Project ideas to enhance programming skills

Projects teach us to learn any programming language in real life by implementing it practically and developing various projects. The main aim of developing various projects is to enhance our problem-solving and programming skills.

A project is a transient and unique endeavour to achieve planned aims and objectives, defining outcomes, results, or desired output. It is usually deemed a success if it achieves the objectives according to their input and acceptance criteria in a particular time duration.

Why are we developing projects?

The answer to this question may vary from person to person; it depends on the capability of an individual for developing projects, and the reason behind making projects and the perspective of every person are also different. We want to enhance our technical skills, problem-solving skills, logic-building skills, and our programming skills. We require developing various projects based on our domain itself. Various programmers and software developers make the real-life projects which ultimately helps us and makes our life easier.

Various software engineers, android developers, application developers, coder, and so on, has implemented their knowledge of programming skills to solve various real-life problems so that the task can easily be done in less time and with better output so that the users will be able to use any application easily and also made easier to understand for everyone, even we observe that most of the illiterate people carry a mobile phone with them, this shows the sudden change in the technology and makes very helpful for everyone to use it.

Here we see the various real-life project ideas, which is very helpful for us in enhancing our problem-solving skills, programming skills and developing our minds practically.

For developing any software, software developers, first of all, analyze the requirements for building desired software. They gather more information regarding that project based on the customer requirements. The goal of building any software is to produce higher output by providing less input in less time. Before building any software, the process and implementation method must be cost-effective, efficient, and complete before the deadline.

The main reason for developing various projects is to solve real-life problems and make it easier for everyone to understand them and implement them in their life in software, application, or any other form.

Necessary conditions before developing any project

There are various necessary conditions that one should know before making any project.

1. Your domain field must be clear to you so that you can prepare yourself to build a project in your core domain. After selecting your domain then, never divert for building projects in another field. It will ultimately lead to a lot of confusion, and maybe you cannot build a project in a particular field.
2. You must know all the programming languages necessary for developing various projects, and these languages are as follows - C, C++, Python, Java,
3. You must have a command over your programming skills and logic-building skills.
4. If you want to build any software-related project, you must know data structure and algorithms
5. Even if you observe that for any programming language, without knowing data structure and algorithm, learning that language is no use because data structure and algorithm is the heart of any programming language.
6. Suppose you want to make projects on web development. In that case, you must know the markup language and script language, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), JavaScript, some other various libraries like Django, and so on. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are a must, but choosing other libraries depends on the programmers' choice of which platform they want to use and build their projects.
7. For Machine learning projects, you must have a good command of algorithms. Machine learning is one of the types of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
8. Before developing any project, you must have a proper idea before implementing it.
9. Last but not least, you must have the proper platform or a system for implementing any project so that you have eased for making it.
10. Always try to start with mini-projects after then start building big projects.

Hence for building any project, one should remember all these points mentioned above so that it would be better for you to develop a project and implement a proper strategy for building that project.

List of various Projects to enhance our programming skills

We can develop various projects to enhance our programming skills, these projects vary from domain to domain, and the idea of the project depends on the interest of a programmer.

The various projects are as follows below -

I) Java Developer Projects

The people interested in the java language and who want to become successful Java developers need to work on some projects.

Let us see the various java projects from beginners to advanced level -

1. Brick Breaker Game - As we have already played this game many times and know the working process. Talking about its design, it consists of bricks at the top of the screen, with a height of three levels or more. At the bottom of the screen, there is a platform or a plate of limited length, which catches the ball which is moving all over the screen. If the ball has been missed out from the player, it will lose the game. Otherwise, the score is incremented by one, if the ball touches the flat platform and reverts in the direction of bricks wall.

In this way, the game will continue till 3 or 5 lives; the value of lives depends on the programmer's number of chances they want to assign to the player.

In short, the main objective of this game is to remain the ball in running position and live, and the player will lose the game if they miss the ball and remain untouched with a flat platform.

