Executive Summary
The Audio Library Management System is a comprehensive C++17 application that transforms a simple music catalog requirement into a professional-grade system. Originally developed as a university project, it showcases modern C++ best practices through thread-safe architecture, sophisticated data structures, and exceptional performance. The system handles 100,000+ tracks with O(1) lookup performance and features 5 different search modes including fuzzy matching and regex support.
Key Features
Advanced Search Engine
5 search modes: exact, prefix, substring, fuzzy (with edit distance), and regex patterns
Multi-Index Architecture
Four hash-based indexes enabling O(1) lookups by title, artist, album, or genre
Thread-Safe Operations
Reader-writer locks using std::shared_mutex for concurrent access
File Format Support
Import/export capabilities for CSV and JSON with robust error handling
Technical Implementation
Technology Stack
Architecture Highlights
- Memory Management: Zero memory leaks using std::shared_ptr for all dynamic allocations
- Data Structures: std::unordered_multimap for efficient multi-field indexing
- Concurrency: std::shared_mutex enabling multiple concurrent readers
- Search Algorithm: Levenshtein distance implementation for fuzzy matching
- Error Handling: Exception-safe design with RAII patterns throughout
- Testing: Comprehensive unit tests covering edge cases and thread safety
Performance & Quality Metrics
System Capabilities
Search Functionality
Exact Matching
Direct hash table lookups for perfect string matches across all indexed fields
Fuzzy Search
Typo-tolerant searching using Levenshtein distance algorithm with configurable threshold
Regex Support
Full regular expression pattern matching for complex search queries
Multi-Field Search
Simultaneous searching across title, artist, album, and genre fields
Core Features
Track Management
Add, remove, and update tracks with comprehensive metadata including ratings and play counts
Statistics & Analytics
Track library statistics, most played songs, and rating distributions
Import/Export
CSV and JSON file support with robust parsing and error handling
CLI Interface
User-friendly command-line interface with clear menus and input validation
Development Journey
Initial Design
Started with basic requirements for a music library system. Identified the need for efficient searching and scalability.
Architecture Redesign
Completely restructured from original hash table to multi-index architecture with smart pointers and modern C++ features.
Thread Safety
Implemented reader-writer locks to enable concurrent access, crucial for real-world applications.
Testing & Polish
Added comprehensive unit tests, fixed edge cases, and achieved 100% clean compilation.
Technical Insights
Modern C++ Best Practices
Leveraged C++17 features like std::optional, structured bindings, and if-init statements for cleaner, safer code.
Performance vs. Flexibility
Balanced the trade-offs between search performance and memory usage by maintaining multiple indexes.
Error Handling Strategy
Implemented comprehensive input validation and graceful error recovery for a robust user experience.
Explore the Code
Interested in the implementation details? The full source code, documentation, and build instructions are available on GitHub.