🧾 Automated Mess Billing System

A comprehensive Django web application for hostel mess billing and student management

Developed for Women's Hostel administration to streamline billing processes and reduce manual errors

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📋 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Technologies
• Installation
• Usage
• Project Structure
• API Endpoints
• Contributing
• License
• Acknowledgments

🎯 Overview

The Automated Mess Billing System is a Django-based web application designed specifically for hostel management. It automates the complex process of calculating mess bills based on student attendance, manages room allocations, and provides a comprehensive dashboard for hostel administrators.

Problem Solved

• Manual Billing Errors: Eliminates calculation mistakes in mess bill generation
• Time-Consuming Processes: Automates attendance tracking and bill calculation
• Data Management: Centralizes student information and room allocation
• Administrative Overhead: Reduces manual work for hostel staff

✨ Features

🏠 Student Management

• Complete student profile management with personal details
• Room allocation and management system
• Profile image optimization (auto-conversion to WebP format)

📊 Attendance System

• Daily attendance tracking interface
• Continuous absence monitoring

💰 Billing Engine

• Automated mess bill calculation based on attendance criteria
• Monthly bill generation with detailed breakdowns
• Bill history

🎛️ Admin Dashboard

• Intuitive interface for hostel staff
• Real-time statistics and analytics
• User role management
• System configuration settings

📱 Responsive Design

• Mobile-friendly interface
• Cross-browser compatibility

🛠️ Technologies

Technology	Version	Purpose
Python	3.10+	Backend development
Django	5.x	Web framework
SQLite	Latest	Database (development)
Pillow	Latest	Image processing
HTML5/CSS3	-	Frontend templates
JavaScript	ES6+	Interactive features

🚀 Installation

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip (Python package manager)
• Git

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository ```bash git clone https://github.com/jitheshjr/Hostel_Manangement_System.git cd Hostel_Manangement_System ```

2. Create a virtual environment ```bash

   On Windows

   python -m venv venv venv\Scripts\activate

   On macOS/Linux

   python3 -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate ```

3. Install dependencies ```bash pip install -r requirements.txt ```

4. Set up the database ```bash python manage.py makemigrations python manage.py migrate ```

5. Create a superuser ```bash python manage.py createsuperuser ```

6. Run the development server ```bash python manage.py runserver ```

7. Access the application

   • Open your browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:8000
   • Admin panel: http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin

📈 Performance

• Database Optimization: Indexed queries for faster lookups
• Image Optimization: WebP conversion reduces storage by 30%
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Academic Use: This project was developed for educational purposes. If you use or extend this project, please provide proper attribution.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Django Community - For the excellent web framework
• College Hostel Staff - For valuable feature requirements and testing
• Open Source Contributors - For various libraries and tools used
• Women's Hostel Administration - For supporting this digital transformation

Made with ❤️ for hostel management automation

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