Lost and Found Management System

A comprehensive web-based Lost and Found Management System built with Flask and MySQL, designed for educational institutions to help students, staff, and faculty report and find lost items efficiently.

Features

Core Functionality

• User Authentication: Secure login system with role-based access (Student, Staff, Faculty, Admin)
• Item Reporting: Users can report both lost and found items with detailed descriptions
• Advanced Search: Comprehensive search functionality with filters for category, location, and item type
• Intelligent Matching: Automatic matching system between lost and found items based on similarity scores
• Claims Management: Users can claim items with admin approval workflow
• Dashboard: Real-time statistics and recent activity overview

User Roles

• Students/Staff/Faculty: Can report items, search, claim items, and view their matches
• Admin: Full system access including user management, claims approval, and system statistics

Smart Features

• Auto-Matching Algorithm: Calculates match scores based on:
  • Category similarity (40% weight)
  • Location similarity (30% weight)
  • Name similarity (20% weight)
  • Description similarity (10% weight)
• Real-time Notifications: Users get notified of potential matches for their lost items
• Comprehensive Categories: Electronics, Clothing, Books, Accessories, Sports Equipment, Personal Items, Documents
• Multiple Locations: Library, Cafeteria, Gym, Parking Lot, Classroom Buildings, Student Center

Technology Stack

• Backend: Flask (Python)
• Database: MySQL
• ORM: SQLAlchemy
• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
• UI Framework: Bootstrap 5
• Icons: Font Awesome
• Server: XAMPP (Apache + MySQL)

Database Schema

The system uses 6 main tables:

1. Users - Store user information and authentication details
2. Categories - Item categories for classification
3. Locations - Campus locations where items are lost/found
4. Items - Core table storing all lost and found items
5. Matches - Auto-generated matches between lost and found items
6. Claims - User claims for items with approval workflow

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

1. XAMPP: Download and install from https://www.apachefriends.org/
2. Python 3.7+: Download from https://python.org
3. Git: For cloning the repository

Step 1: Setup XAMPP

1. Start XAMPP Control Panel
2. Start Apache and MySQL services
3. Open phpMyAdmin at http://localhost/phpmyadmin
4. Create a new database named lost_found_db

Step 2: Clone and Setup Project

# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd lost_found_system

# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv venv

# Activate virtual environment
# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate
# On macOS/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

# Install required packages
pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Configure Database

1. Open config.py
2. Verify MySQL connection settings:

   MYSQL_HOST = 'localhost'
   MYSQL_USER = 'root'  # Default XAMPP username
   MYSQL_PASSWORD = ''  # Default XAMPP password (empty)
   MYSQL_DATABASE = 'lost_found_db'

Step 4: Run the Application

python app.py

The application will:

• Create all database tables automatically
• Insert default categories and locations
• Create default admin and student users
• Start the web server at http://localhost:5000

Default Login Credentials

Admin Account

• User ID: 1
• Password: admin123
• Email: [email protected]

Student Account

• User ID: 2
• Password: student123
• Email: [email protected]

Project Structure

lost_found_system/
│
├── app.py                 # Main Flask application
├── config.py             # Database and app configuration
├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
├── README.md             # This file
│
├── templates/            # HTML templates
│   ├── base.html         # Base template with navigation
│   ├── index.html        # Dashboard
│   ├── login.html        # Login page
│   ├── register.html     # User registration
│   ├── search.html       # Item search interface
│   ├── report_item.html  # Report lost/found items
│   ├── item_detail.html  # Individual item details
│   ├── my_items.html     # User's reported items
│   ├── matches.html      # Potential matches
│   ├── manage_claims.html # Admin claims management
│   └── admin_dashboard.html # Admin statistics
│
└── static/              # Static files (optional)
    ├── css/
    ├── js/
    └── images/

Usage Guide

For Students/Staff/Faculty

1. Register: Create an account with your details
2. Login: Use your User ID and password to access the system
3. Report Items:
   • Click "Report Item" to report lost or found items
   • Provide detailed descriptions for better matching
4. Search Items: Use the search feature to find items by name, category, or location
5. View Matches: Check the "Matches" section for potential matches to your lost items
6. Claim Items: Click "Claim Item" on found items that belong to you
7. Track Progress: Monitor your reported items and claims in "My Items"

For Administrators

1. Login: Use admin credentials to access admin features
2. Dashboard: View system statistics and recent activity
3. Manage Claims: Review and approve/reject user claims
4. Monitor System: Track system usage and user activity
5. User Management: View registered users and their activities

API Endpoints

Authentication

• GET /login - Login page
• POST /login - Process login
• GET /logout - Logout user
• GET /register - Registration page
• POST /register - Process registration

Items Management

• GET / - Dashboard
• GET /search - Search items
• GET /report_item - Report item form
• POST /report_item - Process item reporting
• GET /item/<id> - Item details
• GET /my_items - User's items

Claims and Matches

• POST /claim_item/<id> - Claim an item
• GET /matches - View potential matches
• GET /manage_claims - Admin claims management
• GET /approve_claim/<id> - Approve claim (Admin)
• GET /reject_claim/<id> - Reject claim (Admin)

Administration

• GET /admin - Admin dashboard

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Database Connection Error

   • Ensure XAMPP MySQL service is running
   • Verify database name lost_found_db exists
   • Check MySQL credentials in config.py

2. Import Error: No module named 'pymysql'

   pip install pymysql

3. Port 5000 already in use

   • Change port in app.py: app.run(debug=True, port=5001)

4. Tables not created

   • Delete database and restart the application
   • Check MySQL permissions

Database Reset

To reset the database:

1. Open phpMyAdmin
2. Drop the lost_found_db database
3. Create a new lost_found_db database
4. Restart the Flask application

Security Notes

⚠️ Important: This is a demo application with basic security:

• Passwords are stored in plain text (not recommended for production)
• No CSRF protection implemented
• Basic input validation only

For production use, implement:

• Password hashing (bcrypt/scrypt)
• CSRF protection
• Input sanitization
• SQL injection protection
• User session management
• Rate limiting

Future Enhancements

• Email notifications for matches and claims
• File upload for item images
• Mobile responsive design improvements
• REST API for mobile app integration
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Bulk import/export functionality
• Multi-language support
• Integration with campus ID systems