EventTory User Guide

EventTory is a desktop app for managing vendors and events.

It is optimized for use via a Command-Line Interface (CLI) while still retaining the benefits of a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
If you can type fast, EventTory can get your event management tasks done faster than traditional GUI apps.

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Quick Start

1. Ensure you have Java 17 or above installed on your Computer.

2. Download the latest .jar file from here.

3. Copy the file to the folder you want to use as the home folder for the EventTory application.

4. Open a command terminal, cd into the folder you put the jar file in, and use the java -jar EventTory.jar command to run the application.
   A GUI similar to the one below should appear in a few seconds. Note that the application contains some sample data on the initial boot.
   

5. Type a command in the command box and press Enter to execute it. e.g. typing help and pressing Enter will open a help window.
   Example commands to try:

   • list : Lists all events and vendors.

   • create v/ n/Hong Lim Trading Pte. Ltd. p/67412943 d/Specialises in lighting effects. t/stage-crew : Creates a vendor named Hong Lim Trading Pte. Ltd. and saves in the application.

   • view v/1 then assign 2 : Assigns the vendor with index 1 in the vendor list to the event with index 2 in the assignable event list.

   • view e/4 : View more information about the event with index 4 in the event list.

   • delete v/9 : Deletes the vendor with index 9 shown in the vendor list.

   • clear : Deletes all vendors and events stored in EventTory.

   • exit : Exits the application.

6. Refer to the Features below for details of each command.

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Storing Information

EventTory provides users with a way to keep track of events and vendors. The details of what information can be stored for a vendor/event are as shown below.

Vendor

• Represents a vendor contracted to provide services for an event e.g. catering, decorating, performing, etc.
• Information about a vendor can be stored with the following fields:
  • Name : The name of the vendor (usually a company name)
  • Phone Number : The contact number of the vendor
  • Description : Text containing any additional information about the vendor
  • Tags (if applicable) : Metadata used to classify the vendor
• Multiple vendors can be stored in EventTory.

Event

• Represents an event that needs to be organised and usually enlists the help of vendors to plan/run it.
• Information about an event can be stored with the following fields:
  • Name : The name of the event
  • Date : The date the event falls on
  • Tags (if applicable) : Metadata used to classify the event
• Multiple events can be stored in EventTory.

Vendor & Event Fields

The input fields of vendors and events have varying constraints and are as listed below. Note that leading and trailing whitespaces in inputs will be removed.

Name : Names must start with an alphanumeric character and must not contain /.

Phone Number : Phone numbers should only contain numbers, and it should be at least 3 digits long.

Description : Descriptions can take in any characters but cannot be blank.

Date : Date inputs can be in any of the following formats:

1. dd-mm-yyyy e.g. 24-01-2024
2. yyyy-mm-dd e.g. 2024-01-24
3. dd MMM yyyy e.g. 24 Jan 2024
4. dd MMMM yyyy e.g. 24 January 2024

Note:

• Regardless of the date format chosen during input, dates will be displayed in the application in the format dd-mm-yyyy.
• Dates that are already past will still be accepted as inputs. This provides users the flexibility to continue tracking events even after their conclusion.
• Some dates will be rejected even when correctly formatted as these dates do not exist. Examples include:
  • 31-02-2024 : The month of February will never have 31 days.
  • 10-13-2001 : There are only 12 months in a year.

Tags : Tag inputs can:

• contain alphanumeric characters, hyphens -, and underscores _ only.
• cannot be made up of only hyphens - and underscores _.
• only accept a maximum of 30 characters.

Command Formats

This section contains information about the command formats used in this application.

Parameters

• Words in UPPER_CASE are the parameters to be supplied by the user.
  (Commands are incomplete and are for illustrative purposes only)
  e.g. create v/ n/VENDOR_NAME, VENDOR_NAME is a parameter which is specified by the user:
  • create v/ n/Kimberly's Flowers.

• Items in square brackets are optional.
  (Commands are incomplete and are for illustrative purposes only)
  e.g. create e/ n/EVENT_NAME [t/TAG] can be used as:
  • create e/ n/Stagecraft Solutions t/backstage-crew or as;
  • create e/ n/Stagecraft Solutions.

• INDEX refers to the index number shown in the displayed event/vendor list.
  • The index must be a positive integer 1, 2, 3, …
  • The index for each vendor/event is relative and can change depending on previous operations.

• Items with … after them can be used multiple times, including zero times.
  e.g. [t/TAG]…​ can be used as:
  • (i.e. 0 times);
  • t/big-event;
  • t/big-event t/coastal, etc.

• Parameters can be in any order.
  e.g. if the command specifies n/NAME p/PHONE_NUMBER, p/PHONE_NUMBER n/NAME is also acceptable.

• Extraneous parameters for commands that do not take in parameters (help, exit and clear) will be ignored.
  
  • e.g. if the command specifies help 123, it will be interpreted as help.