This game can be implemented using the OOPs (Object Oriented Programming Concepts), Data Structure and Algorithm, and much more.

2. Data Visualization Software - Data visualization refers to creating data and its visual representation in the graphical and pictorial format. Visualization of Data has become an active field of research and development by closely related to data graphics and visualization.

The main objective of the Data visualization software is -

1. The information that you are communicating must be effective and clear.
2. The information shared must be in graphical and pictorial form so that the user can easily understand it.
3. It should connect the user with the idea of information effectively and provide necessary insights into the complex information sets of data and information.

While making this project, you need to add the backup functionality so that it is used to contain the recovery process of the data stored in the software.

This project is an advanced level project. For this project, you must require knowledge of the various graphics methods used in java to implement the data visualization using graphics and pictorials.

3. ATM Interface - We all are familiar with the functioning of the ATM (Automated Teller Machine), is very useful for us and provide various functions to us like - a person allowed to check the balance, withdraw money, deposit money, print the statement of account transaction details and so on.

Similarly, in the project of ATM interface, we need to develop an interface for ATM so that the user can access all the facilities of the ATM; it is a dummy prototype or model of ATM.

It is one of the complex projects of java projects, it consists of five different classes, and it is a console-based application system. The basic and initial step you need to show the user is to enter the user id and user pin to verify your account.

After then you need to add the basic five modules in it -

1. Transaction history - By accessing this function, the user will be able to access the details of the account and can see all the transactions they had done in their past. Along with this, you can include a print option below on the ATM screen so that if the user wants to take out the print of the transaction details, they can easily get the print of the transition statement.
2. Withdraw money - Using this function, the user will withdraw the desired amount they had entered in the console. If the amount of money entered is more than the amount present in the account, it will display the message that the amount is not available, and along with that, it will show the current amount present in the account. Otherwise, if the amount entered is less than the current amount present in the account, it will display the message of successfully withdrawn. Along with that, it will show the net amount remaining in the user's account.
3. Deposit money - By using this function user will be able to deposit the money in the bank account. After the deposit will display the net amount present in the account by adding the deposit money with the already existing money.
4. Transfer money - By using this function user will be able to transfer the necessary amount to another account whenever required. Users will require entering the details of another user's account so that the necessary amount can transfer to the respective account.
5. Exit - By using this option, the user can able to do exit by ejecting its card.

II) Python Developer Projects

The people interested in the python language and who want to become successful Python developers need to work on some projects.

Let us see the various python projects from beginners to advanced level -

1. Calculator - We are already familiar with the term calculator, and even everyone from any corner of the world uses the calculator to do calculations within a second. Here, by using python language, you need to construct a calculator, which can perform all the calculations as per the user's instructions. One can try this by enhancing it, providing with better GUI (Graphical User Interface). You need to build the logic for every instruction used in the calculator and take the error generating cases. For example, if the user wants to use the divide function, then accordingly at the backend, your logic should be true for dividing two numbers, if in case user-entered value such as 2 divides by 0, then by using the concept of exception handling, your project must be able to handle all such exceptions, by displaying the message of invalid attempt. There are a lot of errors that can arise due to invalid instructions entered by the user, and the programmer has to handle all the exceptions and errors by displaying the proper message on the user's screen.

2. MP3 Player - This is interesting and especially based on the concepts of GUI (Graphical User Interface). As we know, audio plays a very important role in our life compared with text, and one can understand more easily by listing rather than reading textbooks. In this project, you need to develop an MP3 player, which is used to listen to all the MP3 audio files and the data files having audio. You need to build the logic accordingly and use the GUI concepts and project ideas to create a physical MP3 player.

You can develop software for it to listen to the audio files present on their laptop. Once you have done with this project, then experiment with it by showing your project to the unknown user; if the user will able to avail all the functionalities of your software and unable to detect any error, the project is a success. The main advantage of it is without purchasing other software and applications; you can listen to audio files present in your computer or laptop.

