Topics-of-Software: Auction Site Built By JavaSavesUs team

Introduction

Welcome to our innovative Auction Site, inspired by eBay and crafted through the diligent efforts of our student team. This platform offers a seamless auction experience with an intuitive front end and a powerful backend. It integrates diverse functionalities such as user account management, item listings, and real-time bidding.

We've employed advanced technology, including a dual-database system combining SQL and NoSQL databases, ensuring robust data management and scalability. The site supports comprehensive user activities, including account creation, item management, and bid processes, alongside a suite of administrative tools for efficient site management.

(View the test&demo video by clicking the picture bellow)

Our platform is not just a demonstration of technical skill but a testament to our commitment to creating a user-friendly, dynamic online auction environment.

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Microservices

There are five mircroservices backend talking and communicating with each other.

• User Microservice: Manages user accounts, authentication, and profiles.
• Item Microservice: Handles item listings, updates, and categorization.
• Auction Microservice: Facilitates auction listings, bidding processes, and auction timers.
• Notification Microservice: Sends out alerts and notifications to users.
• Log Microservice: Records user activity and saves them in database.

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Technology Stack and APIs

Backend

• Flask: Utilized for setting up the server and routing for the backend APIs.
• Flask-CORS: Enabled cross-origin requests, crucial for frontend-backend communication.
• Werkzeug: Employed for secure password hashing and file handling functionalities.
• smtplib: Facilitated the sending of notification and alert emails.
• Gmail SMTP Server: Served as the SMTP server for sending out emails from the application.
• Python's datetime Module: Used for all date and time manipulations, especially in listing and bid management.
• Python's os Module: Handled file path operations and environment variable management.
• Python's decimal Module: Ensured precise handling of monetary values in bidding and pricing.
• Python's json Module: Managed JSON data parsing and generation for API communication.
• Custom Flask APIs: Developed for user registration, listing management, bid handling, and more.
• Environment Variable Management with os.environ: Managed configuration settings securely.
• Flask's Development Server: Used for local development and testing of the application.

Frontend

• React.js: Powered the user interface, used in conjunction with Flask for dynamic content rendering.

Database

• MySQL: Acted as the primary database for storing user and auction data.
• MongoDB: Used for logging purposes, storing application logs and audit trails.

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Installation

1. Download and install Node.js https://nodejs.org/en/download/ after install, check

   node -v
   npm -v
   

2. Navigate to auction-frontend

   cd .\auction-frontend\
   npm install
   

3. Setting Up a Virtual Environment (Optional)

   python -m venv venv
   venv\Scripts\activate
   

   trouble shooting: if you see message like this

   	Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope Process
   

4. Install Dependencies

   pip3 install -r requirements.txt
   // if pip3 doesn't work for you, try pip
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

5. Open MySQL Shell

   mysqlsh
   

6. Enter SQL Mode

   \sql
   

7. Connect to Your Local Admin Account

   \connect root@localhost
   

8. Create and Set Up the New Database

   DROP DATABASE javaSavesUs;
   CREATE DATABASE javaSavesUs;
   USE javaSavesUs;
   source ./database/javaSavesUs_db.sql;
   

9. Create a .env File using IDE

   Open your code editor or IDE (like Visual Studio Code, PyCharm, etc.).

   Navigate to each MircroService folder.

   Create a new file at the root of this folder and name it .env.

10. Add Database Connection Details

    In the .env file, you will add the lines provided, replacing placeholders with your actual database information.

    340DBHOST=localhost
    340DBUSER=root
    340DBPW=your_mysql_password
    340DB=javaSavesUs
    

    Should be like this after step9 and step10

11. Running the Application

    With the database set up and the .env file configured, your application should now be able to connect to your database.

    1. Open Your Terminal in code editor/IDE

    2. Activate Your Virtual Environment (If You Used One)

    3. Run the Application split into 5 terminals

    python .\MicroServices\auction-service\app_auction.py
    cd .\MicroServices\item-service\
    python app_item.py
    python .\MicroServices\log-service\app_log.py
    python .\MicroServices\notification-service\app_notification.py
    python .\MicroServices\user-service\app_user.py
    
    cd .\auction-frontend\
    npm start
    

    4. Access the Web Application

       Open your web browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:9112/.

       This is the local address where your Flask app is running.

    Flask will also output the URL in the terminal, confirming where the app is active.

    Trouble Shooting:

    if you meet the any issue with the depencies like this:

    You need to manual pip install the dependencies you need, here I provide all the command you may need:

    pip install flask
    pip install mysqlclient
    pip install python-dotenv
    pip install flask-cors
    pip install pymysql
    

If you have any questions, plz reach out anytime on our team ^_^