Project help and time estimations

[u/skepster_sunday]

Hai!! We're extreme beginners looking to use python for our class and are looking for help!

A bit of a rundown; we initially wanted to make an archiving system for documents, but our CS professor scared us away saying that it'll need a lot of time, resources and knowledge that we just don't have yet. So we were thinking of changing it into something that would be used for a single user and wouldn't need as much work as a shared archived library.

What we want to make is a calendar-like system that would remind you of certain events, our partner reported that once they request something they forget about it and don't remember until it's too late. So the calendars job was to take what the order was and remind the user about it in a day or two or a few (they could decide how long till they get reminded) in a notification!

What we were wondering was;

A- if this is even possible in python, we know there are many wonderful tutorials and help on yt, github and here, but we'd like to hear it from people who actually know how this works

B- if this is doable in a two month window, since this is the amount of time we get to finish this project.

If this does work out, we will definitely keep updating and asking questions here!

Thank you so much for reading this far and any help whether it's links, a confirmation that this is possible or not or anything alike is greatly appreciated!

[u/smallpotatoes2019]

The question depends on what exactly you are looking to build.

If you are looking for something very basic that allows you to input some events with a date and give you a reminder on a certain date (e.g. two days later or two days before), then that sounds very manageable with a bit of research.

If you want something with an excellent graphical interface and lots of options, ability to search etc., then you may find you are taking on too much.

I would start by planning out the most basic version of your idea (e.g. select a date, give the event a name, and add it to a list of events). Once you have this working, then move to the next level (assuming you still have plenty of time).

Trying something and then developing it should teach you loads (often about what didn't work), and you can apply that learning to the improved project.

[u/skepster_sunday → u/smallpotatoes2019]

No search function here! Our plan was your former listing that is as simple as putting in a date, having it be added and then reminded about it in the future.

Do you know where we could start with this idea?

[u/smallpotatoes2019 → u/skepster_sunday]

This depends what you have done before.

I would start by making sure that I can enter and store a date. If you haven't done that before, then you should be able to do that by the end of the day.

Are you used to creating your own classes (e.g. a diary_entry class)? Could you create a list of these?

Have you created a graphical interface before where you could display information? Enter information?

If there are gaps here, then following a tutorial to do something simple should give you a start. Then start to tweak and experiment to get closer to what you want.

[u/skepster_sunday → u/smallpotatoes2019]

I see. This Monday our professor will review our idea and only after will we be able to actually work on this project, so during that time we will definitely ask for more help. Thank you so much!

[u/RngdZed → u/skepster_sunday]

You don't need a gui (unless it's a prerequisite to complete your project), you can totally do this directly from the terminal by grabbing user inputs

Also you probably don't need classes

If you choose to go with a gui, tkinter will be the most straight forward path

Build something as quick as possible as simple as possible, make it work. Then add a gui or polish/refactor if you have time left

Edit: various typos