Create Airline Reservation System in C

Introduction

Creating an Airline Reservation System in C programming is a great way to enhance your coding skills and understand the fundamentals of programming. This project will guide you through developing a simple yet functional system for booking flights. The system will have a user-friendly interface to make it easy for users to navigate through the available options. By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to create a basic airline reservation system with a beautiful user interface.

Set Up Your Development Environment

1. Install a C Compiler: Make sure you have a C compiler installed on your computer. Popular choices include GCC and MinGW for Windows, or Xcode for macOS.
2. Choose an IDE: While you can use any text editor, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Code::Blocks or Visual Studio Code can make coding easier.

Step-by-Step Guide for Creating an Airline Reservation System

Step 1: Include Necessary Libraries

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

• stdio.h: Provides input and output functions.
• stdlib.h: Provides functions for memory allocation and program control.
• string.h: Provides functions for string handling.

Step 2: Define Constants and Data Structures

#define MAX_FLIGHTS 100
#define MAX_SEATS 200

typedef struct {
    int flightNumber;
    char destination[50];
    int totalSeats;
    int availableSeats;
    float ticketPrice;
} Flight;

Flight flights[MAX_FLIGHTS];
int flightCount = 0;

• MAX_FLIGHTS and MAX_SEATS define the maximum number of flights and seats.
• Flight structure stores details about each flight.
• flights array stores all flights.
• flightCount keeps track of the number of flights.

Step 3: Display Menu Function

void displayMenu() {
    printf("\n------------------------------------\n");
    printf("  Airline Reservation System\n");
    printf("------------------------------------\n");
    printf("1. View Available Flights\n");
    printf("2. Book a Flight\n");
    printf("3. Cancel a Flight\n");
    printf("4. View Bookings\n");
    printf("5. Exit\n");
    printf("------------------------------------\n");
    printf("Enter your choice: ");
}

• Displays the main menu with options for the user to choose from.

Step 4: Initialize Flights Function

void initializeFlights() {
    flights[0] = (Flight){101, "New York", 100, 50, 200.0};
    flights[1] = (Flight){102, "Los Angeles", 100, 30, 150.0};
    flights[2] = (Flight){103, "Chicago", 100, 70, 180.0};
    flightCount = 3;
}

• Initializes sample flight data for demonstration purposes.

Step 5: View Available Flights Function

void viewAvailableFlights() {
    printf("\nAvailable Flights:\n");
    printf("Flight Number | Destination    | Available Seats | Ticket Price\n");
    printf("--------------------------------------------------------------\n");
    for (int i = 0; i < flightCount; i++) {
        printf("%-14d | %-15s | %-15d | $%.2f\n",
               flights[i].flightNumber,
               flights[i].destination,
               flights[i].availableSeats,
               flights[i].ticketPrice);
    }
}

• Displays a list of available flights with their details.

Step 6: Book a Flight Function

void bookFlight() {
    int flightNumber;
    printf("Enter flight number to book: ");
    scanf("%d", &flightNumber);

    for (int i = 0; i < flightCount; i++) {
        if (flights[i].flightNumber == flightNumber) {
            if (flights[i].availableSeats > 0) {
                flights[i].availableSeats--;
                printf("Booking successful! Flight Number %d\n", flightNumber);
                return;
            } else {
                printf("Sorry, no available seats on Flight Number %d.\n", flightNumber);
                return;
            }
        }
    }
    printf("Flight Number %d not found.\n", flightNumber);
}

• Books a seat on the specified flight if available.

Step 7: Cancel a Flight Function

void cancelFlight() {
    int flightNumber;
    printf("Enter flight number to cancel: ");
    scanf("%d", &flightNumber);

    for (int i = 0; i < flightCount; i++) {
        if (flights[i].flightNumber == flightNumber) {
            if (flights[i].totalSeats > flights[i].availableSeats) {
                flights[i].availableSeats++;
                printf("Cancellation successful! Flight Number %d\n", flightNumber);
                return;
            } else {
                printf("No bookings found for Flight Number %d.\n", flightNumber);
                return;
            }
        }
    }
    printf("Flight Number %d not found.\n", flightNumber);
}

• Cancels a booking if there are existing bookings.

Step 8: View Bookings Function

void viewBookings() {
    printf("\nCurrent Bookings:\n");
    printf("Flight Number | Destination    | Booked Seats | Available Seats\n");
    printf("--------------------------------------------------------------\n");
    for (int i = 0; i < flightCount; i++) {
        int bookedSeats = flights[i].totalSeats - flights[i].availableSeats;
        printf("%-14d | %-15s | %-12d | %-15d\n",
               flights[i].flightNumber,
               flights[i].destination,
               bookedSeats,
               flights[i].availableSeats);
    }
}

• Shows the current number of booked and available seats for each flight.

Step 9: Main Function

int main() {
    int choice;
    initializeFlights();

    do {
        displayMenu();
        scanf("%d", &choice);

        switch (choice) {
            case 1:
                viewAvailableFlights();
                break;
            case 2:
                bookFlight();
                break;
            case 3:
                cancelFlight();
                break;
            case 4:
                viewBookings();
                break;
            case 5:
                printf("Exiting the system.\n");
                break;
            default:
                printf("Invalid choice. Please try again.\n");
        }
    } while (choice != 5);

    return 0;
}

• Initializes flight data.
• Displays the menu and processes user choices in a loop until the user chooses to exit.

Compiling and Running the Program

1. Save Your Code: Save your code in a file named airline_reservation.c.
2. Compile the Program: Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where your file is saved. Run the following command:

   gcc -o airline_reservation airline_reservation.c

3. Run the Program: Execute the compiled program with:

   ./airline_reservation

Conclusion

Creating an Airline Reservation System in C programming not only sharpens your coding skills but also gives you practical experience with system design and user interface development. By following this guide, you have learned how to implement a basic yet functional booking system with a user-friendly menu. Keep experimenting and enhancing your system by adding more features, such as saving data to files or databases, to make it even better.

Read AlsoHow to Create an Accordion Using Bootstrap: Step-by-Step Tutorial

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Thanks!
Faraz 😊