Inventory Management System – README

Overview

This project is a console-based Inventory Management System built using C++ and Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It helps manage products, stock levels, prices, and availability while using a clean class structure and file handling for data persistence.

Features

• Add, remove, and search products
• Update stock quantities
• Track pricing and availability
• View complete product list
• Persistent storage using text files
• Simple menu-driven console interface

OOP Concepts Used

• Classes & Objects: Product, Inventory
• Encapsulation: Private attributes + getters/setters
• Inheritance: Optional subclasses (e.g., PerishableProduct)
• Polymorphism: Overridable display/calculation functions
• File Handling: Read/write inventory data from .txt files

Project Structure

/src
  |-- main.cpp
  |-- Product.h / Product.cpp
  |-- Inventory.h / Inventory.cpp
/data
  |-- products.txt
README.md

How to Build & Run

Compile

g++ src/*.cpp -o inventory_app

Run

./inventory_app

Requirements

• C++11 or newer
• Any standard compiler (G++, Clang, MSVC)

Installation

1. Install a C++ compiler (recommended: G++).
2. Download or clone the project folder.
3. Ensure the data directory exists with read/write permissions.
4. Compile using the build command above.

Usage Guide

Main Menu Options

• 1. Add Product – Enter ID, name, price, and quantity.
• 2. Remove Product – Remove using product ID.
• 3. Search Product – Search by ID or keyword.
• 4. Update Stock – Increase or decrease quantity.
• 5. View All Products – Display all items.

Data File Example (products.txt)

101|USB Cable|150|47
102|Notebook|40|120

Example Commands

Add product:

Enter Product ID: 301
Enter Name: Bluetooth Speaker
Enter Price: 1200
Enter Quantity: 10

Update stock:

Enter Product ID: 301
Enter New Quantity: 15

Future Enhancements

• Admin authentication
• Sales reporting and analytics
• Category-based product filtering
• Expiry tracking for perishable items
• GUI or web-based version

Contribution

1. Fork the project.
2. Create a feature branch.
3. Commit clean, structured code.
4. Open a pull request.

Contact

For any issues or suggestions, feel free to update the README or improve the project.