HOSTELLO

Automated Smart Hostel Management System using Django

HOSTELLO is a comprehensive, automated smart hostel management system designed to streamline and digitize daily hostel operations. By minimizing manual paperwork and maximizing efficiency, it provides a seamless experience for administrators and students alike—handling attendance, absence alerts, room allocation, and fee management in one secure platform.

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🎥 Project Working Demo

Hostello_Project_Working_Demo2.mp4

▶ HOSTELLO - Complete Project Walkthrough (Click Play to watch)

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📋 Table of Contents

• 🌟 Project Overview
• ✨ Key Features
• 🏗️ System Architecture
• 💻 Tech Stack
• 📁 Project Structure
• 🗄️ Database Schema
• 📸 Application Screens
• 🚀 Running the Application
• 🔒 Security
• 📜 License

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🌟 Project Overview

HOSTELLO tackles the chaotic administration of student accommodations by moving all critical operations—from daily room/mess attendance to grievance reporting—onto a centralized digital platform. The inclusion of automated guardian notifications ensures safety and accountability are maintained seamlessly.

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✨ Key Features

👨‍💼 Admin Features

• Dashboard Analytics: Visual overview of total students, available rooms, fee collections, and recent activities.
• Room Assignment & Management: Efficient allocation and tracking of hostel rooms. Admins can create rooms, set capacities, and assign students based on preferences.
• Smart Attendance System: Daily tracking of student presence in rooms and the mess.
• Automated Guardian Alerts: Automatically sends email alerts to parents/guardians when a student is absent beyond warning or critical thresholds.
• Fee Management: Transparent tracking of hostel and mess fees. Admins can generate fee invoices and track payment statuses.
• Notices Broadcasting: Create and publish digital announcements that instantly reflect on the student dashboard.
• Request Management: Handle student complaints, maintenance requests, and leave applications efficiently.
• Premium Admin Interface: Integrated with Jazzmin for a beautiful, responsive, and highly customizable administration panel.

🎓 Student Features

• Student Dashboard: Personalized portal displaying room details, attendance records, and pending dues.
• Notice Board: Real-time access to important announcements and hostel notices.
• Fee Portal: View detailed fee breakdowns and track payment history securely.
• Requests & Complaints: Submit and track the status of maintenance requests, leave applications, or general complaints directly from the portal.

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🏗️ System Architecture

    +-------------------+           HTTP/JSON            +-----------------------+
    |                   |  <==========================>  |                       |
    |  Frontend Web UI  |                                |   Django Web Server   |
    |  (HTML/CSS/JS)    |  <-------------------------->  |   (Views/URLs/APIs)   |
    |                   |           Templates            |                       |
    +-------------------+                                +-----------+-----------+
                                                                     |
                                                                     | ORM
                                                                     v
    +-------------------+                                +-----------+-----------+
    |                   |                                |                       |
    |   External APIs   |  <==========================>  |     Django Models     |
    | (Stripe, SMTP)    |      Payments & Emails         |    (Business Logic)   |
    |                   |                                |                       |
    +-------------------+                                +-----------+-----------+
                                                                     |
                                                                     | SQL
                                                                     v
                                                         +-----------+-----------+
                                                         |                       |
                                                         |    SQLite Database    |
                                                         |     (Data Storage)    |
                                                         |                       |
                                                         +-----------------------+

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💻 Tech Stack

🎨 Frontend

Technology	Badge	Description
HTML5		Semantic structure for all dashboard views.
CSS3		Premium styling and responsive layout designs.
JavaScript		Interactive DOM elements and asynchronous logic.
Bootstrap		Clean and consistent UI component framework.

⚙️ Backend

Technology	Badge	Description
Python		Core programming language (3.10+).
Django		High-level web framework for rapid development.
Django REST		Toolkit for building Web APIs.

