features

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the functionality of the student management system, we are excited to introduce the following features aimed at providing greater flexibility in subject management:

1. Create Subject: Allow users to create their own subjects. Currently, the application only permits a restricted set of predefined subjects. With this feature, users will be able to tailor the subjects offered in their tuition center based on their specific needs.
   
   
2. Delete Subject: Enable users to delete subjects that are no longer offered by the tuition center. This feature will also automatically remove the subject tag from students currently enrolled in that subject, ensuring accurate and up-to-date records.
   
   
3. Drop Subject: Allow users to modify the subjects taken by students by dropping a subject. Currently, the system only supports adding subjects, and if a user wants to remove a subject from a student’s record, they must use the edit feature and manually note the remaining subjects. This new feature will streamline the process and enhance usability.
   
   
4. Add Remark: Enable users to add remarks or comments to student contacts in the future. This feature will allow users to tag additional information, such as notes about missed payments or other important details, to specific students. By implementing this functionality, we aim to improve communication and record-keeping, making it easier for users to manage student interactions effectively
   
   

These planned features are designed to improve the administrative capabilities of our student management system, allowing for more efficient subject management. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as we work towards implementing these enhancements!

Glossary

1. Command: An instruction given by a user to a computer program.
2. Command Line Interface (CLI): A text-based interface for interacting with a program.
3. Graphical User Interface (GUI): A visual interface that allows users to interact with a program using graphical elements.
4. Command Prompt (Windows)/ Terminal (macOS, Linux): A text-based interface for entering commands to interact with the operating system.
5. Java: A high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language that is designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible.
6. JSON: JavaScript Object Notation, a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate.
7. StudentID: A unique identifier assigned to each student in the system, starting from S00001 to S99999.
8. NRIC Number: National Registration Identity Card, a unique identifier assigned to Singapore residents and citizens.