NduNdu21/bursary-match

A desktop Java application that matches South African students to bursaries and scholarships they qualify for, based on their academic results. # Bursary Match System A desktop Java application that matches South African students to bursaries and scholarships they qualify for, based on their academic results. Bursary providers can list, edit, and manage their own offers. Originally designed and specified as a school PAT (Practical Assessment Task) in 2021 (see `docs/`), currently being rebuilt as a portfolio project with a modern, portable stack. ## Status Rebuilding from the original design documents. Currently in place: - [x] Maven project structure - [x] Data model classes (`Person`, `Student`, `StudentMarks`, `BursaryProvider`, `Offer`, `OfferArr`) - [x] Database schema (PostgreSQL) - [x] JDBC connection wrapper (`DataBase`) - [ ] Swing GUI (LogInGUI, SignUpOptionGUI, MainScreenGUI, Search/Profile/Help tabs) - [ ] CRUD operations wired up to the GUI - [ ] Help text files and FAQ system - [ ] Eligibility ranking wired into the Search tab ## Tech stack - Java 21, Maven - PostgreSQL (recommend a free-tier hosted instance via Neon or Supabase so anyone can run this without a local DB install) - Swing (GUI, to be rebuilt) ## Setup 1. Create a free PostgreSQL database (Neon or Supabase both work well) and copy its connection details. 2. Run `src/main/resources/schema.sql` against that database to create the tables. 3. Set these environment variables (never commit real credentials): ``` DB_URL=jdbc:postgresql:// / ?sslmode=require DB_USER= DB_PASSWORD= ``` 4. Build and run: ``` mvn clean compile exec:java ``` You should see `Database connection successful.` printed to the console. ## Original design documents The `docs/` folder (add these yourself, or keep them wherever you like) contains the Phase 1 specification and Phase 2 GUI/class design that this rebuild is based on. ## Notes on changes from the original design - **Database**: switched from Microsoft Access to PostgreSQL. Access requires a paid subscription, is Windows-only, and Java dropped native JDBC-ODBC support years ago — none of that …