EzyURl Shortner

Introduction

Website: https://ezyurl.xyz

The project

In today's fast-paced digital world, every second counts. Long and cumbersome URLs can be a hindrance to efficient online communication. That's where EzyUrl comes in, revolutionizing the way you share and manage links.

EzyUrl is your ultimate solution to URL simplification. Our user-friendly web app transforms lengthy web addresses into concise, easy-to-share links. With just a few clicks, you can turn this:

    https://www.examplewebsite.com/blog/article/how-to-use-ezyurl-for-link-management

into this:

    https://ezyurl.xyz/dfgdskt

The Team

• Khaled Ibrahim Github--Twitter

  • Role: Debugging and Testing
  • Why: Khaled's debugging and testing skills are crucial for ensuring a smooth user experience and the reliability of the EzyURL Shortener.

• Isaac Ajibola Github--Twitter

  • Role: Backend Development, Debugging, and Testing
  • Why: Isaac’'s strong coding skills and expertise in backend development make him invaluable to our project. His role is crucial for ensuring the reliability and functionality of the EzyURL Shortener.

• Michael Chege Github--Twitter

  • Role: Documentation, Frontend Development, Debugging,
  • Why: Michael's creative approach to frontend development adds aesthetic value to our project. His skills in documentation ensure that our project is well-documented for users and developers alike, and his debugging skills contribute to a seamless user interface.

• Oluwaferanmi Ayodele Twitter--Instagram

  • Role: User interface/User experience(UI/UX) designer
  • why: Fernami's creative approach to elegant webdesign makes him invaluable to our project. His skills are webdesign with figma and xd

Technologies

• Python
• Javascript
• Html
• Css
• Mysql, MySql Alchemy
• Flask
• Jquery
• Gunicorn
• Rest API
• Nginx
• Chart.js

Technology Choices

• Database Management: We chose MySQL for its robustness and reliability over alternatives like PostgreSQL. While both are excellent choices, MySQL aligns better with our project's scalability needs.
• Frontend Framework: Initially, we considered React and Vue.js for the frontend. We decided on plain JavaScript for a lightweight and fast user experience, allowing us to cater to a wider audience without sacrificing performance.

Challenge

Problem Statement

EzyURL Shortener addresses the issue of cumbersome and lengthy URLs, making online communication more efficient by transforming them into concise, easy-to-share links.

What EzyURL Shortener Does Not Solve

• Offline Usage: EzyURL Shortener relies on an active internet connection and won't work in scenarios with limited or no internet access.
• Longevity: EzyURL is designed with a limited lifespan in mind. It may not be suitable for content that needs to remain accessible indefinitely.

Risks

technical risks

• Service Reliability: Our services can experience downtime. If a service goes offline, all the shortened links associated with it may become inaccessible.

  • What we're doing to solve this? We've decided to keep backups of all services that allows Ezy to keep running to make it better and more reliable.

• Loss of Context: Ezy links may not provide any context about the destination, making it challenging for users to decide whether to click on them.

  • What we're doing to solve this? We make sure to check if a link is secured before processing requests, we do this by checking the ssl certificate of your link, if it's not secured we'd let you know

non-technical risks

• User Experience: Most times shortened links aim to simplify URLs, they can sometimes lead to confusion or frustration if users cannot discern the destination easily
  • What are we doing to solve this? We allow customised links making it easy to remember (This service will be available soon)

Infrastructure

Version Control

We use the GitHub flow for branching and merging in our team's repository. This workflow ensures that changes are well-documented and reviewed before merging into the main branch.

Deployment Strategy

We deploy our project using a continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, which automates the deployment process, ensuring smooth and efficient releases.

Data Population

We populate our app with data using automated scripts and user-generated content. The data is stored securely in our MySQL database.

Testing

We employ a comprehensive testing strategy, including unit, integration, and end-to-end testing. Automated testing tools and manual testing ensure the reliability and functionality of our application

Existing Solutions

• TinyUrls

  • Similarities: Both TinyURL and EzyURL aim to simplify and shorten long URLs.
  • Differences: EzyURL offers branding and security features, which TinyURL does not.

• Reason for Reimplementation: EzyURL provides additional features that cater to a broader user base, making it a valuable alternative.

• Bitly

  • Similarities: Both Bitly and EzyURL offer URL shortening services.
  • Differences: EzyURL emphasizes simplicity, branding, and security, whereas Bitly focuses primarily on shortening URLs.
  • Reason for Reimplementation: EzyURL offers a unique set of features that differentiate it from Bitly, catering to users with diverse needs.