ExpressLibrary is a desktop app created for librarians to better manage library users and books, optimized for use via a Command Line Interface (CLI) while still having the benefits of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). ExpressLibrary’s user commands are simple and intuitive, making it easy for librarians to get their tasks done in a quick and efficient manner.

Quick start

  1. Ensure you have Java 11 or above installed in your computer. Here is a link to check which version of Java is installed in your computer: Check Java version
    If Java is not installed, you may download the corresponding Java version with respect to your operating system here: Download Java 11
    Note that ExpressLibrary is only compatible with Linux, Windows and Mac OS.

  2. Download the latest expresslibrary-{version_num}.jar from here.

  3. Create a new folder in a convenient location on your computer.

  4. Move the .jar file into the new folder.

  5. Open the terminal on your computer. If you are not sure how to do this, please refer to the FAQ section below.

  6. Type cd, then type in the file path of the new folder you created in step 6 into the terminal window. Press enter. If you are not sure how to use the cd command, please refer to https://www.javatpoint.com/linux-cd.

  7. In the terminal window, type java -jar expresslibrary-{version_num}.jar and press enter. This will start the application and you will be able to use it. Note that double-clicking on the jar file may cause issues with saved data, so it’s important to run it using the command above.

  1. In a few seconds, a graphical user interface (GUI) similar to the one shown below should appear. Please note that ExpressLibrary initially includes sample data that demonstrates how it can be used in a corporate library.

Ui

  1. Type the command in the command box and press Enter to execute it. e.g. typing help and pressing Enter will open the help window.

    Some example commands you can try:

    • listPerson : Lists all persons in ExpressLibrary.
    • addPerson n/Bob Tan p/97450597 e/btan@mail.com: Adds a person named Bob Tan to ExpressLibrary.
    • deletePerson 3 : Deletes the 3rd person shown in the current person list.
    • clear : Clears all persons and books in the ExpressLibrary.
    • exit : Exits the app.

  1. Refer to the Features below for details of each command.

Features

:information_source: Notes about the command format:

  • Words in UPPER_CASE are the parameters to be supplied by the user.
    e.g. in addPerson n/NAME, NAME is a parameter which can be used as addPerson n/John Doe.

  • Items in square brackets are optional.
    e.g n/NAME [t/TAG] can be used as n/John Doe t/friend or as n/John Doe.

  • Optional items in curly braces requires at least one optional item to be entered.
    e.g {[n/NAME] [t/TAG]} can be used as n/John Doe t/friend or n/John Doe but cannot be empty.

  • Items with …​ after them can be used multiple times including zero times.
    e.g. [t/TAG]…​ can be used as   (i.e. 0 times), t/friend, t/friend t/family etc.

  • Parameters can be in any order. e.g. if the command specifies n/NAME p/PHONE_NUMBER, p/PHONE_NUMBER n/NAME is also acceptable.

  • If a parameter is expected only once in the command but you specified it multiple times, only the last occurrence of the parameter will be taken.
    e.g. if you specify p/98102341 p/81234134, only p/98102341 will be taken.

  • Only Singapore phone numbers are valid. (Must be 8 digits long and start with 6, 8 or 9.)

  • Emails must abide by RFC5322 standard. For more details, refer to section 3.4.1 of the RFC5322 protocol found here https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5322#section-3.4.1.
    You can also refer to the error message which will appear if you key in an invalid email.

  • Redundant parameters for commands that do not take in parameters (such as help, listPerson, exit and clear) will be ignored.
    e.g. if the command specifies help 123, it will be interpreted as help.

Person Commands

Adding a user: addPerson

Adds a person to the ExpressLibrary.

Format: addPerson n/NAME p/PHONE_NUMBER e/EMAIL a/ADDRESS [t/TAG]…​

  • You will not be able to add a person with the same email or phone number of an existing person.
:bulb: Tip: A person can have any number of tags. (including 0)

Examples:

  • addPerson n/Bob Tan p/91112222 e/btan@mail.com

Deleting a person : deletePerson

Deletes a person at the specified person list index.

Format: deletePerson PERSON_INDEX [-f]

  • Must be preceded by listBook command if the person to be deleted has borrowed books not shown in the book list.
  • Deletes the person at the specified PERSON_INDEX.
  • The index refers to the index number shown in the displayed person list.
  • The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …​
  • The -f flag is optional and should be included in the case where the person to delete has borrowed books and you would like to return all books while deleting the person. Else, a warning message will appear when you try to delete the person without the flag.

Examples:

  • listPerson followed by deletePerson 2 deletes the 2nd person in the person list.
  • listPerson followed by deletePerson 3 -f deletes the 3rd person in the person list and returns all books the person has borrowed, if any.

Editing a person : editPerson

Edits an existing person in the ExpressLibrary.

Format: editPerson PERSON_INDEX {[n/NAME] [p/PHONE] [e/EMAIL] [t/TAG]…}​

  • Edits the person at the specified PERSON_INDEX. The index refers to the index number shown in the displayed person list. The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …​
  • Existing values will be updated to the input values.
  • When editing tags, the existing tags of the person will be removed i.e adding of tags is not cumulative.
  • You will not be able to edit a person’s email or phone number to be the same as an existing person.
  • You can remove all the person’s tags by typing t/ without specifying any tags after it.

