E-Perpus Solo

#Project Overview

E-Perpus Solo is an open-source, web-based Library Management System built using CodeIgniter 3.1.13. The application is designed to manage library data in a structured way, covering user authentication, data management, and activity logging.

This project was developed as part of the Database Systems course assignment, using a real-world case study of a relational database–based library management system.

#Academic Background & Context

Formally, this project was assigned as a group project consisting of four members, including myself. However, in practice, the entire development process—ranging from database design, backend and frontend implementation, to feature integration—was 100% completed by me.

I actively attempted to communicate and encouraged other group members to contribute, particularly by proposing task distribution and collaboration through GitLab. Unfortunately, due to various reasons (including work commitments), no actual contributions were made.

As an additional context, I am a working-class (evening) student, and during the development of this project, I was also working full-time. This made the project a significant challenge in terms of time management and personal responsibility.

For this reason, the project was ultimately named E-Perpus Solo, reflecting that it was completed entirely as an individual effort.

#Project Objectives

The main objectives of this project were to:

• Apply database system concepts in a real application
• Implement CRUD operations using MySQL
• Use the CodeIgniter (MVC) framework in a practical way
• Build an authentication and authorization system (RBAC)
• Develop a structured web application that resembles real-world use cases
• Train individual responsibility within a group-based academic project

#Key Features

E-Perpus Solo includes several core features:

#Authentication & Authorization (RBAC)

• User login and registration
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Feature access restrictions based on user roles

#Dashboard

• Overview of key library data
• Quick insights into system activity

#Data Management

• Library data management using a relational database
• Well-structured CRUD operations

#Filter & Pagination

• Data filtering for easier searching
• Pagination to handle larger datasets

#Activity Log

• User activity tracking
• Simple audit and monitoring support

#Architecture & Technology Stack

This project was built using a classic PHP-based web stack:

• HTML & CSS

  • Page structure and styling

• Bootstrap

  • Responsive layout and UI components

• jQuery

  • Frontend interactivity

• PHP

  • Backend application logic

• CodeIgniter 3.1.13

  • MVC-based PHP framework

• MySQL

  • Relational database

• SweetAlert2

  • Interactive notifications

• Font Awesome

  • UI icons

• Apache

  • Web server

• Git, GitHub, & GitLab

  • Version control and repository management

#Challenges & Personal Experience

One of the biggest challenges in this project was:

• Managing a group assignment as a solo developer
• Maintaining code consistency and architecture
• Completing the project while working full-time
• Meeting academic requirements under limited time constraints

Despite being demanding, this experience trained me to:

• Take full ownership of a project
• Manage time realistically
• Stay professional under both ideal and non-ideal conditions

#What I Learned

Through the development of E-Perpus Solo, I gained valuable experience in:

• End-to-end implementation of database-driven systems
• Applying MVC architecture using CodeIgniter
• Designing authentication and authorization systems (RBAC)
• Managing medium-scale datasets
• Maintaining clean code structure and consistency
• Understanding real-world group dynamics and expectation management

#Why This Project Matters

Although it originated as a college assignment, E-Perpus Solo is significant to my journey because it:

• Demonstrates my ability to complete an end-to-end project independently
• Strengthened my sense of responsibility as a developer
• Bridged academic learning with real-world work conditions
• Became one of my most complete PHP backend projects

#Conclusion

E-Perpus Solo is an academic project that evolved into a meaningful personal experience. Built using CodeIgniter and MySQL, this project represents my ability to independently develop a structured, database-driven web application with authentication, authorization, and data management features.

Although it was officially a group assignment, it ultimately became a real-world exercise in independence, responsibility, and consistency in software development.

For detailed implementation, database structure, and full source code, please refer directly to the project repository on GitHub.