3. Handwritten digit recognition - This project is based on Artificial intelligence and is a very interesting project. As the name suggests, you all need to develop an interface or software that can detect the word written on screen using your hands in a handwritten recognition project. The software automatically converts in proper digital language. By using the python programming language, one can easily construct this project. However, it is one of the difficult projects. Still, it increases our logic building level and helps you move forward as a professional python developer.

4. Timer and countdown clock - It is also one of another interesting python project. We have used a countdown clock many times. It will be better and quite interesting for you to make this countdown clock and timer in python programming language and include GUI (Graphical user interface), which provides the graphics to your application. Along with the timer, set the sound effect in it; once the timer set by the user gets over, it will automatically alarm to notify the user for time over indication. The logic for it, you need to develop on your base on your learning and various DSA (Data Structure and Algorithm) and OOPs (Object Oriented Programming) concepts.

5. Typing Speed game - There is a car racing game; suppose the player's car is red. When the game starts, the player must write the sentence allotted to them accurately at high speed. Their typing is indirectly responsible for the car's speed; the more accurate they will write, the more the car's speed increases; this will continue upto the proper time limit. At the end of the game, their accuracy, typing speed and time has been calculated, and the ranking of the car has been decided, with comparing to the other users who are online at that time. This game is also one of the advanced python projects and is connected with the server so that the typing speed of the particular user can easily be detected and compared with the other users.

In case you are a new python developer and want to work on a basic typing speed project. In that case, you can create a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for the typing speed, which shows a sentence, and the user will enter it in the text box; after done with that, their accuracy, typing speed and time has been calculated. In this, you do not require to Provide the Graphic view of the car; as a beginner, you all need to build logic for calculating the user's accuracy, time, and typing speed. Once you have done this, you can extend this project by connecting it with the server and providing the proper race game view, as mentioned above.

III) Web developer Projects

There are a lot of many projects based on web development. For making any web development project, you must have command on the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), CSS (Cascaded Style Sheet), JavaScript, API (Application Programming Interface), some React and Node JS Knowledge at an initial level, so that you can able to make some intermediate projects.

Some web development projects are as follows -

1. Ecommerce Website - As we have used various eCommerce websites, we find the various varieties of products and goods, which will be helpful for us if we want to buy some goods. If we are a seller, it will play a great role for us to sell our products, and provide a great platform for seller to sell their products and make them in contact with everyone worldwide.

Using the concepts of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, API, and react, you can build a great eCommerce website and add more features to it after completion to look different from other websites. The more functionality you add, or the more attractive the user interface you will provide, the more it looks impressive for viewers and visitors. For a while, think like a Buyer who wants to purchase goods and add functionalities accordingly from a buyer's point of view. Similarly, on the other hand, try to think like a seller and add different functionalities to your website, making your website different from other seller websites. In this way, you can make your project effectively.

Similarly, in this way, you can build various websites.

2. Quiz Game - We all have heard about Kahoot! Quiz game, very well. This game is played using two devices; on one device, we will have to submit our answers by clicking on one of the options displayed on the screen of one device with a provided duration of 10 seconds or a minute depending on the question's type. And on the second device, our meeting is joined with us. A game organizer displays the question with respective options; accordingly, on another device, we need to click the respective symbol of the suited answer on the screen.

At the end of the game, the result will be displayed on our screen, and we can easily find our position based on our ranking among the players that are live on the quiz game and playing along with us. This game is very interesting and raises our curiosity at the end. You have to create this game by using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, API, etc. The way you display the game, option symbols, and user interface depends on your choice.