Examples:

  • editPerson 1 p/91234567 e/johndoe@example.com Edits the phone number and email address of the 1st person to be 91234567 and johndoe@example.com respectively.
  • editPerson 2 n/Betsy Crower t/ Edits the name of the 2nd person to be Betsy Crower and clears all existing tags.

Listing all users : listPerson

Shows a list of all users in the person list. Mainly to be used after findPerson command to unfilter the person list.

Format: listPerson

Locating persons by name: findPerson

Finds persons whose names contain any of the given keywords.

Format: findPerson KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS]

  • The search is case-insensitive. e.g hans will match Hans.
  • The order of the keywords does not matter. e.g. Hans Bo will match Bo Hans.
  • Only the name is searched.

  • Persons matching at least one keyword will be returned (i.e. OR search).

    e.g. Hans Bo will return Hans Gruber, Bo Yang.

Examples:

  • findPerson John returns john , John Doe and johnston.
  • findPerson Alex Bernice returns Alex Yeoh, Bernice Yu.

result for 'findPerson Alex Bernice'

Book Commands

Adding a book: addBook

Adds a book to the book list.

Format: addBook t/TITLE a/AUTHOR i/ISBN​

  • You will not be able to add a book with the same ISBN of an existing book.

Examples:

  • addBook t/Diary of a Wimpy Kid a/Jeff Kinney i/9780810993136

Deleting a book : deleteBook

Delete a book given an book index in the book list.

Format: deleteBook BOOK_INDEX [-f]

  • Must be preceded by listPerson command if the person who borrowed the book is not shown in the person list.
  • Deletes the book at the specified BOOK_INDEX.
  • The index refers to the index number shown in the displayed book list.
  • The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …
  • The -f flag is optional and should be included in the case where the book to delete has been borrowed by a person and you would like to return the book while deleting it. Else, a warning message will appear when you try to delete the book without the flag.​

Examples:

  • listBook followed by deleteBook 2 deletes the 2nd book in the book list.
  • listBook followed by deleteBook 3 -f deletes the 3rd book in the book list and returns it if it is borrowed.

Editing a book : editBook

Edits an existing book in the book list.

Format: editBook BOOK_INDEX {[t/TITLE] [a/AUTHOR] [i/ISBN] [bd/BORROW_DATE] [dd/DUE_DATE]}​

  • Edits the book at the specified BOOK_INDEX. The index refers to the index number shown in the displayed book list. The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …​
  • At least one of the optional fields must be provided.
  • You will not be able to edit a book’s ISBN to be the same as an existing book’s ISBN.
  • Existing values will be updated to the input values.

Examples:

  • editBook 1 t/Diary of a Wimpy Kid a/Jeff Kinney i/9780810993136 Edits the title, author and ISBN of the 1st book to be Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Jeff Kinney and 9780810993136 respectively.
  • editBook 2 bd/22/03/2023 dd/29/03/2023 Edits the borrow date and due date of the 2nd book to be 22/03/2023 and 29/03/2023.

Listing all books : listBook

Shows a list of all books in the book list. Mainly to be used after findBook command to unfilter the person list.

Format: listBook

Locate book by title: findBook

Find books whose titles contain any of the given keywords.

Format: findBook KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS]

  • The search is case-insensitive. e.g DUNE will match dune.
  • The order of the keywords does not matter. e.g. Great Gatsby will match Gatsby Great.
  • Only the title is searched.
  • Books matching at least one keyword will be returned (i.e. OR search). e.g. Dune Great will return Dune, Great Gatsby.

Examples:

  • findBook The returns The Cat in the Hat and Call of the Wild.
  • findBook dune Cat returns Dune, The Cat in the Hat.
  • findBook 1984 kill returns 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird.

result for 'findBook 1984 kill'

Common Commands

Borrowing a book : borrow

Lends a book to a person given a person index, book index and due date.

Format: borrow PERSON_INDEX b/BOOK_INDEX d/DUE_DATE

  • Lends a book specified by the BOOK_INDEX to the person at the specified PERSON_INDEX.
  • The PERSON_INDEX refers to the index number shown in the displayed person list.
  • The BOOK_INDEX refers to the index number shown in the displayed book list.
  • The indexes must be positive integers 1, 2, 3, …​

Examples:

  • To allow the 2nd person in the person list to borrow the 3rd book in the book list:
    • listBook and listPerson will show the lists containing the books and the stored persons.
    • borrow 2 b/3 d/17/10/2024 allows the 2nd user in the person list to borrow the 3rd book in the book list, with a due date of Oct. 17, 2024.
  • To edit the book’s due date only:
    • Simply borrow the book again with the same person but a different due date.
    • borrow 2 b/3 d/20/11/2024 will renew the book’s due date from the previous example.

Returning a book : return

Returns a person’s borrowed book to ExpressLibrary given a person index and book index.

