📚 BookBridge Sri Lanka – A Second-Hand Book Exchange Platform for Uni Students 🇱🇰

Hey devs! 👋

I’ve been working on a project called BookBridge Sri Lanka – a web platform designed to help university students buy, sell, or exchange used textbooks and reference books at affordable prices.

The GitHub repo is currently private, but I wanted to share what I've built and get your feedback. After finishing the project, I decided to make it public.

🎯 The Problem It Solves

In Sri Lanka, university reference books can cost anywhere from LKR 1,500 to 8,000+. Right now, students rely on chaotic WhatsApp groups to find books.

BookBridge provides a dedicated, trusted, and organized marketplace just for students.

✨ Key Features

• 👤 User registration & login
• 📚 Post books for sale / exchange
• 🔍 Search & filter books by category, price, or condition
• 💬 In-platform messaging between buyers & sellers
• ⭐ Seller reviews & ratings
• 🔖 Wishlist to save books
• 🛡️ Admin dashboard for moderation
• 📱 Fully mobile responsive

🛠️ Built With

• Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap 5
• Backend: PHP 8.x
• Database: MySQL 8.x
• Tools: XAMPP/WAMP, VS Code, Git

🚀 How It Works (Local Setup)

1. Clone the repo (private, but I can share structure below)
2. Move to C:\wamp64\www\bookbridge\
3. Import database/bookbridge_db.sqlvia phpMyAdmin
4. Update includes/db.php with your DB credentials
5. Run http://localhost/bookbridge/

📁 Quick Project Structure

bookbridge/
├── admin/ → Dashboard, manage users & books
├── assets/ → CSS, JS, images
├── database/ → SQL export
├── includes/ → Header, footer, DB connection, auth check
├── uploads/ → Book cover images
├── index.php → Homepage
├── register.php → Registration
├── login.php → Login
├── listings.php → Browse books
├── post-book.php → Add new book
├── messages.php → Messaging system
├── wishlist.php → Saved books
├── review.php → Ratings & reviews
└── ...

👩‍💻 About Me

Sayuri Kotikawaththa
2nd Year, Web Programming @ BCI Campus, Negombo, Sri Lanka
📧 annsayu12@gmail.com

❓ Feedback I’d Love From You

• How can I improve the user experience for buyers & sellers?
• Any security or performance tips for a PHP + MySQL student project?
• Would you use something like this as a student? Why or why not?

Thanks for reading! 🙌

If you’d like to see the code or collaborate, drop a comment or DM me – happy to grant access to serious contributors.