Lost & Found Management System

A comprehensive web-based platform that connects people who have lost items with those who have found them. The system streamlines the process of reporting lost/found items, searching databases, managing claims, and uses intelligent matching algorithms to automatically detect potential matches.

Overview

Lost & Found is a community-driven platform designed to help reunite people with their belongings. Users can:

• Report Lost Items — Post details about items they've lost with descriptions
• Report Found Items — Help reunite found items with their owners
• Smart Matching — Automatic detection of potential matches between lost and found items
• Search Database — Browse and filter through lost and found reports
• Manage Claims — Submit, track, and manage claims on found items
• Contact Owners — Direct contact information for lost item reporters
• Admin Dashboard — Administrative staff can approve/reject claims and manage reports

Features

User Features

• User Authentication — Secure registration and login with encrypted phone storage
• Report Items — Report lost or found items with detailed descriptions
• Intelligent Matching — System automatically finds potential matches (5-10 point scoring based on category, location, date, and name similarity)
• Real-time Notifications — Bell icon notifications for potential matches and claim updates
• Search & Filter — Find items by category, status, date, location, and type
• Claims Management — Submit and track claims on found items with approval workflow
  • View button for approved claims to access owner contact info
  • Track claim status (pending/approved/rejected) with visual indicators
• Contact Information Sharing — Smart contact info visibility:
  • Lost items: Contact info always visible to help return items
  • Found items: Contact info revealed only after claim approval
  • Approved claimers can view owner contact details
  • Found item owners can view claimer contact details after approval
• Profile Management — View and update user profile information with encrypted phone numbers
• Enhanced Dashboard — Personal dashboard with stats, notifications, and quick actions
• Step-by-Step Guidance — Context-aware guidance for claiming found items or contacting lost item reporters
• Status Management — Mark lost items as found or found items as returned
• Responsive Design — Modern gradient-based UI that works seamlessly on all devices

Admin Features

• Claim Approval/Rejection — Review and approve/reject user claims with admin notes
  • Full item details displayed in claim review interface
  • Contact information sharing automatically triggered upon approval
• Report Management — View and manage all lost and found reports with complete item details
• User Management — View and manage user accounts
• Staff Management — Create and manage staff accounts
• Dashboard Analytics — View system-wide statistics and activity

Staff Features

• Report Verification — Verify and manage item reports with full item details
• Claim Processing — Assist with claim verification and approval
  • Complete item information displayed during claim review
• User Support — Help users with claims and inquiries

Technology Stack

• Backend: PHP 7+/8+ with PDO
• Database: MySQL 5.7+
• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap 5.3.3
• Icons: Bootstrap Icons 1.11.3
• Additional: JavaScript (Bootstrap Bundle)
• Encryption: AES-256-CBC for phone numbers

Project Structure

Lost-Found/
├── index.php                          # Root entry point (redirects to login)
├── pages/
│   ├── login.php                      # User login page
│   ├── register.php                   # User registration
│   ├── logout.php                     # Logout handler
│   ├── admin_login.php                # Admin login
│   ├── staff_login.php                # Staff login
│   ├── user/
│   │   ├── userdash.php               # User dashboard with notifications
│   │   ├── userprofile.php            # User profile management
│   │   ├── lost.php                   # Report lost item
│   │   ├── found.php                  # Report found item
│   │   ├── search.php                 # Search items
│   │   ├── claim.php                  # Manage claims & reports
│   │   ├── match_results.php          # View potential matches
│   │   ├── item_detail.php            # Item detail view with guidance
│   │   ├── edit_profile.php           # Edit user profile
│   │   ├── changeuserpassword.php     # Change password
│   │   └── includes/
│   │       └── header.php             # User header component
│   ├── admin/
│   │   ├── admin_dashboard.php        # Admin dashboard
│   │   ├── admin_staff.php            # Manage staff
│   │   ├── admin_users.php            # Manage users
│   │   ├── admin_claim.php            # Manage claims
│   │   ├── admin_report.php           # Manage reports
│   │   └── includes/
│   │       └── header.php             # Admin header component
│   └── staff/
│       ├── staff_dashboard.php        # Staff dashboard
│       ├── staff_claim.php            # Manage claims
│       ├── staff_report.php           # Manage reports
│       └── includes/
│           └── header.php             # Staff header component
├── config/
│   ├── userconfig.php                 # User database config
│   ├── adminconfig.php                # Admin configuration
│   └── staffconfig.php                # Staff configuration
├── includes/
│   └── functions.php                  # Helper functions (encrypt/decrypt phone, sanitization)
├── assets/
│   ├── style.css                      # Global styles
│   └── admin-style.css                # Admin styles
├── sql/
│   ├── schema.sql                     # Database schema
│   ├── config.sql                     # Database configuration
│   ├── scripts.sql                    # Stored procedures & triggers
│   ├── privileges.sql                 # Database user privileges
│   ├── syntheticrecords.sql           # Sample data for testing
│   └── add_matching_feature.sql       # Matching algorithm setup
└── README.md                          # This file

