Track Expenses Using Pointers

Objectives:

$$ Using array or vector of pointers

$$ Design C$++$ class

$$ Build an application that has multiple files.

$$ Understand how to call methods defined in C$++$ class

$$ Handle input errors and invalid values

Description:

This is another version of Project #$2.$ All the features are the same. However, the internal

implementation is different.

Write a menu$-$driven program that provides the following options:

$1.$ Show All

$2.$ Spend

$3.$ Search expenses containing this string

$4.$ Search expenses with greater than or equal to this amount

$5.$ Exit

It allows the user to select a menu option to display all expenses, add new entry, search for a

substring and find the list of entries greater a given amount.

Requirements:

$1.$ New requirements:

a$.$ Use an array or vector of pointers to keep track of Expense objects.

b$.$ Write a new function in $$main$-$expense.cpp$$ to create a new Expense object

using $$new$$ operator to allocate the object on the heap. This function takes the

expense description $($pointer to character array$)$ and amount. It returns the

address of the newly created Expense. The prototype should look like:

Expense $*$createExpense$($char$[]$ description, float amount$)$

Or

Expense $*$createExpense$($char $*$description$,$ float amount$)$

c$.$ The description must be an array of characters. You are not allowed to use

string for description.

d$.$ You can not change the original expense description. You may need to use a

temporary variable for searching purpose. Hint: The easiest method to do case$-$

insensitive search is to convert both source and search string to either upper

case or lower case. Then, use strstr$()$ to search.

e$.$ You must delete all expense objects before your program terminates.

$2.$ Create multiple C$++$ files $($put them in the same directory$/$folder$)$:

a$.$ Create a header file called $$expense$.$h$.$ This header file contains your

Expense class data definitions and method prototypes. $($Hint: Look at

BankAccount.h in week $6$ examples$).$ All data members must be declared as

$$private$$ and provide getter$/$setter methods to access them.

b$.$ Create a new CCP file called $$expense$.$cpp$$ to implement methods defined

your header file.

c$.$ Create a main program called $$main$-$expense.cpp$$ that displays the menu and

utilize your Expense $($Expense must implement these methods$)$ class to:

i$.$ Display description and amount

ii$.$ Determine if a substring is part of the description and return true or false

$3.$ The program must produce the same output as provided. The output should be

formatted nicely as given.

$4.$ The program must not use global variables. In another words, it must use local variables

and pass$-$by$-$value or pass$-$by$-$reference parameters.

$5.$ The program must define the maximum number of entries such as $100$ and keeps track

of the actual count of the current number of expenses entered by the user. You can also

utilize vector class to keep track of your expense addresses.

$6.$ You should use data file to save or read from. At the beginning of your program, it reads

data from a data file named $$expenses$.$txt$$ and initialize your object array with this data.

Your program must check to see if the file exists or has data to read. Before your

program exits, it must save all expenses amount and descriptions into the data file.

$7.$ You must write at least $3$ functions in main$-$expense.cpp$.$

$8.$ You need to submit all header files, CPP files and data file $$expenses$.$txt$$

Required error handling:

The program MUST perform the following checks:

$1.$ Check for invalid amount $($negative or $0$ number$)$

$2.$ Description cannot be empty.

$3.$ Search is case$-$insensitive $($ignore case, but the user may type in any case$).$

Sample run:

D:$\backslash >$TrackExpensesUsingArray.exe

Welcome to my expense tracker.

Expense Tracking Menu:

$1.$ show all

$2.$ spend

$3.$ search expenses containing this string

$4.$ search expenses with greater than or equal to this amount

$5.$ exit

Enter your option: $1$

There is no expense entry available.

Expense Tracking Menu:

$1.$ show all

$2.$ spend

$3.$ search expenses containing this string

$4.$ search expenses with greater than or equal to this amount

$5.$ exit

Enter your option: $2$

Please enter the description for the expense: Monthly telephone and

Internet services

Please enter the amount: $45\mathrm{.}25$

AMOUNT$(45\mathrm{.}25)$ DESC$($Monthly telephone and Internet services$)$

Expense Tracking Menu:

$1.$ show all

$2.$ spend

$3.$ search expenses containing this string

$4.$ search expenses with greater than or equal to this amount

$5.$ exit

Enter your option: $2$

Please enter the description for the expense: Monthly electric,

water and gas

Please enter the amount: $200\mathrm{.}20$

AMOUNT$(200\mathrm{.}2)$ DESC$($Monthly electric, water and gas$)$

Expense Tracking Menu:

$1.$ show all

$2.$ spend

$3.$ search expenses containing this string

$4.$ search expenses with greater than or equal to this amount

$5.$ exit

Enter your option: $2$

Please enter the description for the expense: Rent

Please enter the amount: $1200$

AMOUNT$(1200)$ DESC$($Rent$)$

Expe