Creating Room Reservations

Overview

This guide walks you through the complete process of creating a room reservation in Apartado de Salas, from accessing the form to successfully submitting your request.

Prerequisites

Before creating a reservation, ensure you have:

An active user account
Valid login credentials
Basic information about your event (name, date, time)
Knowledge of which room and materials you need

All users must be authenticated to create reservations. The system enforces this via Auth::requireLogin() in app/controllers/ReservationController.php:17.

Step 1: Access the Reservation Form

Navigate to the login page and authenticate with your credentials.

Navigate to Dashboard

After successful login, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard.

Click Reserve Room

Find and click the “Apartar sala” (Reserve Room) option. This navigates to /reservations/create.

The create form is loaded from app/views/reservations/create.php and includes:

Room selection dropdown
Event information fields
Dynamic time slot management
Material selection checkboxes

Step 2: Select Your Room

The first step is choosing which room you want to reserve:

View Available Rooms

The room dropdown is populated with all active rooms from the database:

$roomModel = new Room();
$rooms = $roomModel->getAll();

Choose a Room

Select the room that best fits your event needs. Each room has different capacities and available materials.

Wait for Materials

After selecting a room, the system automatically loads available materials via AJAX.

Dynamic Material Loading

When you select a room, JavaScript triggers an API call:

roomSelect.addEventListener('change', async function () {
    const roomId = this.value;

    if (!roomId) {
        materialsDiv.innerHTML = '<p><em>Seleccione una sala...</em></p>';
        return;
    }

    try {
        const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/materials?room_id=${roomId}`);
        const materials = await response.json();
        
        // Display materials as checkboxes
    } catch (error) {
        materialsDiv.innerHTML = '<p>Error al cargar materiales.</p>';
    }
});

The materials are room-specific. Each room only shows materials that have been configured for it in the database.

Step 3: Enter Event Details

Provide information about your event:

Required Fields

event_name

string

required

The name of your event. This will be visible to administrators when reviewing your request.Example: “Marketing Team Quarterly Meeting”, “Student Workshop”, “Board Presentation”

Optional Fields

notes

text

Additional observations or special requirements. Use this to communicate:

Special setup needs
Expected number of attendees
Technical requirements
Contact information for event day

Example: “Please arrange chairs in U-shape configuration. Expecting 25 attendees.”

Providing detailed notes helps administrators understand your needs and increases the likelihood of approval.

Step 4: Add Time Slots

Every reservation requires at least one time slot:

Fill First Time Slot

The form includes one time slot by default. Fill in:

Date: When you need the room
Start Time: When your event begins
End Time: When your event ends

Add More Slots (Optional)

If your event spans multiple days or has multiple sessions, click “Agregar otro horario” to add additional time slots.Each click adds a new set of date/time fields:

function addSlot() {
    const slots = document.getElementById('slots');
    const div = document.createElement('div');
    div.className = 'slot';
    
    div.innerHTML = `
        <label>Fecha</label>
        <input type="date" name="dates[]" required>
        
        <label>Hora inicio</label>
        <input type="time" name="start_times[]" required>
        
        <label>Hora fin</label>
        <input type="time" name="end_times[]" required>
    `;
    
    slots.appendChild(div);
}

Verify Time Ranges

Ensure end times are after start times and that you’re requesting reasonable time blocks.

Time Slot Validation

When you submit, the system validates each time slot:

foreach ($dates as $index => $date) {
    $start = $startTimes[$index] ?? null;
    $end   = $endTimes[$index] ?? null;

    if (!$date || !$start || !$end) {
        throw new Exception('Bloque horario incompleto.');
    }

    if ($slotModel->hasConflict((int)$roomId, $date, $start, $end)) {
        throw new Exception("Conflicto de horario el $date de $start a $end.");
    }

    $slotModel->create($reservationId, $date, $start, $end);
}

If any of your requested time slots conflict with existing approved reservations, your entire submission will be rejected with a specific error message.