Database Schema

Main Tables

• User — User accounts (username, email, encrypted phone, password, etc.)
• LostItem — Lost item reports (item_name, description, status, etc.)
• FoundItem — Found item reports (item_name, description, status, etc.)
• ClaimRequest — Claims linking users to found items (status: pending/approved/rejected) with separate nullable approver foreign keys: admin_approver_id and staff_approver_id (replaces prior polymorphic approver_id + approver_type design)
• Admin — Admin accounts
• Staff — Staff accounts

Status Values

• LostItem.status: pending, claimed
• FoundItem.status: available, returned
• ClaimRequest.status: pending, approved, rejected

Stored Procedures

• GetUserById() — Retrieve user information
• ReportFoundItem() — Insert found item report
• ReportLostItem() — Insert lost item report
• SubmitClaim() — Submit a claim request
• ViewPendingClaimsWithFoundDetails() — Get pending claims with associated found item
• ViewProcessedClaimsWithDetails() — Approved / rejected claims incl. approver (admin/staff)
• ViewStaffProcessedClaims() — Processed claims approved by a specific staff member
• ApproveClaim() — Branching logic writes to admin_approver_id or staff_approver_id
• RejectClaim() — Branching logic writes to admin_approver_id or staff_approver_id
• GetUserLostItems() — Get user's lost items
• GetUserFoundItems() — Get user's found items
• GetUserLostItemsCount() — Count user's lost items
• GetUserFoundItemsCount() — Count user's found items
• GetUserClaims() — Get user's claim requests with item details
• GetUserClaimsCount() — Count user's total claims
• FindPotentialMatches() — Intelligent matching algorithm for lost/found items
• GetUserMatchCount() — Count potential matches for user
• GetUserClaimNotifications() — Recent approved/rejected claim decisions for user
• GetFoundItemClaimNotifications() — Notifications for owners whose found items were claimed
• SearchItems() — Search items with filters
• UpdateUserProfile() — Update user profile information

Installation

Prerequisites

• PHP 7.4+ or PHP 8+
• MySQL 5.7+
• A web server (Apache, Nginx, etc.)
• MAMP/LAMP/LEMP stack or similar

Setup Steps

1. Clone/Extract the project to your web server root:

   git clone https://github.com/SupaOhm/Lost-and-Found-Management-System.git
   cd Lost-Found

2. Create Database:

   mysql -u root -p < sql/schema.sql
   mysql -u root -p lost_found_db < sql/config.sql
   mysql -u root -p lost_found_db < sql/scripts.sql
   mysql -u root -p lost_found_db < sql/privileges.sql
   mysql -u root -p lost_found_db < sql/syntheticrecords.sql  # Optional: sample data

3. Configure Database Connections: Edit config/userconfig.php, config/adminconfig.php, and config/staffconfig.php:

   $host = 'localhost';
   $port = '8889';  // Adjust for your setup (default MySQL: 3306)
   $dbname = 'lost_found_db';
   $user = 'user_user';  // or admin_user, staff_user
   $password = 'user_password';  // Set in privileges.sql

4. Set Encryption Key (Optional): Phone numbers are encrypted using AES-256-CBC. Set the environment variable:

   export LF_ENCRYPT_KEY="your_32_character_encryption_key"

   If not set, a default key is used (not recommended for production).

