Smart Attendance System with QR Code Scanner (PHP/MySQL)

The Smart Attendance System is a dynamic web application designed to streamline student attendance tracking using QR code technology. It replaces manual roll calls with a fast, automated Kiosk QR Scanner that utilizes any standard webcam or smartphone camera. The system intelligently auto-evaluates attendance as "Present" or "Late" by cross-referencing scan times against specific Class Schedules and grace periods set by the administrator.

The system features a clean, responsive UI styled with Bootstrap 5 and provides administrators with a comprehensive dashboard complete with a Live Feed Monitor. It also includes practical utilities such as Excel exporting for student records, a printable Student QR Code Masterlist, and a dedicated self-registration portal for students to easily enroll and generate their own QR codes.

Features

Administrator Features:

• Admin Dashboard: Overview of attendance metrics, total students, and a real-time Live Feed Monitor of recent scans.
• Student Management: Add, edit, delete, and view student records. Export filtered student lists directly to an Excel file.
• Manage Class Schedules: Set class times, days, and grace periods. The system uses these to automatically tag scans as "Late" or "Present".
• QR Code Masterlist: Generate and print a complete visual grid of student identification QR codes for easy distribution.
• Activity Tracking: Records exact scan times, contexts (In/Out), and the associated subject.

Student Features:

• Self-Registration Portal: A public-facing form where students can independently register their details to instantly generate and save their personal attendance QR code.

General / System Features:

• Real-time QR Scanning: A built-in Kiosk Scanner utilizing html5-qrcode to read QR codes instantly via webcam without refreshing the page.
• Smart Time Evaluation: Automatically calculates if a student is on time, late, or scanning outside of their designated class window.
• Anti-Spam Protection: Prevents duplicate consecutive scans within a 1-minute cooldown window.

Technologies Used

• Backend: PHP (7.4 or higher recommended)
• Database: MySQL / MariaDB
• Frontend Styling: Bootstrap 5
• Icons: Bootstrap Icons
• JavaScript Plugins: HTML5-QRCode (for camera scanning functionality), jQuery (for live AJAX requests and feed updates)

Installation Instructions

1. Download the source code zip file and extract it.
2. Turn on your local web server environment (e.g., XAMPP, WAMP, LAMP).
3. Open phpMyAdmin (usually http://localhost/phpmyadmin).
4. Create a new database named attendance_db.
5. Import the provided attendance_db.sql file into the newly created database.
6. Copy the extracted smart_attendance folder into your local server's document root (e.g., the htdocs folder for XAMPP or www folder for WAMP).
7. Open your web browser and navigate to the project URL (e.g., http://localhost/smart_attendance/login.php).

Default Login Credentials

Administrator Account:

• Username: admin
• Password: admin123

(Note: Students can use the "Student Self-Registration" link on the login page to add themselves to the system).

Snapshots

Login Page

Dashboard

Student Management

Class Schedule

QR Master List

Live Scanner

Important Security Note for Live Hosting

If you upload this project to a live web host (like cPanel), PLEASE DELETE the create_admin.php and reset_password.php files for security purposes. Leaving these files accessible could allow unauthorized users to reset the admin password.