Step 2: Adding Subjects

Step 2: Adding and Configuring Subjects

With your timetable's basic structure in place, the next essential step is to input information about all the subjects or courses taught at your institution. Accurate subject data, including their names and any scheduling restrictions, is fundamental to creating a functional and effective timetable.

Adding Subjects to Your Timetable

TimetableMaster offers flexible ways to add subjects, whether you prefer entering them one by one or importing a list in bulk.

Interface for Adding and Managing Subjects

Methods for Adding Subjects:

1. Individual Subject Entry:

   • How: Enter subject names one at a time directly into the interface.
   • Best for: Smaller lists of subjects, or when adding a few new subjects to an existing list.
   • Features:
     • Subject Name: The full, clear name of the subject (e.g., "Mathematics Grade 9", "Advanced Chemistry").
     • Automatic Color Coding: Our system will automatically assign a visually distinct color to each new subject, making it easier to identify them on the final timetable.

2. Bulk Import Subjects:

   • How: Use the "Bulk Import" feature to add multiple subject names simultaneously. You can paste a list of subject names directly into the import tool.
   • Best for: Efficiently adding a large number of subjects, especially when migrating from an existing list or spreadsheet.
   • Process:
     1. Click the "Bulk Import" button.
     2. Paste your list of subject names (one subject name per line).
     3. Review the imported list and confirm to add them.

Organizing Your Subjects:

• Alphabetical Sorting: Utilize the sorting feature (e.g., A-Z button) to arrange your subject list alphabetically. This can help in quickly finding and managing subjects.

Configuring Subject Availability and Time-Off

For each subject, TimetableMaster allows you to define specific availability and time-off periods. This powerful feature ensures subjects are only scheduled when appropriate and that any constraints are strictly followed by the automated scheduling engine.

Modal for Setting Subject Availability and Time-Off

Setting Time-Off Rules:

• Purpose: To prevent a specific subject from being scheduled during certain times or days. This is crucial for subjects that might have resource limitations, teacher unavailability for that subject, or pedagogical reasons.
• How: For each subject, you can access its availability settings (often via an "Availability" or "Time-Off" button/icon associated with the subject entry).
• Granularity of Control:
  • Full Day Off: Disable all periods for a subject on a specific day(s) of the week (e.g., "Art" is not taught on Fridays).
  • Specific Periods Across All Days: Make a subject unavailable during certain periods every day (e.g., "Physical Education" cannot be scheduled during the first period).
  • Individual Period Slots: Mark specific, individual period slots (e.g., Monday Period 3) as unavailable for a particular subject.
• System Enforcement: TimetableMaster's scheduling algorithm will strictly adhere to these time-off settings, completely avoiding scheduling the subject during its specified unavailable times.

Editing Subject Information

Flexibility is key. If you need to make changes to a subject's name after it has been entered:

• Editable Names: You can edit the name of a subject directly from the subject list.
• System-Wide Update: When a subject name is edited, TimetableMaster will automatically update this change across all related data within your current timetable setup, ensuring consistency.

Review and Best Practices

• Accuracy Check: Before proceeding, double-check all subject names for typos or inconsistencies.
• Verify Time-Off: Ensure that any critical time-off rules for subjects have been correctly applied.
• Consistent Naming for Variations: If you've created multiple entries for the same core subject due to differing conditions (as mentioned in the tip above), ensure your naming convention is clear and will be easy to understand when assigning lessons.
• Color Review (Optional): While colors are auto-assigned, you can customize them if needed for better visual differentiation in the final timetable view.

Next Steps

Once all your subjects are accurately entered and their availability and time-off settings are configured, you are ready to move on to defining the teachers who will be teaching these subjects.

Confirmation Checklist:

• All subjects taught in the institution are added (individually or via bulk import).
• Subjects are named clearly, with identifiers for variations if needed.
• Necessary time-off and availability rules are configured for each subject.
• The subject list has been reviewed for accuracy and completeness.
• Subject list is sorted alphabetically for easier management, if desired.