Off-Screen Operations

• The view, edit and delete commands support off-screen operations. Even when vendors/events are not currently displayed, they can still be selected by view, edit and delete commands.
  • This is a feature, not a bug.
  • You might encounter unexpected behaviour after issuing multiple view commands. See Known Issues for more details.

Changing Indexes

• Issuing certain commands (e.g. view and list) may cause the indexes of displayed vendors/events to change compared to previous screens.
  • This is intentional to reduce the need for users to remember previous indexes when navigating between screens.
  • After such a command has been issued, please refer to the new indexes displayed for each item when issuing subsequent commands.
• The first items in the assigned and assignable lists will not both start with index 1. See example image:
  • From the image, the first item in "Assigned Events" starts with index 6, while the first item in "Assignable Events" starts with index 1.
  • This is intentional. Simply follow the indexes generated for each item to select them for a command.

Copying Long Example Commands

• If you are using a PDF version of this document, be careful when copying and pasting commands that span multiple lines as space characters surrounding line-breaks may be omitted when copied over to the application.

Features

Creating Vendors & Events: create

Creates a vendor or event in EventTory.

Format:

• To create a vendor: create v/ n/VENDOR_NAME d/DESCRIPTION p/PHONE_NUMBER [t/TAG]…​
• To create an event: create e/ n/EVENT_NAME on/DATE [t/TAG]…​

Note:

• If parameters are provided for the v/ and e/ flags, they will be ignored.

• If an event or a vendor already has the exact same name (case-sensitive), the command will fail and an error message will be displayed.

Examples:

• create v/ n/Hong Lim Trading Pte. Ltd. p/67412943 d/Specialises in lighting effects. t/stage-crew
• create e/ n/Jubilee Concert on/24 Jan 2025 t/annual

Editing Vendors & Events : edit

Edits an existing vendor or event in EventTory.

Format:

• To edit a vendor: edit v/INDEX [n/NAME] [p/PHONE] [d/DESCRIPTION] [t/TAG]…​
• To edit an event: edit e/INDEX [n/NAME] [on/DATE] [t/TAG]…​

Note:

• Edits the vendor/event at the specified INDEX.
• At least one of the optional fields must be provided.
  • Editing an item but providing no new values is invalid.
• The existing values will be updated to the input values.
• The operation will succeed even if the specified vendor/event is not visible on screen.
  • e.g. edit v/1 t/ is run after view v/2. Even though the vendor with index 1 will not be visible, it can still be edited.
  • See Off-Screen Operations for more details.
• When editing tags, the existing tags of the vendor/event will be overridden.
  • Tags cannot be added cumulatively.
    • e.g. if the first vendor has a tag food, to add another tag urgent, the command would be edit v/1 t/food t/urgent
  • You can remove all tags from a vendor/event by typing t/ without specifying any tags after it.

Examples:

• edit v/1 p/58623042 : Edits the phone number of the vendor with index 1 to be 58623042.
• edit e/2 n/Baby Shower t/ : Edits the name of the event with index 2 to be Baby Shower, and clears all existing tags.

Deleting Vendors & Events : delete

Deletes a vendor or an event from EventTory.

Format: delete [v/INDEX] or delete [e/INDEX]

Note:

• Deletes the event or vendor at the specified INDEX.
• The operation will succeed even if the specified vendor/event is not visible on screen.
  • e.g. delete v/1 is run after view v/2. Even though the vendor with index 1 will not be visible, it can still be specified for deletion.
  • See Off-Screen Operations for more details.
• If the specified vendor/event is currently assigned to another event/vendor respectively, the operation will fail.
• If the current viewed vendor/event is deleted, the application will return you to the main list screen.

Examples:

• list followed by delete v/2 deletes the vendor with index 2 in EventTory.
• find e/ Wedding followed by delete e/1 deletes the event with index 1 shown in the results of the find command.

Listing Vendors & Events : list

Displays the list of vendors and/or events in EventTory.

Format: list [v/] [e/]

Note:

• The list(s) displayed depends on whether the v/ and/or e/ prefix(es) is specified.
• If no prefixes are specified, both the vendor and event lists will be displayed.
• The prefixes can be specified in any order.
• If values are specified after the prefixes (e.g. v/2, e/Party), the value is ignored.
• The current displayed indexes for items may change after issuing this command. See Changing Indexes for more details.

Examples:

• list v/ will display the list of vendors.
• list e/ will display the list of events.
• list v/ e/ and list will display both vendor and event lists.

Viewing Vendors & Events: view

Views the details of a vendor or event.

Format: view v/INDEX or view e/INDEX

Note:

• Views the details of the vendor/event at the specified INDEX.
• The details page includes assigned events/vendors as well as a list of assignable events/vendors.
  • If already viewing an event, vendors in both assigned and assignable lists can be chosen to be viewed, and vice versa.
• The operation will succeed even if the specified vendor/event is not visible on screen.
  • e.g. view v/2 can be run after view v/1. Even though the vendor with index 1 will not be visible when viewing the vendor with index 2, it can still be accessed and viewed.
  • See Off-Screen Operations for more details.
• The current displayed indexes for items may change after issuing this command. See Changing Indexes for more details.

