CS0053-CASESTUDY: CTB Online Banking (C++ Version)

A console-based banking system simulation emphasizing OOP and data security.

GITHUB LINK

Overview

• Role: Student / Developer
• Stack: C++, STL
• Key Result: Successfully developed a functional, persistent banking system simulation using core object-oriented principles.
• Summary: This project is a case study developed using C++ as part of the CS0053 course requirements. The system simulates basic banking operations such as account creation, balance inquiry, deposits, withdrawals, and transaction history.

The Problem

• Challenge: Learning and applying Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts in a real-world scenario (banking).
• Audience: Academic evaluators and myself for foundational programming practice.
• Constraints: Limited to C++ standard libraries and console-based interfaces.

Approach & Decisions

• Architecture: Object-oriented console application using standard C++ practices.
• Key Decisions: Implemented file handling for persistent data storage to ensure accounts and transactions survive application restarts.
• Trade-offs: Exchanged UI/UX polish for robust backend logic and secure data management.
• Data Flow: User Input -> Command-line Interface -> C++ Logic -> Persistent File Storage.

Key Results & Impact

• Outcome: A solid foundational application that performs core banking functions accurately and securely.
• Impact: Provided the groundwork for understanding banking workflows and data persistence.

Technical Deep Dive

• Notable Details: Extensive use of the Standard Template Library (STL) to manage user sessions and transaction history tracking.
• Verification: Manual testing of account creation, edge cases for withdrawals (insufficient funds), and secure authentication.
• Code Quality: Emphasized clean OOP structures with encapsulated classes for User, Account, and Transaction.
• Links: See GitHub for source code.

Reflections

• Differently: I would have explored database integration instead of raw file handling, which I eventually pursued in later projects.
• Successes: Successfully translated theoretical C++ OOP concepts into a practical application.
• Lessons: Understanding file I/O, data management, and basic banking workflows was incredibly valuable.

My Contributions

• System Design: Architected the OOP structure for accounts and transactions.
• Implementation: Wrote the C++ logic, file handling operations, and command-line interface.

Project Architecture

This project utilizes a standard C++ application structure focusing heavily on class encapsulation and file I/O operations.

• Component Organization:
  • main.cpp: The central execution entry point and command-line interface logic.
  • Core Classes: Encapsulated logic for User authentication, Account management, and persistent File I/O storage.

Demo Preview

As this is a pure C++ console application, there is no visual live demo available.

• Platform Views: Console / Terminal
• Functionality Shown: N/A (Console-based execution)

Hosting Note:
The complete source code for compiling and executing the simulation locally is available on the GitHub Repository.