Sahyadri College Lost & Found System

A web application for managing lost and found items at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management.

Features

• Report lost items
• Report found items
• User authentication (students, faculty, and admin roles)
• Email notifications for item matches
• Dashboard for administrators
• Automated escalation system for unclaimed items
• Image upload support
• Mobile-responsive design

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip (Python package manager)
• Git

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd lost-and-found-application

2. Create a virtual environment and activate it:

python -m venv venv
# On Windows
venv\Scripts\activate
# On Unix or MacOS
source venv/bin/activate

3. Install required packages:

cd backend
pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up environment variables:

# Copy the example environment file
cp .env.example .env

Edit the .env file and update the following variables:

• SECRET_KEY: A secure random string
• MAIL_USERNAME: Your email address
• MAIL_PASSWORD: Your email app-specific password

5. Initialize the database:

flask db upgrade

Running the Application

1. Start the Flask development server:

python run.py

2. Access the application at http://localhost:5000

Usage

For Students

1. Register an account using your college email
2. Use "Report Lost Item" to report items you've lost
3. Use "Report Found Item" to report items you've found
4. Receive email notifications when matching items are found

For Administrators

1. Log in with admin credentials
2. Access the dashboard to view all lost and found items
3. Process item returns and verify claims
4. Monitor escalated items

Email Notifications

The system sends email notifications for:

• Potential matches between lost and found items
• Item claim confirmations
• Escalations for unclaimed items (after 7 days)

Directory Structure

backend/
├── app/
│   ├── models/
│   │   ├── item.py
│   │   └── user.py
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── auth.py
│   │   └── main.py
│   ├── static/
│   │   ├── css/
│   │   └── uploads/
│   ├── templates/
│   │   ├── auth/
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── email.py
│   │   └── tasks.py
│   └── __init__.py
├── config.py
├── requirements.txt
└── run.py

Security Considerations

• All passwords are hashed before storage
• File uploads are validated and restricted
• CSRF protection is enabled
• User roles control access to sensitive functions
• Email notifications use TLS

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a Pull Request

Contact

For support or queries, contact:

• Email: aman.kekkar@gmail.com

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.