5. Access the Application:

   • User Login: http://localhost/Lost-Found/
   • Admin Login: http://localhost/Lost-Found/pages/admin_login.php
   • Staff Login: http://localhost/Lost-Found/pages/staff_login.php

Database Users & Privileges

The system uses three separate database users with different privilege levels:

• user_user — Limited privileges for regular users (SELECT, INSERT, DELETE on items/claims, UPDATE on User/LostItem/FoundItem)
• staff_user — Extended privileges for staff (full access to items and claims)
• admin_user — Full privileges for administrators

Passwords are set in sql/privileges.sql.

Default Credentials (Development)

Check sql/syntheticrecords.sql for test users created during database initialization.

Key Features in Detail

User Dashboard

• View stats on lost items, found items, potential matches, and active claims
• Real-time notification bell icon with count badge
• Quick access to report new items, search database, and view matches
• Recent activity feed

Claims & Reports Management

• Left Panel: View all your reported items (lost/found) with filters and pagination
  • Filter by Type (Lost/Found) and Status (Open/Closed)
  • Delete reports
  • Mark items as found/returned
  • View item details with one-click access
• Right Panel: View your claims on other users' found items with pagination
  • Track claim status (pending/approved/rejected)
  • Delete claims
  • View admin notes
  • View Button: For approved claims, directly access item detail page to see owner contact info
• Profile Stats: View counts of your lost items, found items, and claims

Search & Discovery

• Intelligent Matching — Automatic potential match detection based on:
  • Category match (2 points)
  • Location match (2 points)
  • Date proximity within 30 days (2 points)
  • Similar item names (4 points)
  • Minimum 2 points required for match notification
• Search through all lost and found items in the database
• Filter by category, location, date range, type, and status
• View item details with step-by-step guidance:
  • For Lost Items: Contact info visible, guidance on reaching out to owner
  • For Found Items: Submit claim with proof of ownership
• Submit claims directly from item detail page

Item Detail Page

• Context-Aware Guidance:
  • Lost Items: "How to Contact" guidance with 3 steps (verify info → contact owner → share/return)
  • Found Items: "How to Claim" guidance with 3 steps (verify details → submit claim → prove ownership)
• Smart Contact Information Display:
  • Lost items: Reporter's email and phone always visible (decrypted for display) to facilitate returns
  • Found items (non-owner view): Contact info protected until claim approval
  • Found items (approved claimer): Owner contact info becomes visible with approval notification
  • Found items (owner view): Claimer contact info displayed after approving their claim
• Seamless Claim Workflow:
  • Claim submission integrated into item detail page
  • Automatic notification when viewing own items
  • Direct access to approved claim details via view button
• Modern UI: Gradient backgrounds, rounded cards, icon badges, status-aware displays

Admin Panel

• Notification System — Real-time bell icon notifications for:
  • New potential matches detected
  • Claim status updates (approved/rejected within 7 days)
  • Notification count badge
• Dashboard with system-wide statistics
• View all reports and claims in the system
• Approve or reject claims with admin notes
• Manage user accounts and staff members

Usage

For Users

1. Register — Create an account on the registration page (provide name, email, phone, password)
2. Report Lost Item — Navigate to "Report Lost Item" and fill in details (name, category, location, date, description)
3. Report Found Item — Navigate to "Report Found Item" and describe the item
4. View Matches — Check notification bell for potential matches between your lost items and found reports
5. Search — Use the search feature to find items matching your needs
6. Claim — Submit a claim on a found item if you believe it's yours
7. Track Claim Status — Monitor your claim from the "Claims & Reports" page
8. Access Owner Info — Once your claim is approved, click the view button to see owner contact details
9. Contact — For lost items, directly contact the reporter using provided email/phone; for approved found item claims, contact info becomes visible
10. Manage — Track your claims and reports from the dashboard, mark items as found/returned, and view claimer contact info after approving claims