🗄️ Database, Tools & Deployment

Technology	Badge	Description
SQLite		Lightweight, robust local data storage.
Jazzmin		Premium customized admin panel interface.
PythonAnywhere		Live cloud server hosting & deployment.
Git & GitHub		Version control and remote source code management.

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📁 Project Structure

HOSTELLO/
├── hostello_backend/
│   ├── accounts/             # Custom user models & auth logic
│   ├── attendance/           # Room and Mess attendance tracking
│   ├── fees/                 # Payments and fee management
│   ├── hostello_backend/     # Main project settings & routing
│   │   ├── settings.py
│   │   └── urls.py
│   ├── notices/              # Notice board broadcasting
│   ├── media/              
│   ├── requests/             # Student complaints/leave ticketing
│   ├── students/             # Student profiles & room allocation
│   ├── static/               # CSS, JS, and Images
│   ├── templates/            # HTML Django templates
│   ├── manage.py
│   └── requirements.txt
├── .env                      # Environment variables (git-ignored)
├── .gitignore
├── README.md
├── run_backend.bat           # Startup script
└── run_frontend.bat          # Startup script

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🗄️ Database Schema

Model Name	Purpose	Key Relationships
User	Custom authentication model (Admin/Warden).	Base model.
Student	Stores student details, guardian info, room info.	O2O with User, FK to Room.
RoomAttendance	Daily presence/absence tracking in rooms.	FK to Student.
MessAttendance	Daily presence/absence tracking in the mess.	FK to Student.
Fee	Logs fee types, amounts, and payment status.	FK to Student.
StudentRequest	Stores complaints, leave apps, and status.	FK to Student.
Notice	Global announcements for the dashboard.	Broadcast model.

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📸 Application Screens

🌐 Public Portal & Essential Info

Modern & Responsive Landing Page

Hostel Blocks & Capacity	3D Room Previews
Student Living Benefits	Weekly Mess Menu
Hostel Amenities & Contact Info

🔐 Authentication & Onboarding

Secure Registration

Student Login

🎓 Student Dashboard & Attendance

Comprehensive Student Profile

Real-time Attendance Tracking

💳 Fee Management & Payments

Dynamic Fee Calculation

Automated Receipts

📝 Requests, Notices & Info

Leave & Complaint Status	Submission Modal
Warden Notices	Policies & Contacts

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🛡️ Admin & Warden Control Panel

Secure Warden Portal Login	Centralized Admin Dashboard
Managing Hostel Wardens	Managing Room Availability & Types
Warden's View of Student Records	Bulk Attendance & Detailed Statistics
Processing Leave & Complaint Requests	Dynamic Fee Engine: Hostel + Mess
Broadcasting Warden Notices to Students

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🚀 Running the Application

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Hashmil-Muhammed/HOSTELLO_Automated_Smart_Hostel_Management_System_using_Django.git
cd HOSTELLO_Automated_Smart_Hostel_Management_System_using_Django

2. Set Up Virtual Environment

python -m venv hostello_env
# Windows:
hostello_env\Scripts\activate
# macOS/Linux:
source hostello_env/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies

cd hostello_backend
pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the hostello_backend/hostello_backend/ directory:

SECRET_KEY=your-secure-django-secret-key-here
DEBUG=True

# Email Configuration
EMAIL_HOST_USER=your-email@gmail.com
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=your-app-password

# Stripe API Keys (Optional)
STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=your-stripe-publishable-key
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=your-stripe-secret-key
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=your-stripe-webhook-secret

5. Run Migrations & Create Superuser

python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser

6. Start the Server

python manage.py runserver

Access the frontend at http://127.0.0.1:8000/ and the admin panel at http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/

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🔒 Security

• All sensitive credentials (such as Secret Keys and Email Passwords) are stored securely using environment variables (.env).
• Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is strictly configured.
• Protected by Django's native CSRF & XSS prevention layers.
• Password hashing and secure authentication practices are enforced natively by Django.

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Built with 💻 and ☕ for seamless hostel management.