Course Management System

Overview

A Java-based Course Management System that allows instructors to build Course Modules. Each module may contain lessons or sub-modules, and both must be treated the same way when displaying details.

Design Pattern Used

Composite Design Pattern - This pattern is perfect for representing part-whole hierarchies where courses contain modules, and modules can contain lessons or other sub-modules.

Project Structure

Core Components

1. CourseComponent.java - Common interface for all course components

   • Defines showDetails() method that all components must implement

2. Lesson.java - Leaf component representing individual lessons

   • Contains: name, duration, instructorName
   • Cannot contain other components

3. CourseModule.java - Composite component representing course modules

   • Can contain multiple lessons or other course modules
   • Provides add() method to build hierarchy

4. Main.java - Demonstration class

   • Creates sample course structure
   • Shows hierarchical display of course content

How to Run

# Compile all Java files
javac *.java

# Run the demonstration
java Main

Sample Output

=== Course Management System ===
Module: Computer Science Course
  Module: Programming Fundamentals
  Lesson: Java Basics | Duration: 2 hours | Instructor: Prof. Smith
  Lesson: OOP Concepts | Duration: 3 hours | Instructor: Prof. Johnson
  Lesson: Data Structures | Duration: 4 hours | Instructor: Prof. Brown

Design Pattern Benefits

Composite Pattern Advantages:

• Uniform Treatment: Both lessons and modules implement the same interface
• Flexibility: Easy to add new component types
• Scalability: Supports unlimited nesting levels
• Simplicity: Client code treats all components uniformly

Pattern Structure:

• Component: CourseComponent interface
• Leaf: Lesson class (cannot contain others)
• Composite: CourseModule class (can contain multiple components)

Features Implemented

✅ Common interface for course components with showDetails() method
✅ Lesson class with name, duration, and instructor attributes
✅ CourseModule class that can contain lessons or other modules
✅ Sample course module with sub-modules and lessons
✅ Hierarchical display of all course details
✅ Composite Design Pattern implementation

Git Workflow Completed

1. ✅ Created feature/module-management branch
2. ✅ Implemented the coding task (Part B requirements)
3. ✅ Added duration and instructorName attributes (for merge conflict simulation)
4. ✅ Committed and pushed changes
5. ✅ Ready for Pull Request creation

Data Flow Diagram

See DataFlowDiagram.md for the Level-1 DFD of the Course Management System.

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This project demonstrates the Composite Design Pattern in a real-world scenario of managing hierarchical course structures.