For Admins

1. Login — Use admin credentials to access the admin panel
2. Review Claims — Review pending claims and approve/reject them with notes
3. Manage Reports — Monitor and manage all system reports
4. Manage Users — View and manage user accounts
5. Manage Staff — Create and manage staff accounts

Security Features

• Password Hashing — All passwords hashed using PHP's password_hash (bcrypt)
• Phone Number Encryption — Phone numbers encrypted using AES-256-CBC with automatic decryption for display. Current implementation derives a static IV from the key; recommended enhancement: store a random 16‑byte IV prefixed to the ciphertext (e.g. base64(iv + encrypted)), then extract for decryption.
• Prepared Statements — PDO prepared statements prevent SQL injection
• Session Management — Secure session-based authentication
• Input Validation — Server-side validation and sanitization
• Ownership Checks — Users can only modify their own reports/claims
• Privacy-First Contact Sharing — Contact information only revealed when appropriate (claim approval)
• Database Privilege Separation — Different DB users with minimal required privileges

UI/UX Features

• Responsive Design — Optimized for all screen sizes
• Modern Gradient UI — Gradient backgrounds, rounded corners, shadow effects
• Bootstrap 5.3.3 — Clean, professional interface with Bootstrap Icons
• Intuitive Navigation — Easy-to-use menu structure
• Visual Feedback — Color-coded status badges, hover effects, confirmation dialogs
• Aesthetic Components — Gradient buttons, circular badges, smooth transitions
• Contextual Guidance — Step-by-step instructions based on item type
• Notification System — Bell icon with badge counter for real-time updates
• Pagination — Clean pagination for large lists of items
• Accessibility — Semantic HTML, ARIA labels, keyboard navigation

Known Limitations & Future Improvements

• Photo upload feature for items (currently text-only descriptions)
• Email notifications not yet implemented
• SMS notifications could be added using encrypted phone numbers
• Random IV adoption for phone encryption (improves cryptographic robustness)
• Two-factor authentication for enhanced security
• Advanced analytics dashboard with charts and trends
• Mobile app version under consideration
• Integration with campus security/police departments
• Geolocation-based proximity matching

Contributing

This project is in active development. Contributions are welcome!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Support & Contact

For issues, feature requests, or support:

• Create an issue on the repository
• Contact: ohm.supakornth@gmail.com

Project Status

🔄 In Active Development — Features and improvements are being added regularly.

Recent Updates (Changelog Snapshot)

Schema: Introduced separate admin_approver_id and staff_approver_id columns in ClaimRequest replacing polymorphic approver pattern; added trigger BeforeFoundItemDelete to automatically remove related ClaimRequest rows before a FoundItem delete.

Triggers:

• BeforeUserDelete — Cleans up related claims, found items, lost items.
• BeforeFoundItemDelete — Cleans up claims for the specific found item.

Procedures Added / Revised:

• ViewProcessedClaimsWithDetails, ViewStaffProcessedClaims reflect new approver column structure.
• GetUserClaimNotifications, GetFoundItemClaimNotifications power dashboard bell notifications.
• ApproveClaim / RejectClaim now route approver IDs into the correct dedicated column.

Report Filtering: Admin and Staff report pages now support item type (lost/found) and status (pending/available vs claimed/returned) filters with active filter display and clear button.

Deletion Logic: Application layer simplified—claim cleanup for found item deletion now handled by trigger instead of manual PHP deletion cascade.

Security Note: Encryption section documents recommendation to migrate to per‑record random IV for phone number storage.

Consistency: All view item and claim operations use prepared statements, reducing SQL injection surface.

Keep this section updated as further changes land.