Inventory Management System

A web-based inventory management system demonstrating the use of hashmaps (dictionaries) and priority queues (min-heap) for efficient data organization.

Features

• Add, Update, Delete Items: Manage inventory items with name, quantity, and price
• Fast Lookup: Uses Python dictionary (hashmap) for O(1) item retrieval
• Low Stock Alerts: Automatic tracking using a min-heap priority queue
• Search Functionality: Search items by name
• Sortable Inventory: Sort by name, quantity, or price
• Customizable Threshold: Set your own low stock threshold
• Persistent Storage: SQLite database stored locally in inventory.db

Data Structures Used

1. HashMap (Dictionary):

   • Python dict for O(1) item lookup by name
   • Efficient storage and retrieval of inventory items

2. Priority Queue (Min-Heap):

   • Python heapq for tracking low stock items
   • Automatically maintains items sorted by quantity
   • Efficient O(log n) updates when quantities change

Installation & Running

1. Install dependencies:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Run the application:

   ./run.sh
   # Or directly: python3 app.py

3. Open your browser to: http://localhost:5000

Usage

1. Add Items: Use the form at the top to add new inventory items
2. Update Items: Click "Edit" on any item to modify quantity or price
3. Delete Items: Click "Delete" to remove items from inventory
4. Search: Use the search box to find items by name
5. Sort: Use the dropdown to sort items by different criteria
6. Low Stock: Items below the threshold appear in the Low Stock section
7. Adjust Threshold: Change the low stock threshold value as needed

Technical Details

• Backend: Flask (Python) REST API
• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript with dynamic updates
• Database: SQLite with local storage
• Architecture: MVC pattern with clean separation of concerns