Question

Team up with two to three other students and jointly decide how you would organize, order, and locate the data used in the following application. Be prepared to present your group's design to the rest of the class. The program to be developed is a menu-driven program that will keep track of parking tickets issued by the village that is hiring you. When a ticket is issued the program must be able to accept and store the following information: ticket number, officer number, vehicle license plate state and number, location, violation code (this indicates which parking law was violated), and date and time written. The program must store information on the amount of the fine associated with each violation code. When a ticket is paid the program must be able to accept and store the information that it has been paid, the amount of the payment, and the date the payment was received. The program must be able to accept inquiries such as displaying the entire ticket record when a ticket number is entered. The program must also be able to produce the following reports: A list of all tickets issued on a specific date, ordered by ticket number A list of all tickets for which payment was received on a specific date and the total amount of money collected that day A report of all tickets issued in a one-month period, ordered by officer number, with a count of how many tickets each officer wrote A report of all tickets that have not yet been paid, or for which payment received was less than payment due, ordered by vehicle license number

Short answer

Answer: The key functionalities in a parking ticket tracking program include issuing tickets, recording payments, making inquiries, and generating reports such as tickets by date, payments by date, tickets by officer, and unpaid tickets.

Step-by-step solution

Defining Variables and Data Structures

First, we need to create a data structure to represent the parking ticket data. We can use a class or a dictionary for this purpose. The structure should contain fields for ticket number, officer number, vehicle license plate state and number, location, violation code, date and time issued, fine amount, payment status, amount paid, and payment date.

Creating Functions to Input and Store Information

Create functions to input and store the ticket data. For example, create a function called "issue_ticket" that will accept the required data when a ticket is issued and then store it in the data structure that we created in Step 1. Similarly, create a function called "record_payment" to accept the ticket number, payment amount, and issued date. This function should update the corresponding ticket's payment status, amount paid, and the payment date.

Functions for Inquiries

Now we need to create functions that accept inquiries and generate reports. Define a function called "ticket_inquiry" that takes the ticket number as an input and displays the entire ticket record associated with that number.

Creating Functions for Reports

Create a function called "tickets_by_date" that accepts a specific date as input and returns a list of all tickets issued on that date, ordered by ticket number. Create another function called "payments_by_date" to list all tickets for which payment was received on a specific date and the total amount of money collected that day. Define a function called "tickets_by_officer" that, given a one-month period, generates a report of all tickets issued during that month, ordered by officer number, with a count of how many tickets each officer wrote. Lastly, create a function called "unpaid_tickets" that generates a report of all tickets that have not yet been paid, or for which payment received was less than payment due, ordered by vehicle license number.

Implementing the Menu-driven Program

Finally, develop a menu-driven program that allows the user to interact with the system. The user should be able to choose between different tasks, such as issuing a ticket, recording a payment, making inquiries, and generating reports. You could use a loop that continuously asks the user for input, and direct them to the appropriate function based on their input. With these steps, the students have a clear guideline for how to create a parking ticket tracking program that can input, store, and display the relevant information.

Key concepts

Data Structures in Programming

Data structures are a critical part of any programming project, especially those that handle complex data like a parking ticket tracking system. In this context, you need to effectively organize information about tickets, payments, and violations. A well-chosen data structure allows for efficient storage, retrieval, and manipulation of this data.
In programming, we often use structures like classes or dictionaries to manage our data. Classes are particularly useful as they allow you to create instances, encapsulating both data and functions that operate on it. For this exercise, a class could represent a single parking ticket, with attributes such as ticket number, officer number, vehicle license details, and violation information.
Dictionaries, on the other hand, offer simple storage with key-value pairs and are ideal for quick lookups. For example, the violation code could be a key in a dictionary, with the corresponding fine amount as the value. Choosing the right data structure impacts the efficiency and ease of use of your program, crucial for managing large datasets like those in the parking ticket system.

Functions and Procedures

Functions and procedures are essential components of programming that allow reuse of code and modularity. A function is a block of reusable code that performs a particular task. In the parking ticket tracking application, functions are used to input and process user data efficiently.
Functions such as `issue_ticket` and `record_payment` streamline the process of entering and storing ticket and payment data. By defining specific functions for these tasks, we can improve readability and maintainability of the code. Each function has a clear purpose, whether it's to issue a new ticket, update payment records, or manage inquiries.
This modular approach using functions ensures that our code is both organized and flexible. It enables easy updates and debugging while allowing us to handle complex operations in a straightforward manner. By breaking down the program into smaller, manageable functions, we enhance its scalability and robustness.

Menu-driven Program Design

A menu-driven design enhances the user interaction with your program, guiding through tasks with a clear set of options. In this parking ticket tracking system, a menu-driven interface allows users to easily navigate between different functionalities like issuing tickets, recording payments, and generating reports.
Implementing this involves presenting users with a list of actions they can perform. Using loops and switch-case statements (or if-else chains) is common to keep the program responsive, continually offering options until the user decides to exit. This user-centric design approach helps ensure that even individuals with minimal technical knowledge can interact with the system effectively.
Such a structure is not only intuitive but also reduces error rates as users follow predefined pathways to achieve their tasks. By focusing the design on user experience, you build a system that meets operational needs while also being accessible and efficient.

Report Generation in Software

Generating reports is a key feature in software that helps transform data into actionable insights. In a parking ticket tracking system, various reports are needed to manage and analyze issued tickets and payments efficiently.
The process involves fetching the necessary data, processing it as per the report requirements, and displaying it in a user-friendly format. Functions like `tickets_by_date`, `payments_by_date`, and `unpaid_tickets` illustrate how specific reports can be generated to assist administrators in monitoring operations.
Report generation requires sorting, filtering, and aggregating data. For instance, a report might list all tickets issued within a month, organized by officer number. Each report is designed to offer clarity on different aspects of ticket management, aiding in decision-making and operational transparency.
Overall, report generation empowers users to derive meaningful conclusions from data, fostering informed decision-making. Including features for tailored reports, such as sorting by ticket number or officer count, enhances the ability of the software to serve varied administrative needs.