Library Management System

A simple yet comprehensive library management system built with Rust, utilizing core collection types (vectors, strings, and hash maps) as covered in Chapter 8 of The Rust Programming Language book.

Features

• Book Management: Add, remove, and search books in the library inventory
• User Management: Register and track library members
• Borrowing System: Handle book borrowing and returning with validation
• Availability Tracking: Real-time tracking of available vs borrowed books
• Search Functionality: Case-insensitive book title search
• Data Persistence: Sample data initialization for demonstration
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling with custom error types
• CLI Interface: User-friendly command-line interface with menu system

Technology Stack

• Language: Rust 1.91.1+
• Dependencies:
  • compact_str - Memory-efficient string handling
  • chrono - Date and time operations
  • regex - Email validation
• Collections Used:
  • Vec<T> - For sequential storage of books and users
  • String/CompactString - For text data management
  • HashMap<K, V> - For O(1) lookups and relationship mapping
  • Rc<RefCell<T>> - For shared ownership and interior mutability

Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

• Rust installed (v1.91.1+)

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/library-management-system.git
cd library-management-system

2. Install dependencies:

cargo build

3. Run the application:

cargo run

Usage

The system starts with sample data (5 books, 3 users). Use the interactive menu to:

===== Library Management System =====
1. View all available books
2. Search books by title
3. Borrow a book
4. Return a book
5. View user's borrowed books
6. Add new book
7. Register new user
8. Exit

Example Workflow

View available books (Option 1) Borrow a book by providing user ID and book ID (Option 3) Check borrowed books for a user (Option 5) Return a book (Option 4) Search for books by title (Option 2)

Project Structure

src/
├── main.rs          # Application entry point and CLI interface
├── enums.rs         # Custom error enumeration
├── utils.rs         # Helper functions (input handling, string manipulation)
├── models/
│   ├── mod.rs       # Module aggregation
│   ├── book.rs      # Book struct definition
│   ├── user.rs      # User struct definition
│   └── library.rs   # Core library management logic
Cargo.toml           # Project dependencies and metadata
README.md            # Project documentation
LICENSE              # MIT License

Key Learning Points

• Vectors (Vec<T>):
  • Sequential storage of books and users
  • Filtering and iteration operations
  • Memory management with owned values
• Strings (String/CompactString):
  • Text data handling and manipulation
  • Input validation and sanitization
  • Efficient string operations
• Hash Maps (HashMap<K, V>):
  • O(1) lookup operations for books and users
  • Relationship mapping (borrowed books tracking)
  • Entry API for efficient updates
• Advanced Concepts:
  • Error handling with Result<T, E>
  • Ownership and borrowing patterns
  • Reference counting (Rc) and interior mutability (RefCell)
  • Struct and enum definitions with documentation

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.