Shticell Project: Real-Time Collaborative Spreadsheet Application

Overview

Shticell is a custom-built program designed to emulate the functionality of electronic spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. The project aims to provide hands-on experience in developing and managing a large codebase, involving dozens of classes and requiring sophisticated design principles.

Key Features

• Real-Time Collaboration
  Seamless updates across multiple users with HTTP and JSON-based communication.

• Integrated Chat
  Chat while editing, making teamwork intuitive and productive.

• Dynamic Updates and Interactive Changes

  • Real-Time Updates: Automatically recalculates formulas and ensures accurate results.
  • Dynamic Change Feature: Adjust cell values using a slider and see real-time updates in the spreadsheet and linked charts.

• Data Visualization
  Create dynamic charts (e.g., bar and line charts) directly from spreadsheet data for better analysis.

• Role-Based Permissions

  • Owner: Full control to edit and manage who can view or edit the sheet.
  • Writer: Can edit the sheet but can’t manage permissions.
  • Reader: Can only look at the sheet without making changes.
    If you need edit permission, you can send a request to the spreadsheet owner. Owners can quickly approve or deny these requests.

• Responsive UI
  Built with JavaFX, offering three themes and smooth navigation for large datasets.

Architecture

• Client-Server Model
  Built for efficiency, with the server managing permissions, updates, and data synchronization, while thread synchronization ensures multiple users can collaborate seamlessly in real time.

  • Server: Handles core operations and enforces access control.
  • Client: Features an intuitive UI for seamless interaction with spreadsheets.

Technologies Used

• Backend: Java, Apache Tomcat, Gson, JAXB.
• Frontend: Java, JavaFX, FXML, OkHttp, Gson.
• Communication: HTTP and JSON.

Getting Started

Navigate to the Latest Release:

• Release ZIP: Contains both the client-side and server-side applications, ready for deployment. There are three versions, each corresponding to a specific milestone of the project.

  • Version 1 - Console UI Implementation:
    The first milestone introduces the console-based version of the application.

  • Version 2 - JavaFX Graphics and Engine Enhancement:
    The second version enhances the previous implementation by introducing a graphical user interface (GUI) using JavaFX.

  • Version 3 - Client-Server Final Version:
    The final version of the project integrates a full client-server architecture.

Set Up the Environment

• Install Java JDK 21 and Apache Tomcat for server deployment.
• The client application includes JavaFX, which is bundled with the project.

Run the Application

1. Deploy the server on Tomcat.
2. Run the client using the provided scripts.