Project for High School class using Twilio library.

Complete during school year of 2015.

The following documentation was copied from this html file.

The Text Alert System is a computer program coded into a raspberry pi that enables users to send reminder texts. A reminder text is a pre-programmed sms messages that automatically sends itself at a user specified date and time. I designed this system for myself for the purpose of aiding in reminding Key Club members when they signed up to volunteer.

The final project will be accessed through a website where a user can enter a receiving number, message, month, day, hour, and minute to create a reminder text that will be sent automatically.

• Access to twilio api to send text messages
• Raspberry Pi, monitor, power cables, hdmi cable, wifi dongle, mouse, keyboard
• Python, IDE, xampp/docker for webserver and database
• Method for delaying the sending of remind texts
• Database that can handle datetime, strings, and ints
• Raspberry pi can be accessed by other devices
• Website can access database to store information

I am the only person working on this project. I am in charge keeping the documentation up to date and working on the project itself.

• Connect Raspberry Pi to monitor to access Raspbian OS and python IDE
• Download/Create python script for sending sms messages
  • Create python script to check when future messages need to be sent and send messages when needed
  • Create web page to send messages immediately
• Test text message sending capabilities (length of message, time taken to send, how quick messages can be sent)
• Implements methods to delay messages sent based on user specification
• Create a database the will be used to store information about remind texts
• Use python and php to access database and read information about when remind texts should be sent
• Design and create a website that can be used to access the database and store information (Planned method for user interaction with program)

The first three deliverables should be completed on the first day of working on the project. The fourth, delaying text messages, should only take another day or two of working on to complete. Creating a database and website will take up most of the time of this project; I have little to no experience in working with databases, so it will take around a week (maybe two?) to fully learn how to create a database that can be accessed through the Raspberry Pi. Finally, a website that can access the database and can gather user input to store there will at least another two weeks, possible three, of working. The website, to integrate with the rest of the program, will take the most time to develop, taking several weeks. I understand much of what I need to create a website, but I want it to look nice, and I’m picky about design. In total, I plan to have the project done in three months time by the end of the school year, where only half of that time is actually working on the project while working on and off.

• Raspberry Pi Canakit
• Monitor with HDMI input
• Mouse and Keyboard
• Wireless or wired internet connection
• XAMPP with MYSQL, APACHE, and PHPMYADMIN to test local server
• Twilio Rest API
• MySQLdb library for python
• IDE and access to google for research

I am depending on the hardware of the Raspberry Pi, IMac, and other devices to work continuously. I will need a reliable internet connection and the free use of google voice to send text messages. Also, I am depending on the well being of myself and the motivation to keep the project moving. Finally, I am depending on the use of google to search for information on certain software, like python scripts and html code, to use for my project.

A few things that could go wrong in this project: I may become ill, hardware or software may begin to malfunction, or I may find that the project isn’t beyond the scope of my abilities and I need to choose a new project.

Expected completion date: December 10, 2015 end of the school year