3. Portfolio Website - This is one of the best projects for web developers; one should make this project at the beginner level. In this project, you all need to make your portfolio or, can say, your website. When you are working on this project, you will get emotionally connected with it. In this, you need to describe yourself, your hobbies, interests, and goals. You can drop your contact details if you want to work as a freelance web developer. While making this project, treat yourself as a brand and think about the styling of the website, what new features you can add to it, which will ultimately set an attraction for people who visit your website. You can add the comment box below, but try to hide that box from the public. With the comments and suggestions of various people, you will work on yourself and make your website perfect as you can. These things mentioned above help you enhance your web programming knowledge and connect with the corporate world. This project is one of the great forward steps for your web developer career.

4. Hotel Management System - In the Hotel management system, we will use the main account of n number of customers and their transition status. For viewing the details of all the customers, a separate webpage has been made for it, which contains all the information of every customer, which involves name, address, adhar id or can say unique id and so on. Initially, a user needs to do a registration process in the hotel before accessing the details of the hotel.

It will also help the hotel manager detect the regular user and new user so that it will allot special benefits to the regular customers. A user can able to access the online booking function; by using this function, the customer can able to book the number of rooms, as per the requirement and also can choose among the variety of rooms, Check status; by using this function, a user can able to check the current status of its booking, also can check the availability of rooms in the hotel. Another function of Inventory, by using this function, user can book more inventory stuff which is extra required by them, if need and extra charges will be deducted for it, accordingly as per the user's demand.

The above-mentioned basic functions must be present in the hotel management system project; if you want to add on other functions like book table, etc., or add some more restrictions, you can modify it accordingly.

5. Online Word counter - Using web development concepts, you can make this word counter project, which counts several words in any documentary file. It is also one of the interesting projects, and the level of this project is from beginner to intermediate. With the help of API (Application Programming interface), add on more features to make it an advanced level project; also, you can display the reading time for counting the words.

IV) Cyber Security Projects

Cyber security is the application of various technologies, processes and controls to protect our systems, networks, programs, data from cyber-attacks and our various devices. It mainly help user to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks and hackings of our system and protect against the unauthorized exploitation of networks, systems, and technologies.

The one interested in cyber security can have a lot of options to choose from among various projects and can easily explore more in this field.

The list of cyber security projects are as follows -

1. Bug Bounties - Bug bounties is one of the great projects among the varieties of cyber security projects. It is called a "Debugger" software tool that helps us find bugs or errors in our code. Bug bounties are challenging and advanced-level projects, but you will learn more and find transparency in your cyber security concepts once you make it. The main objective of bug bounties software is to detect and catch the error in our code and give further instructions for correcting that error.

2. Keylogging -

Keylogging is symbolized to a Keystroke logger, which is software used to identify the keystrokes made in a particular system. Keylogging is also one of the best cyber security projects. Suppose someone has good coding skills, is an experienced coder, and has a great command of coding and debugging. In that case, the person can easily build this key logger software to get information about every keyboard stroke.

3. Network traffic analysis - Network traffic analysis is also known as packet sniffing, and it is a very popular internet security concept. While making this project, you will learn how to use packet sniffer software to monitor various data packets and capture the packets passing through a computer network, such as the network of any multi-storage building, office, college,

Here, you might require the administrator's prior permission before executing this project; without permission, it will be considered illegal.

4. Antivirus - You can also make an antivirus software or application; its working principle is based on network security concepts. The main objective of antivirus, as the name suggests, is to identify any virus in our system or data files that are downloaded from any outside source. Building an antivirus is an interesting project; initializing it requires defining various protection methods that you will develop further. For it, you need to select the suitable platforms that your software will support. In this, you need to select the outline and the scope of your project for which you want to extend and execute it.

5. Detect the strength of a password - As the name suggests, we can easily depict the nature of the project, what it emphasizes, and which concept it is based on. Detect the strength of a password aims to detect the strength of the password entered by the user. If the password has resembled the name, email or date of birth of the user is considered a weak password because one can easily detect the password. It will automatically check the wordings of the password, whether it has included one special symbol or not, contain a capital letter or not, and so on. In the back end, you need to set some protocols or rules for password making so that, based on that rules, it will detect the strength of the password as weak, medium or strong.