Voting System

A modular, command-line voting application written in C. This project demonstrates proper C project structure with separate compilation units, header files, and a professional build system.

Features

• Cast Votes - Vote for one of 4 candidates (A, B, C, D)
• View Statistics - See total vote counts for each candidate (Admin only)
• Leading Candidate - Check which candidate is currently leading (Admin only)
• Password Protection - Admin functions protected with password authentication
• Cross-Platform - Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS
• Modular Architecture - Clean separation of concerns with multiple source files

Requirements

• GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)
• Make (for building with Makefile)
• Git (for version control)

Installing Requirements

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential git

macOS:

xcode-select --install

Windows:

• Download and install MinGW
• Or use MSYS2

Project Structure

voting-system/
├── src/
│   ├── main.c          # Entry point and main menu loop
│   ├── voting.c        # Voting and statistics functions
│   ├── admin.c         # Admin authentication and menus
│   └── utils.c         # Utility functions (display, clearing screen)
├── include/
│   ├── voting.h        # Voting function declarations
│   ├── admin.h         # Admin function declarations
│   └── utils.h         # Utility function declarations
├── build/              # Compiled object files (auto-generated)
├── Makefile            # Build configuration
├── README.md           # This file
├── LICENSE             # Project license
└── .gitignore          # Git ignore rules

Building the Project

Using Make (Recommended)

# Navigate to project directory
cd voting-system

# Build the project
make

# Run the program
make run

# Clean build artifacts
make clean

# View available commands
make help

Manual Compilation

gcc -Wall -Wextra -std=c99 -I./include -o voting_system src/main.c src/voting.c src/admin.c src/utils.c

On Windows with MinGW

mingw32-make
mingw32-make run

Running the Application

After Building

./voting_system

On Windows

voting_system.exe

Using Make

make run

Usage

Main Menu

When you start the application, you'll see:

1. Cast a vote                               
2. View vote count (Admin only)              
3. View leading candidate (Admin only)       
4. Exit                                      

Casting a Vote

1. Select option 1 from main menu
2. Choose a candidate (A, B, C, or D)
3. Vote will be recorded
4. Choose to cast another vote or return home

Admin Functions

1. Select option 2 or 3 from main menu
2. Enter the admin password: shadow
3. View statistics or leading candidate
4. Return to home or exit

Admin Access

Password: shadow

The admin area allows you to:

• View detailed vote statistics for all candidates
• See which candidate is currently leading
• Track voting progress in real-time

Project Features

Modular Design

• main.c - Program entry point and main loop
• voting.c - Core voting logic and statistics display
• admin.c - Authentication and admin menu handling
• utils.c - Shared utility functions

Header Files

• Clean function declarations separated from implementation
• Prevents code duplication
• Easier to maintain and extend

Build System

• Makefile for easy compilation and management
• Automatic dependency tracking
• Clean separation of object files in build/ directory

Code Quality

• Warning Flags - Compiled with -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic for strict error checking
• Standard Compliance - Uses C99 standard for better compatibility
• Input Validation - Password buffer overflow protection
• Cross-Platform - Compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS

File Descriptions

File	Purpose
src/main.c	Entry point, main menu loop, overall control flow
src/voting.c	Vote casting logic, statistics display, candidate ranking
src/admin.c	Authentication system, admin menu handling
src/utils.c	Screen clearing, menu printing, user input handling
include/voting.h	Vote-related function declarations and VoteCount struct
include/admin.h	Admin function declarations and constants
include/utils.h	Utility function declarations
Makefile	Build instructions and project compilation rules

How It Works

1. Program starts → main.c runs
2. Main menu displayed → via utils.c
3. User selects option → main.c processes choice
4. Voting/Admin functions → voting.c or admin.c handle logic
5. Loop continues → until user exits

Compilation Process

main.c ─┐
        ├─> gcc compiles to .o files ─> Linked together ─> voting_system
voting.c┤
admin.c ├─> (in build/ directory)
utils.c ┘

Troubleshooting

"gcc: command not found"

• GCC is not installed. See Requirements section above.

"make: command not found"

• Make is not installed. Install build-essential (Linux) or similar package.

Program won't compile

• Ensure all files are in correct directories
• Check that header file paths in #include statements are correct
• Verify C99 support: gcc --version

Screen doesn't clear

• This is normal on some systems. The program uses clear (Linux/Mac) and cls (Windows)
• Data is still being recorded correctly

Future Enhancements

Potential features for future versions:

• Save vote data to a file
• Reset/clear voting counts
• Multiple voting sessions
• Enhanced security (password hashing)
• Vote validation to prevent double voting
• Candidate name customization
• Different voting algorithms

Contributing

To contribute to this project:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the terms specified in the LICENSE file. See LICENSE for more details.

Author

Original Developer: Avijit Roy
Updated: 07/07/2022
Refactored into Modular Project: 2024

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section
2. Verify all files are created correctly
3. Ensure proper file permissions
4. Check that your C compiler supports C99 standard

Version History

v1.0.0 (Current)

• Refactored into modular C project structure
• Separated code into multiple source files
• Added professional build system with Makefile
• Improved code quality and readability
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Enhanced error handling
• Better project documentation

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Happy Voting! 🗳️