International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology

E-ISSN 2277 – 4106, P-ISSN 2347 - 5161

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General Article
Web Application for Automatic Time Table Generation
Mugdha Kishor PatilȦ, Rakhe Shruti SubodhȦ*, Prachi Ashok Pawar Ȧ and Naveena Narendrasingh Turkar Ȧ
Ȧ
Department of Information Technology, MVPS’s KBT COE, Nashik (India)

Accepted 27 May 2014, Available online 01 June 2014, Vol.4, No.3 (June 2014)

Abstract

The hand operated system of time table preparation in colleges is very monotonous and time-consuming which results in
either the same teachers ending up with more than one class at a time or a number of classes conflicting at the same
classroom. Due to a non-automatic perspective, absolute utilization of resources has proven ineffective. In order to deal
with such problems, a mechanized system can be designed with a computer aided timetable generator. The system will
take different inputs like number of subjects, teachers, maximum lectures a teacher can conduct, priority of subject and
topics to be covered in a week or a lecture, considering which, it will create feasible time tables for working days of the
week, making excellent application of all resources in a way which will be best suited for the constraints. A suitable
timetable is then chosen from the optimal solutions generated.

Keywords: Component, Constraints, Resource Scheduling Algorithm, Time Table generation, Optimal Solution.

Introduction categorized into hard constraints that cannot be violated

and soft constraints that are not vital but their satisfaction
1
The difficulty of making timetables for classrooms is a is highly desirable for a good quality solution to be
scheduling algorithm with tremendous curiosity and processed. A common timetabling issue is composed of
association in the fields of artificial intelligence and assignment of events like course, examinations, lectures,
operational research. This problem is being dealt in many lab sessions etc. into a limited number of rooms while
organizations manually, i.e. timetables are set using a trial reducing the violations in the set of constraints.
and error procedure. The process of preparing a timetable
involves beneficial employment of resources which needs Project statement
to be confronted each year by every educational institute.
The difficulty faced during timetabling can be represented
Basic concepts as a constraint satisfaction problem with loose parameters
and many constraints. These constraints can be replicated
A great deal of time is devoted by the teaching personnel in a format which can be managed by the scheduling
in generating and managing timetables. This project aims algorithm in an organized manner. The scheduling
at the development of a tool which will allow institutes involves allowing for a many a pair wise constraints using
generate timetables for schools and colleges without any which tasks can be accomplished simultaneously. For
hindrance, directly from raw schedule. While generating a example, while scheduling classes in an organization, the
timetable, the availability of teachers and other resources same faculty member teaching two courses cannot be
is considered by this timetable generation software. assigned the same time slot. On the other hand, two
Furthermore, timetables can be changed according to our different courses to be attended by the same group of
necessity, depending on the availability of students, students also should not clash.
technicians, teachers, substitutes, classrooms and lessons.
The difficulties that arise during the generation of What is to be developed?
timetables are definite and are concerned mainly with
assigning events to timeslots subject to constraints with In order to deal with the timetabling issue, we are putting
the resultant solution constituting a timetable. Timetabling forward a system which would mechanically generate
as defined by Wren (1996) is, Timetabling is the timetable for the different courses of the institute. Courses
allocation, subject to constraints, of given resources to and lectures will be scheduled in accordance with all the
objects being placed in space time, in such a way as to possible constraints and the given inputs and thus, a
satisfy as nearly as possible a set of desirable objectives. timetable will be generated. The system will allow
The constraints during timetable generation can be interaction between the staff and students and at the same
time enable them to upload their queries, notes,
*Corresonding author: Rakhe Shruti Subodh
presentations and e-books. The necessary changes and the
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Mugdha Kishor Patil et al Web Application for Automatic Time Table Generation

