AirBnB Clone - The Console

Project Overview

Welcome to the AirBnB-clone project, the AirBnB Clone! This project focuses on creating a backend system for an AirBnB-like application, complete with a command-line interface for managing objects, data serialization, and a file-based storage system. The primary goals include building a Python package, creating a command interpreter, implementing unit testing, and mastering serialization and deserialization techniques.

Project Structure

The project consists of the following key components:

1. BaseModel Class

• A base class for object management.
• Initializes instance attributes and handles data serialization and deserialization.

2. Serialization Flow

• Defines a serialization flow to set up data serialization and deserialization.
• Uses a file-based storage system to persistently store data in JSON format.

3. Storage Engine

• Implements a storage engine for efficient handling of instances.
• Utilizes a JSON file for storing and retrieving object data.

4. Unit Testing

• Ensures code quality through comprehensive unit testing.
• Verifies the functionality of various components and classes.

5. Command Interpreter

• Acts as a custom command-line tool for handling objects.
• Supports commands for creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting objects.
• Enables various operations on objects through a user-friendly interface.

Learning Objectives

Throughout this project, you will:

• Build a Python package and create a command interpreter.
• Understand the importance of unit testing in ensuring code reliability.
• Master serialization and deserialization techniques using JSON data.
• Work with dates, UUIDs, and function arguments effectively.

Getting Started

To set up the project on your local machine for development and testing purposes, follow these steps:

Installation

1. Clone the repository from GitHub:

   git clone https://github.com/Perpet98Sofia/AirBnB_clone.git

2. Navigate to the cloned directory:

   cd AirBnB_clone

Usage

Interactive Mode

Run the console in interactive mode, allowing you to input commands directly:

$ ./console.py
(hbnb) help

Documented commands (type help <topic>):
========================================
EOF  help  quit

(hbnb) 
(hbnb) 
(hbnb) quit
$

Non Interactive Mode

$ echo "help" | ./console.py
(hbnb)

Documented commands (type help <topic>):
========================================
EOF  help  quit
(hbnb) 
$
$ cat test_help
help
$
$ cat test_help | ./console.py
(hbnb)

Documented commands (type help <topic>):
========================================
EOF  help  quit
(hbnb) 
$

Available commands and what they do

quit or EOF: Exits the program. Usage: By itself.

help: Provides information on how to use a command. Usage: By itself or help .

create: Creates a new instance of a valid class, saves it to the JSON file, and prints the ID. Usage: create .

show: Prints the string representation of an instance based on the class name and ID. Usage: show or .show().

destroy: Deletes an instance based on the class name and ID, saving the change to the JSON file. Usage: destroy or .destroy().

all: Prints all string representations of instances based on the class name. Usage: By itself or all or .all().

update: Updates an instance based on the class name and ID by adding or updating attributes, saving the changes to the JSON file. Usage: update "" or .update(, , ) or .update(, ).

count: Retrieves the number of instances of a class. Usage: .count().

Authors

Perpetua Akwiri Otieno | Email: [email protected]

Peter Brian Mwangi | Email: [email protected]