Step 5: Select Materials

Choose the materials you need for your event:

Review Available Materials

After selecting a room, checkboxes appear for all materials configured for that room.

Check Required Materials

Select only the materials you actually need. Common materials include:

Projectors
Microphones
Whiteboards
Audio equipment
Video conferencing tools

Validation

The system validates that your selected materials are valid for the chosen room:

if (!$materialModel->validateForRoom($materials, (int)$roomId)) {
    throw new Exception('Seleccionaste materiales no válidos para la sala.');
}

If no materials are available for a room, you’ll see: “No hay materiales disponibles para esta sala.” You can still proceed with the reservation.

Step 6: Review and Submit

Before submitting, review all information:

Double-Check Details

Verify:

✓ Correct room selected
✓ Event name is descriptive
✓ All time slots are accurate
✓ Start/end times are correct
✓ Appropriate materials selected
✓ Notes contain relevant information

Click Submit

Click “Enviar solicitud” (Submit Request) to send your reservation.

Wait for Processing

The form submits via POST to /reservations/store. The server processes your request in a transaction.

Submission Process

Here’s what happens when you submit:

1. Initial Validation

$userId   = $_SESSION['user']['id'] ?? null;
$roomId   = $_POST['room_id'] ?? null;
$event    = trim($_POST['event_name'] ?? '');
$notes    = trim($_POST['notes'] ?? '');

if (!$userId || !$roomId || empty($event)) {
    Session::setFlash('error', 'Datos incompletos.');
    header('Location: '. BASE_URL . '/reservations/create');
    exit;
}

The system checks that all required data is present.

2. Database Transaction

Your reservation is created in a database transaction to ensure data integrity:

$db = Database::getConnection();
$db->beginTransaction();

try {
    // 1. Create reservation
    $reservationId = $reservationModel->create($userId, (int)$roomId, $event, $notes ?: null);
    
    // 2. Create time slots
    foreach ($dates as $index => $date) {
        // Validate and create each slot
    }
    
    // 3. Attach materials
    $reservationModel->attachMaterials($reservationId, $materials);
    
    $db->commit();
    
    Session::setFlash('success', 'La reservación fue creada correctamente.');
    header('Location:'. BASE_URL.'/dashboard');
    exit;
    
} catch (Exception $e) {
    if(isset($db) && $db->inTransaction()){
        $db->rollBack();
    }
    
    Session::setFlash('error', $e->getMessage());
    header('Location: ' . BASE_URL . '/reservations/create');
    exit;
}

The transaction ensures that if any step fails, all changes are rolled back. Your reservation is only created if all validations pass.

3. Success Response

On successful submission:

Flash message: “La reservación fue creada correctamente”
Redirect to dashboard
Reservation created with status pendiente
Awaiting administrator review

Common Errors and Solutions

”Datos incompletos” (Incomplete Data)

Cause: Missing required fields Solution: Ensure you’ve filled in:

Room selection
Event name
At least one time slot with date, start time, and end time

”Debe agregar al menos un horario” (Must Add at Least One Time Slot)

Cause: No time slots provided Solution: Fill in at least one complete time slot before submitting.

”Conflicto de horario” (Schedule Conflict)

Cause: Your requested time overlaps with an existing approved reservation Solution:

Try a different time slot
Choose a different date
Select a different room
Contact an administrator to discuss options

”Bloque horario incompleto” (Incomplete Time Block)

Cause: One of your time slots is missing date, start time, or end time Solution: Complete all fields for every time slot you’ve added.

”Seleccionaste materiales no válidos” (Invalid Materials Selected)

Cause: Selected materials don’t belong to the chosen room Solution: This usually indicates a technical issue. Try:

Refreshing the page
Reselecting the room
Only choosing materials that appear after room selection

After Submission

Once your reservation is successfully created:

Confirmation

You’ll see a success message and be redirected to your dashboard.

Initial Status

Your reservation is created with status pendiente (pending).

Admin Review

An administrator will review your request and either approve or reject it.

Check Status

Monitor your reservation status by visiting “Mis solicitudes” (My Requests) from the dashboard.

