Estructurando nuestro proyecto

How is an inventory application structured?

Developing an inventory application is an innovative and stimulating challenge that requires a clear understanding of the key concepts related to products, warehouses and inventory management. In this section, we will introduce a base structure for our application that will allow you to adapt it according to your specific needs.

What is an inventory application?

An inventory application is a tool that allows you to efficiently manage the input and output of products in different locations or warehouses. Generally, these applications handle a single user, avoiding complexities related to multi-user access and passwords, which facilitates the initial implementation.

How to organize products?

When creating your inventory application, you should start by classifying products into specific categories. This not only allows for more efficient management of each item that enters or leaves the warehouse, but also helps organize the basis of the tracking system. A good practice is to use a warehouse-type layout, where a product can be distributed in multiple locations:

• Multiple warehouses: In the example we will consider, there will be three specific warehouses, but the structure is designed to support an infinite number of warehouses.
• Product distribution: Products can be in all warehouses or only in some of them, allowing flexibility in inventory management.

How to manage receipts and issues?

It is critical in an inventory application to keep track of product receipts and issues to ensure inventory accuracy and detection of potential discrepancies.

• Track movements: You will be able to easily determine if products are entering or leaving the warehouses, which is essential for internal auditing and accuracy in system reporting.
• Tonnage and squaring: This functionality checks the consistency of the inventory. If everything is correct, the system should operate without errors and accurately reflect the inventory status.

Structure of the application development

To develop this application, we will use a layer-based approach. Each layer will correspond to a library of classes, which allows for a clear separation of responsibilities within your project:

What role do the layers play in the development?

• Presentation Layer: This is the visible layer of the application. This is where all relevant information is presented to the user.
• Business Layer: This layer handles the business logic and is where the rules that determine how the application behaves are managed.
• Data Access Layer: This is where the code to interact with the database is located, ensuring the correct management of inventory data.

The use of layers facilitates the maintenance of the code, allows the scalability of the application and improves its organization.

What is the next step in development?

I invite you to continue researching and developing your skills. In the next lesson, we will ground these concepts in a concrete data model that will serve as the basis for your inventory system. Remember that each step you take will bring you closer to fully mastering inventory management in custom applications.

This educational approach will equip you with the tools you need to adapt to any requirement and overcome the challenges you face along the way. Go ahead and keep learning!