additional constraints for the next week timetable will also 7. For daytime students, the cultural subjects courses are
be considered by this timetable generation system. scheduled in the morning time slots (1st to 4th time
slots on weekdays), and major courses are scheduled
in the afternoon time slots (5th to 8th time slots).
8. For night time students, the cultural-subjects courses
are scheduled on the 11th to 12th slots, and the major
courses are scheduled on the 13th to 16th time slots
on weekdays.
9. Lectures for the same course should be scheduled
consecutively, if possible.
10. As far as possible, classes should be carried out in
their respective department’s exclusive-use
classrooms.
11. The classrooms should be allocated in such assigned
in such a manner that the distances between adjoining
lecture’s classrooms is minimized.
It is desirable for timetables to satisfy all strong and weak
constraints. However, it is typically not easy for all these
constraints to be satisfied. It is a must for the strong
constraints to be met at all times, but the weak constraints
can be abandoned in order to find convenient are
timetables. Among the weak constraints, constraints from
6 to 14 are compulsory for the assignment of time slots.
On the allotment of classrooms, constraints 15 and 16 are
imposed. In order of their importance, constraints are
arranged in the scheduling. For instance, if finding
schedules that satisfy both 6 and 7 simultaneously is not
possible, it does not give preference to the schedule
satisfying 7 but 6 and instead chooses the one satisfying 6
Parameters but 7. (D. Datta, Kalyanmoy Deb et al, Carlos M. Fonseca
et al, 2005)
Different constraints need to be adequately met in order to Apart from timetable generation we are including
invoke variables about time slots and classrooms. The additional features like
constraints can be categorized into strong and weak  Forum
constraints as follows Forum is a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a
 Strong constraints particular issue can be exchanged. Students can post their
1. More than one lecture cannot be allotted to a queries in forum and staff members can answer those
classroom at the same time. queries.
2. More than one class cannot be taught by a lecturer  News And Announcements
simultaneously. News is the communication of selected information on
3. Courses for the same year-session students of a current events. It is shared in various ways among
department should occupy different time slots. individuals with wider audiences. Important news and
4. The classroom in which a course is to be conducted announcements for students and staff are flashed on the
should be spacious enough to take the students screen.
participating in the course.  Different reports
5. The classrooms should be effectively provided with Attendance, result reports are generated.
necessary amenities for the classes.  Review
 Weak constraints A review is an evaluation of a publication, product,
1. The lectures are not allotted to time slots which come service, or organization. Students and parents can give
under the lecturer’s prohibited time zones. reviews about organization. Admin has rights to delete
2. The teaching hours on an instructor should be limited reviews which are not appropriate for institution.
within the allowed maximum hours. Also, we are trying to implement the feature of
3. The classes should be scheduled in accordance with syllabus mapping in our system which maps the part of the
the lecturer’s favoured time zones. syllabus to be covered in the particular lecture or practical
4. A break for lunch/dinner must be allotted to the slot of that week. On clicking on the lecture or practical
instructors. slot, syllabus to be covered in that time slot will be
5. The classes must not be scheduled late at nights, if displayed in a pop-up window. But, this feature requires
possible. proper distribution of syllabus like unit wise or chapter
6. The theory courses are scheduled on Monday and wise or to be more precise, topic wise according to the
Tuesday, and the practical courses are scheduled on number of lectures to be taken in that semester. This
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. feature helps in completing the syllabus properly n
1937 | International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.4, No.3 (June 2014)
Mugdha Kishor Patil et al Web Application for Automatic Time Table Generation

efficiently. Also it helps in keeping the track of the Conclusion

syllabus taught thus accelerating or slowing down the
speed of teaching in Institutes. The application will make the procedure of time table
generation easier consistently which may otherwise need
Applications and benefits of the system to be done using spread sheet manually which might lead
to constraints problem that are strenuous to establish when
Timetable is a completely automatic time table scheduling time table is generated physically. The purpose of the
software: algorithm is to generate a timetable schedule
 Allocation of periods to classes and instructors is mechanically. The algorithm includes many techniques,
completely mechanized and does not restrict the user aimed at improving the efficiency of the search operation.
any processing. It also addresses the chief hard constraints. Most of the
 A compatible and accurate timetable is guaranteed non-rigid soft constraints are also productively handled.
and the system is therefore well organized and Keeping in mind the generality of the algorithm operation,
reliable. it can further be modified to more particular scenarios, e.g.
 Enables the collaboration of teachers and students. University, examination scheduling, etc. A number of
 The study material can be used in common with hours which are spent on creating a fruitful timetable can
others. be reduced ultimately through the mechanization of the
 Time and Labour is saved. timetable issue. The most fascinating future direction in
The system also has some other advantages; which are as the evolution of the algorithm lies in its addendum to
follows: constraint propagation.
1. Security
Security is one of the most important factors as References
categorized data will be contained in a database. User
validation will be performed during login to make sure Anirudha Nanda, Manisha P. Pai, and Abhijeet Gole (August
2012), An Algorithm to Automatically Generate Schedule for
that the user is valid and his or her access is limited to School Lectures Using a Heuristic Approach, International
their respective permission data. Journal of Machine Learning and Computing, Vol. 2, No.2
2. Standards compliance E.K.Burke, J.P.Newall, Solving Examination Timetabling
The system will have steady interface formats and button Problems through Adaptation of Heuristic Orderings
sets for all forms in the application, a form based interface Masri Ayob, Salwani Abdullah and Ariff Md Ab Malik
for all data entry and viewing formats and will create (September 2007), A Practical Examination Timetabling
reports that are formatted in a table and that should look Problem at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, IJCSNS
like the current manual report formats for user International Journal of Computer Science and Network
friendliness. Security, Vol.7 No.
D. Datta, Kalyanmoy Deb, Carlos M. Fonseca (2005.), Solving
3. Maintainability Class Timetabling Problem of IIT Kanpur using Multi-
The system can be maintained without any hindrance by Objective Evolutionary Algorithm. KanGAL
the developer or any other professional and it shall
respond as fast as possible in creating reports, thus
generating the timetable.

1938 | International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.4, No.3 (June 2014)