Format: return PERSON_INDEX b/BOOK_INDEX

  • Returns a person’s borrowed book specified by the PERSON_INDEX and specified BOOK_INDEX.
  • The PERSON_INDEX refers to the index number shown in the displayed person list.
  • The BOOK_INDEX refers to the index number shown in the displayed book list.
  • The indexes must be positive integers 1, 2, 3, …​

Examples:

  • listBook/listPerson followed by return 1 b/2 returns the 2nd book in the book list from the 1st person in the person list.

Clearing all entries : clear

Deletes all persons and books from ExpressLibrary.

Format: clear

Exiting the program : exit

Exits the program.

Format: exit

Viewing help : help

Shows a message explaining how to access the user guide.

helpMessage

Format: help

Colour coded due dates

ExpressLibrary automatically changes the color of due dates to alert the librarian when a book’s due date is within 3 days of the current date or has passed.

colourDates

As clearly seen in the image above, if the due date is within 3 days of the current date, the color of the due date will turn yellow. If the due date has passed, the color of the due date will turn orange.

Saving the data

ExpressLibrary data is saved in the hard disk automatically after any command that changes the data. There is no need to save manually.

Editing the data file

ExpressLibrary data is saved as a JSON file [JAR file location]/data/expresslibrary-{version_num}.json. Advanced users are welcome to update data directly by editing that data file.

:information_source: Note: When editing book fields when it is borrowed, make sure to update both the books array in the person object and the main books array separate from persons in the json file. Please refer to How data is saved for more details.

How data is saved

:information_source: For advanced users only!

Data in ExpressLibrary is saved in [JAR file location]/data/expresslibrary-{version_num}.json, consisting of an array of persons and books.

Each person in the persons array will contain these fields:

  • name: Represents the name of the person.
  • phone: Represents the phone number of the person.
  • email: Represents the email of the person.
  • books: Represents the set of books that the person has borrowed, will be an empty set if the person has not borrowed any.
  • tagged: Represents the tags assigned to the person, will be an empty set if the person has no tags assigned.
:warning: Note: If editing the file manually, note that books in each person must be present in the main books array. Otherwise, the data file will be invalid.

Each book in the books array will contain these fields:

  • title: Represents the title of the book.
  • author: Represents the author of the book.
  • isbn: Represents the ISBN of the book.
  • borrowDate: Represents the date in the form dd/mm/yyyy when the book was borrowed by a person, will be an empty string if not borrowed.
  • dueDate: Represents the date in the form dd/mm/yyyy when the book has to be returned by a person, will be an empty string if not borrowed.
  • isBorrowed: Represents whether the book is borrowed. True if borrowed and false if not.
:warning: Note: If editing the file manually, note that borrowDate and dueDate must be included if isBorrowed is true and vice versa. Otherwise, the data file will be invalid.

:exclamation: Caution: If the changes you make to the data file cause its format to become invalid, ExpressLibrary will not be able to use it. In this case, the application will start with an empty data file the next time it is run.

FAQ

Q: How do I open the terminal on my operating system?
A:
Windows: Press Windows key + R and type cmd in the prompt.
Mac OS: Press Command + Space and type Terminal in the prompt.
Linux: Press Ctrl + Alt + T.

Q: How do I transfer my data to another computer?
A: Install the app in the other computer and overwrite the empty data file it creates with the file that contains the data of your previous ExpressLibrary home folder.

Q: Why can’t I set due date to be in the past using the borrow command? What if the book was not borrowed today?
A: Please use the editBook command after borrow if you would like to edit dates without the current date checks. borrow is intended to be used as if the person was borrowing the book on that day.

Command summary

Person

Action Format, Examples
AddPerson addPerson n/NAME p/PHONE_NUMBER e/EMAIL [t/TAG]…​
e.g., addPerson n/James Ho p/92340121 e/jamesho@example.com t/manager t/hr
DeletePerson deletePerson PERSON_INDEX
e.g., deletePerson 3
EditPerson editPerson INDEX {[n/NAME] [p/PHONE_NUMBER] [e/EMAIL] [t/TAG]…}​
e.g.,editPerson 2 n/James Lee e/jameslee@example.com
FindPerson findPerson KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS]…
e.g., findPerson James Jake
ListPerson listPerson

Book

Action Format, Examples
AddBook addBook t/TITLE a/AUTHOR i/ISBN​
e.g., addBook t/Diary of a Wimpy Kid a/Jeff Kinney i/9780810993136
DeleteBook deleteBook BOOK_INDEX
e.g., deleteBook 3
EditBook editBook BOOK_INDEX {[t/TITLE] [a/AUTHOR] [i/ISBN] [bd/BORROW_DATE] [dd/DUE_DATE]}
e.g.,editBook 1 t/Diary of a Wimpy Kid a/Jeff Kinney i/9780810993136
FindBook findBook KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS]…
e.g., findBook dune Cat
ListBook listBook

Common

Action Format, Examples
Borrow borrow PERSON_INDEX b/BOOK_INDEX d/DUE_DATE
e.g., borrow 1 b/2 d/23/09/2024
Return return PERSON_INDEX b/BOOK_INDEX
e.g., return 3 b/1
Clear clear
Exit exit
Help help