Examples:

• view v/2 will show the details of the vendor with index 2 in the displayed list.
• view e/1 will show the details of the event with index 1 in the displayed list.

Assigning Vendors & Events: assign

Assigns vendors to events and vice versa.

Format: assign INDEX

Note:

• Assigns the vendor/event specified at INDEX to the current viewed event/vendor.
  • The index refers to the index number shown in the assignable vendor/event list.
• The command only works when the user is viewing a vendor/event using the view command. Otherwise, the operation will fail.
  • The displayed indexes for items may not always be the same. See Changing Indexes for more details.
• If the specified vendor-event pair is already associated (assigned to each other), the operation will fail.

Examples: The following examples are for illustrative purposes only. The aassign command will still fail if the chosen item to assign is invalid.

• view v/2 then assign 1 will view the vendor with index 2 in the current list, then assign the event with index 1 in the assignable list to the chosen vendor.
• view e/1 then assign 3 will view the event with index 1 in the current list, then assign the vendor with index 3 in the assignable list to the chosen event.

Unassigning Vendors & Events: unassign

Unassigns vendors from events and vice versa.

Format: unassign INDEX

Note:

• Unassigns the vendor/event specified at INDEX to the current viewed event/vendor.
  • The index refers to the index number shown in the assigned vendor/event list.
• The command only works when the user is viewing a vendor/event using the view command. Otherwise, the operation will fail.
  • The displayed indexes for items may not always be the same. See Changing Indexes for more details.
• If the specified vendor-event pair is already not associated (not assigned to each other), the operation will fail.

Examples: The following examples are for illustrative purposes only. The unassign command will still fail if the chosen item to unassign is invalid.

• view v/2 then unassign 6 will view the vendor with index 2 in the current list, then unassign the event with index 6 in the assigned list while viewing the chosen vendor.
• view e/1 then unassign 11 will view the event with index 1 in the current list, then unassign the vendor with index 11 in the assigned list while viewing the chosen event.

Searching for Vendors & Events: find

Finds vendors or events whose attributes contain any of the space-separated keywords provided.

Format: find v/ KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS] or find e/ KEYWORD [MORE_KEYWORDS]

Note:

• The search is case-insensitive. e.g. party will match Party
• Any partial matches will still be matched e.g. par will match party
• The order of the keywords does not matter.
  • e.g. searching with keywords party birthday will match result birthday party
• All attributes of the Vendor or Event are searched, i.e. name, phone number, date, descriptions and tags.
• Vendors and Events matching at least one keyword will be returned (i.e. OR search).
  • e.g. party wedding will return Birthday Party, John's Wedding
• If user is viewing an event or a vendor, the find command will affect the assignable list only. Assigned list is not affected.
• To search the date field of events, the displayed format of dates should be followed.
  • e.g. find v/ -11- will return events dated in November.
  • String matching is used to search date fields, so the keywords November and Nov will not match a date with month 11.
• If no matches are found, the user will be informed and the current view will remain unchanged.
• If no keywords are provided, the operation will fail.

Examples:

• find v/ catering returns catering and Catering Solutions
• find e/ party wedding returns Birthday Party and John's Wedding
  

Clearing All Entries : clear

Clears all vendor and event entries from EventTory.

Format: clear

Accessing Help : help

Opens a window with instructions on how to access the help page.

Format: help
Keybind: F1 key

Exiting the program : exit

Exits the program.

Format: exit

Saving Data

EventTory data is saved in the hard disk automatically after any command that changes the data.
There is no need to save manually.

Editing the Data File

EventTory data is saved automatically as a JSON file [JAR file location]/data/eventTory.json.
Advanced users are welcome to update data directly by editing that data file.

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FAQ

Q: How do I transfer my data to another Computer?
A: Install the app in the other computer and overwrite the empty data file it creates with the file that contains the data of your previous EventTory home folder.

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Known Issues

1. When using multiple screens, if you move the application to a secondary screen, and later switch to using only the primary screen, the GUI will open off-screen. The remedy is to delete the preferences.json file created by the application before running the application again.
2. If you minimize the Help Window and then run the help command (or use the Help menu, or the keyboard shortcut F1) again, the original Help Window will remain minimized, and no new Help Window will appear. The remedy is to manually restore the minimized Help Window.
3. Switching back and forth between vendor and event views can lead to unexpected behaviour, especially when used after a find command.
   • e.g. when issued in order, the commands: find v/ er, view v/1, view e/1, view v/2, view v/4 cause the final command view v/4 to select and display an unexpected vendor.
     • Commands that support off-screen operations may also run into this selection issue and operate on the wrong item.
   • To avoid this issue:
     • Use the list command to reset the lists displayed after each view command, or;
     • Avoid alternating between viewing vendors and events. Viewing the same type of item (either vendors or events) consecutively will not cause this issue.

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Command Summary