School Master VLE

THIS SOFTWARE IS IN EARLY DEVELOPMENT. DO NOT RELY ON IT FOR DEPLOYMENT

A full-stack learning management system for educational institutions. Built with React, TypeScript, Express, and SQLite.

Features

Content Management

• Visual lesson builder with drag-and-drop interface
• Assessment builder with multiple question types
• Course and topic organization
• Media support (images, videos, documents)
• Autosave functionality

User Management

• Role-based access control (Admin, Teacher, Student)
• CSV import/export for bulk user management
• Password management with forced password change
• User archiving

Assignments & Grading

• Flexible assignment system
• Progress tracking
• Automated grading for objective questions
• Manual review for subjective answers
• Class marksheets

System Features

• Global search (Ctrl+K)
• Complete backup and restore
• Light and dark themes
• Responsive design

Security

• JWT authentication
• bcrypt password hashing
• Input validation
• SQL injection protection
• CORS protection
• Security headers

Technology Stack

Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, React Router, Vite
Backend: Node.js, Express, TypeScript, SQLite
Authentication: JWT, bcryptjs
Database: SQLite with better-sqlite3

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• npm or yarn
• Git

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/06benste/schoolmasterVLE
cd schoolmasterVLE

2. Install dependencies:

# Backend
cd backend
npm install

# Frontend
cd ../frontend
npm install

3. Build the application:

# Backend
cd backend
npm run build

# Frontend
cd ../frontend
npm run build

4. Start the server:

# From the root directory
npm start

5. Access at http://localhost:3000 and complete the setup wizard

Deployment to Digital Ocean App Platform

Prerequisites

• Digital Ocean account
• GitHub account with repository access

Deployment Steps

1. Log in to your Digital Ocean account and navigate to the App Platform

2. Click "Create App" and select "GitHub" as your source

3. Authorize Digital Ocean to access your GitHub account and select the schoolmasterVLE repository

4. Configure your app:

   • Name: schoolmaster-vle (or your preferred name)
   • Branch: main
   • Source Directory: /

5. Configure the build settings:

   • Build Command:

   cd backend && npm install && npm run build && cd ../frontend && npm install && npm run build

   • Run Command:

   cd backend && npm start

6. Set environment variables in the App Platform dashboard:

   NODE_ENV=production
   PORT=3000
   JWT_SECRET=your-secure-random-secret-key-here
   JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d
   DATABASE_PATH=./data/app.db
   UPLOADS_DIR=./data/uploads
   

7. Configure the HTTP port to 3000

8. Add a persistent volume for data storage:

   • Mount path: /workspace/backend/data
   • Size: 5GB (or as needed)

9. Review and create the app

10. Once deployed, access your app URL and complete the initial setup wizard

Important Notes

• The SQLite database and uploaded files are stored in the persistent volume
• Make sure to set a strong JWT_SECRET value
• The first user created through the setup wizard will be the admin
• Regular backups can be performed through the admin panel (Import/Export section)

Updating the App

To update your deployed app:

1. Push changes to your GitHub repository
2. Digital Ocean will automatically detect changes and redeploy
3. Or manually trigger a deployment from the Digital Ocean dashboard

User Roles

Admin:

• Full system access
• User and course management
• System configuration
• Import/export and backups

Teacher:

• Create and edit lessons and assessments
• Manage assignments
• Grade student work
• Access assigned classes

Student:

• View assigned content
• Submit assignments
• Track progress

Configuration

For local development, create a .env file in the backend directory:

PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development
DATABASE_PATH=./data/app.db
JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key-here
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d
UPLOADS_DIR=./data/uploads

Database

The system uses SQLite with tables for users, classes, lessons, assessments, courses, topics, assignments, attempts, and settings.

Development

Run the development servers:

# Backend (port 3000)
cd backend
npm run dev

# Frontend (port 5173)
cd frontend
npm run dev

Backup & Restore

Use the admin panel to backup and restore your data:

1. Log in as admin
2. Navigate to Admin > Import/Export
3. Use "Complete Backup (ZIP)" to download all data
4. Use "Import Complete Backup" to restore from a backup file

Troubleshooting

Database errors: Check that backend/data/app.db exists and has proper permissions

File upload issues: Verify backend/data/uploads directory exists and is writable

Authentication issues: Ensure JWT_SECRET is set in environment variables

Build errors: Clear node_modules and reinstall dependencies

License

MIT License

Repository

https://github.com/06benste/schoolmasterVLE