HabitTracker

Console CRUD app to track different daily habits using C# and SQLite.

Requirements

• This is an application where you’ll log occurrences of a habit.
  
• This habit can't be tracked by time (ex. hours of sleep), only by quantity (ex. number of water glasses a day)
  
• Users need to be able to input the date of the occurrence of the habit
  
• The application should store and retrieve data from a real database
  
• When the application starts, it should create a sqlite database, if one isn’t present.
  
• It should also create a table in the database, where the habit will be logged.
  
• The users should be able to insert, delete, update and view their logged habit.
  
• You should handle all possible errors so that the application never crashes.
  
• You can only interact with the database using ADO.NET. You can’t use mappers such as Entity Framework or Dapper.
  
• Follow the DRY Principle, and avoid code repetition.
  
• Your project needs to contain a Read Me file where you'll explain how your app works.

Challenges

• Using parameterized queries to make your application more secure.
  
• Let the users create their own habits to track. That will require that you let them choose the unit of measurement of each habit.
  
• Seed Data into the database automatically when the database gets created for the first time, generating a few habits and inserting a hundred records with randomly generated values. This is specially helpful during development so you don't have to reinsert data every time you create the database.
  
• Create a report functionality where the users can view specific information (i.e. how many times the user ran in a year? how many kms?).

Features

1. Database and table creation

   • On start, the app creates a database HabitTracker with two tables, one stores all the habits and the unit of measurement and the other stores the data for each habit.
   • The application automatically seeds the database with 10 habits and 100 entries in total with random values.

2. Crud Operations

   • CREATE: User can create habits and insert data for each habit. When adding data to habit, user can choose to add current date.
   • UPDATE: User can update each habit and its data.
   • READ: User can view all habits and habit data separately. User can filter the habits and data with basic filters for name, date and quantity.
   • DELETE: User can delete a habit data or delete a habit which also deletes all of the data of the habit.

3. Interface and error handling

   • The application has a console menu for interaction.
   • If user provides incorrect input, the application either repeats the input until it's correct or it returns back to the menu.

Personal Challenges

• It was my first time working with an SQLite and ADO.NET. I had to learn the syntax for the SQL itself and the C# syntax for interacting with the SQLite database. Biggest trouble was properly opening and closing the database and using the keyword using.
• Proper SoC, DRY, KISS and OOP. I have tried to separate it while keeping it simple but it has proved quite difficult. I'm sure there is a lot of room for improvement to make it cleaner and more modular.
• Correctly deciding where and how to implement error handling has been difficult as well and it feels like there's not enough. Especially try-catch.

Learned Lessons and Things to Improve

• Start making the project properly from the start so that I don't have to waste time refactoring code that I have intended to change from the beginning.
• In future projects I should create a simple design documents with the features to implement, what I'm working on, etc. so that I don't have to guess and forget.
• Improve in the DRY, SoC and KISS principles.
• Get better at properly implementing error handling.