Aura State University

Abstract for Aura State University
(DBMS Project � PHP, MySQL & XAMPP Version)
Project Overview
The primary goal of this project is to design and implement a simple, user-friendly university website for Aura State University. The website enables students and general visitors to browse available academic courses, register their interest in specific programs, and submit feedback. Built as a basic dynamic web application, it uses PHP for server-side processing and MySQL for persistent data storage, all running in a local development environment provided by XAMPP.
The project deliberately prioritizes simplicity. It concentrates exclusively on core functionality and deliberately avoids complex frameworks, advanced architectural patterns, or external libraries. This design choice ensures that the source code remains easy to read, understand, and maintain�qualities especially valuable for an introductory web-development or database-management assignment. By starting from an original static frontend and progressively adding dynamic features, the project clearly demonstrates the transition from purely client-side pages to a fully functional server-driven application.
Core Technologies Used
Several foundational technologies work together to deliver the finished system:
XAMPP supplies a complete local development stack that includes the Apache web server, the MySQL database engine, and PHP support, all packaged for straightforward installation and configuration on a personal computer.
PHP serves as the server-side scripting language responsible for establishing database connections, processing form submissions, retrieving data, and rendering dynamic page content.
MySQL acts as the relational database that stores course information, visitor enquiries, and feedback messages in a structured and queryable form.
HTML and CSS provide the structural markup and visual styling of every page. A lightweight responsive layout ensures the site remains usable on both desktop monitors and mobile devices.
Visual Studio Code is the primary code editor employed for writing, editing, and organizing the project�s PHP, HTML, CSS, and SQL files.
Key Website Features
The finished website offers a focused set of practical features:
Home Page � A clean welcome page introduces Aura State University and supplies clear navigation links to the rest of the site.
Course Catalog � Academic programs are retrieved from the MySQL database and displayed as a readable list. PHP scripts handle both the retrieval of existing courses and the addition of new ones.
Enquiry / Registration Form � Visitors can enter their name, email address, and area of interest. On submission, PHP inserts the data directly into the database for later review.
Feedback Form � A simple interface allows users to send short feedback messages that are likewise stored in the database.
Admin View (Optional & Simple) � A basic PHP page lists all submitted enquiries and feedback entries. No elaborate authentication system is required, keeping the feature appropriate for a beginner-level project.
Simple Database Design
To maintain clarity and ease of implementation, the MySQL database contains only three essential tables:
courses � Holds the course name, department, and a brief description.
enquiries � Records the visitor�s name, email, selected course interest, and any accompanying message.
feedback � Stores the sender�s name, email, and the feedback text itself.
This minimal schema is sufficient to support all required operations while remaining transparent and easy to manage through phpMyAdmin.
How the Project Works
Operation of the system follows a straightforward sequence:
XAMPP is launched so that both the Apache web server and the MySQL database service are running.
The complete set of project files is placed inside the htdocs directory.
A new database is created and the three tables are defined using phpMyAdmin.
PHP scripts establish connections to MySQL, fetch course records for display, and insert data submitted through the enquiry and feedback forms.
The finished website is accessed locally through a web browser at the address http://localhost.
Conclusion
This project successfully transforms an original static frontend into a simple yet functional dynamic website by integrating PHP and MySQL within the XAMPP environment. It clearly demonstrates fundamental database connectivity, form handling, and the generation of dynamic content. At the same time, the implementation remains intentionally uncomplicated, making it an ideal vehicle for learning the core principles of introductory web development and relational-database