Administrators typically review requests within 1-2 business days. For urgent requests, consider contacting an administrator directly.

Best Practices

Plan Ahead

Submit requests at least 3-5 days before your event date to allow time for review and approval.

Be Specific

Use descriptive event names and detailed notes. “Team Meeting” is less helpful than “Q4 Sales Team Strategy Meeting”.

Check Availability First

Consider checking with administrators or reviewing existing schedules before submitting to avoid conflicts.

Accurate Time Estimates

Request realistic time blocks. Include setup and teardown time in your start and end times.

Only Request Needed Materials

Don’t select materials “just in case”. Only request what you actually need to help administrators prepare efficiently.

Provide Contact Info

Include contact information in your notes so administrators can reach you with questions.

Example Reservation Workflow

Here’s a complete example:

Initial Setup

User “jsmith” logs in and navigates to create reservation form.

Room Selection

Selects “Conference Room A” from dropdown.

Event Details

Event Name: “Product Launch Planning”
Notes: “Need U-shape seating for 20 people. John Smith (ext. 1234) will be onsite by 8:30am for setup.”

Time Slots

Date: 2026-03-15
Start Time: 09:00
End Time: 12:00

Materials

Checks:

Projector
Whiteboard
Video conferencing system

Submission

Clicks “Enviar solicitud”. System validates and creates reservation #47.

Confirmation

Success message appears. User is redirected to dashboard. Reservation is pending admin review.

Get Started

Core Features

User Guides

Architecture

Overview

Prerequisites

Step 1: Access the Reservation Form

Step 2: Select Your Room

Dynamic Material Loading

Step 3: Enter Event Details

Required Fields

Optional Fields

Step 4: Add Time Slots

Time Slot Validation

Step 5: Select Materials

Step 6: Review and Submit

Submission Process

1. Initial Validation

2. Database Transaction

3. Success Response

Common Errors and Solutions

”Datos incompletos” (Incomplete Data)

”Debe agregar al menos un horario” (Must Add at Least One Time Slot)

”Conflicto de horario” (Schedule Conflict)

”Bloque horario incompleto” (Incomplete Time Block)

”Seleccionaste materiales no válidos” (Invalid Materials Selected)

After Submission

Best Practices

Example Reservation Workflow

Next Steps

User Role Guide

Managing Requests

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Core Features

User Guides

Architecture

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Step 1: Access the Reservation Form

​Step 2: Select Your Room

​Dynamic Material Loading

​Step 3: Enter Event Details

​Required Fields

​Optional Fields

​Step 4: Add Time Slots

​Time Slot Validation

​Step 5: Select Materials

​Step 6: Review and Submit

​Submission Process

​1. Initial Validation

​2. Database Transaction

​3. Success Response

​Common Errors and Solutions

​”Datos incompletos” (Incomplete Data)

​”Debe agregar al menos un horario” (Must Add at Least One Time Slot)

​”Conflicto de horario” (Schedule Conflict)

​”Bloque horario incompleto” (Incomplete Time Block)

​”Seleccionaste materiales no válidos” (Invalid Materials Selected)

​After Submission

​Best Practices

​Example Reservation Workflow

​Next Steps

User Role Guide

Managing Requests

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Prerequisites

Step 1: Access the Reservation Form

Step 2: Select Your Room

Dynamic Material Loading

Step 3: Enter Event Details

Required Fields

Optional Fields

Step 4: Add Time Slots

Time Slot Validation

Step 5: Select Materials

Step 6: Review and Submit

Submission Process

1. Initial Validation

2. Database Transaction

3. Success Response

Common Errors and Solutions

”Datos incompletos” (Incomplete Data)

”Debe agregar al menos un horario” (Must Add at Least One Time Slot)

”Conflicto de horario” (Schedule Conflict)

”Bloque horario incompleto” (Incomplete Time Block)

”Seleccionaste materiales no válidos” (Invalid Materials Selected)

After Submission

Best Practices

Example Reservation Workflow

Next Steps