It is an exciting moment for me as a software developer to start the HNG Internship journey. The program is promises to provide me with practical experience, hone my abilities, and establish connections with other professionals who share my interests. I want to discuss a recent difficult backend issue I ran across and how I resolved it before I go any farther on this adventure.
The Challenge
My assignment was to put in place a booking system for a photography website. One significant issue in the original system was that it did not take session duration into consideration, which meant that multiple clients may book the same date and time, resulting in scheduling conflicts.
My Step-by-Step Solution
Step 1: Understanding the Problem
The first step was to understand the cause of the booking conflicts. The system allowed multiple clients to book the same date and time without considering the session duration, I also observed the database structure lacked fields to manage start and end times for each session.
Step 2: Redesigning the Database
To address this, I restructured the database to include new fields like start_time and end_time. This allowed the system to keep track of when each session started and ended.
Step 3: Calculating Session Duration
I then implemented logic to automatically calculate the duration of each session based on the start and end times. This ensured that no two sessions overlapped.
Step 4: Fixing the Conflicting/Overlapping Bookings
To prevent conflicting or overlapping bookings, I added validation checks in the booking process. If a user tried to book a session that overlapped with an existing one, the system would prompt an error message and suggest available times.
Step 5: User Notification
Additionally, I set up a notification system to inform users when their booking was confirmed or if there was a conflict. Users would receive an error message on the website and an email notification if their preferred time slot was unavailable.
Conclusion
Solving backend problems is part of the exciting journey of a software engineer. By breaking down the problem, analyzing it, and applying effective solutions, we can overcome challenges and improve system performance. The HNG Internship is a fantastic opportunity to further hone these skills, and I am very happy to be a part of it.
I look forward to the experiences and knowledge this internship will bring, and I am ready to tackle more challenges head-on.
For those interested in learning more about the HNG Internship and its benefits, you can visit HNG Internship and HNG Internship Premium
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