About CLEARPATH

ClearPath is a web Project Management tool to help Project Management Professional manage projects and teams of any demand and size respectively.

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Usage
• Read Me
• Installation-MacOs
• Installation-Windows
• Continue
• Commands used-OS X or Linux
• Commands used-Windows
• Libraries
• Best Practices
• Git commit message types
• Streamlining Workflow with Git Flow Branch Naming Conventions
• Contribution
• Additional Information (Optional)

Installation

Here are the steps to install and run the project:

1. Clone the repository ...
2. Checkout to "feature" branch
3. Install dependencies ...
4. Run the project ...

Usage

Here's how to use the project functionalities:

• ... (instructions with code snippets or screenshots)

Read Me

• Read this instructions carefully:

Installation-MacOS

Always refer to the Django Installation

1. Clone this repo and navigate to gospives folder
2. Set Up Virtual Environment: python3 -m venv venv
3. Activate Virtual Environment: source venv/bin/activate

Installation-Windows

1. Clone this repo and navigate to Backend folder
2. Set Up Virtual Environment: python -m venv venv
3. Activate Virtual Environment: source venv\Scripts\activate.bat

Continue

1. Install all dependecies: pip install -r requirements.txt
2. Create .env file in the root folder.
3. Perform Initial Database Migrations: python3 manage.py migrate
4. (Optional) Create Superuser: python3 manage.py createsuperuser
5. Run Development Server: python3 manage.py runserver

Commands used-OS X or Linux

• python3 -m venv venv
• source venv/bin/activate
• python -m pip install --upgrade pip
• django-admin startproject clearpath_home .
• python3 manage.py migrate
• python3 manage.py runserver
• python3 manage.py createsuperuser
• python3 manage.py startapp [AppName]
• Add these dependencies to your requirements.txt file:pip freeze > requirements.txt
• Protect SECRET_KEYS - pip install python-dotenv

Commands used-Windows

• python -m venv venv
• source venv\Scripts\activate.bat
• django-admin startproject clearpath_home .
• python manage.py migrate
• python manage.py runserver
• python manage.py createsuperuser
• python manage.py startapp [AppName]
• Add these dependencies to your requirements.txt file:pip freeze > requirements.txt
• Protect SECRET_KEYS - pip install python-dotenv

Libraries

1. Django REST framework
2. django-cors-headers
3. django-rest-auth
4. django-allauth
5. django-nextjs

Best Practices

1. Keep Django Updated: Always stay on the latest version of Django. Regularly update your project to benefit from security fixes and improvements. Major releases occur approximately every 9 months, with minor releases addressing security and bugs almost monthly (https://learndjango.com/tutorials/django-best-practices-security)

2. Environment Variables:

   • Use environment variables to manage settings between local development and production environments. These variables allow you to switch configurations seamlessly.
   • Consider using packages like environs to handle environment variables effectively.

3. DEBUG Mode: In your settings.py, ensure that the DEBUG setting is set to False in production. Debug mode provides detailed error pages, which can be a security risk if exposed publicly. Read more on: (https://learndjango.com/tutorials/django-best-practices-security)

4. SECRET_KEY:

   • Keep the SECRET_KEY confidential. It’s used for cryptographic signing and should never be shared or exposed.
   • Generate a strong, random SECRET_KEY during project setup.
   • To Generate a New SECRET_KEY in Django, follow the instructions provided on this website: (https://www.makeuseof.com/django-secret-key-generate-new/)

5. Authorization and Authentication:

   • Implement robust authorization and authentication mechanisms using Gmail, iCloud and other Social Media platforms.
   • Avoid custom authentication solutions unless necessary.

6. Secure Configurations:

   • Properly configure the application settings. Guard against common vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
   • Use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit.

7. Rate Limiting and Brute-Force Protection:

   • Implement rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks.
   • Consider using packages like django_ratelimit or django-axes.

8. Third-Party Dependencies:

   • Regularly review and update third-party packages. Vulnerabilities in dependencies can impact the application’s security.
   • Use tools like pip-tools to manage dependencies efficiently.

9. Security Audits:

   • Perform automated security audits regularly. Tools like Lynis can help identify potential issues.
   • Monitor logs and track suspicious activity.

10. Database Security:

    • Secure your database connections. Use strong passwords and restrict access.
    • Avoid using default database credentials.

Git commit message types

1. feat: Introducing new features or significant improvements.
2. fix: Bug fixes that resolve issues in your code.
3. docs: Updates or additions to documentation.
4. style: Cosmetic changes that don't affect code functionality (like formatting).
5. refactor: Code changes that neither fix a bug nor add a feature but improve structure.
6. test: Everything about testing - adding or fixing tests.
7. chore: Routine tasks or updates to the build process.
8. perf: Enhancements that improve performance.
9. ci: Modifications related to CI/CD processes.
10. build: Changes affecting the build system or external dependencies.
11. revert: Undoing previous changes.

Streamlining Workflow with Git Flow Branch Naming Conventions

Git Flow is a branching strategy that helps manage and structure various phases of a project.

1. master: The source of truth for production-ready states.
2. develop: The integration branch for development work.
3. feature/: For developing new features, e.g., feature/add-login.
4. release/: Preparing a new production release, e.g., release/1.2.0.
5. hotfix/: Quick fixes for the production version, e.g., hotfix/critical-login-bug.
6. support/: Long-term support for older versions, e.g., support/1.x.
7. bugfix/: For specific bug fixes (optional), e.g., bugfix/login-error.

Contribution

Please refer to the CONTRIBUTING.md for guidance.

Additional Information

• website: https://clearpath.com
• E-mail: contributions@clearpath.com