Live Weather and Map

Overview

Live Weather and Map is a dynamic web application developed using .NET 6.0 and ASP.NET MVC. The project seamlessly integrates the OpenWeather API and Open Map API to offer users a comprehensive experience by displaying real-time weather information alongside an interactive map. The application's architecture follows a three-tier design, consisting of the presentation layer, the application layer, and integration with external services.

Project URL

Visit the Weather App to explore the code and see the project in action.

Features

• Real-time Weather Information: The application fetches and displays live weather data using the OpenWeather API, keeping users up-to-date on current weather conditions.

• Interactive Map: Leveraging the Open Map API, the application provides an localized map.

• Next Few Days Forecast Analysis: The system retrieves the next few days' forecast and analyzes the data to provide users with insightful information:

  • Average Daily Temperature: The application calculates and presents the average temperature for each day in the forecast.

  • Peak Temperature: Users can easily identify the peak temperature for each day, providing a quick overview of temperature highs.

  • Lowest Temperature: The system also highlights the lowest temperature recorded each day, helping users prepare for cooler periods.

• Seamless Integration: By integrating functionalities of both the OpenWeatherMap and OpenStreetMap APIs, the application delivers an immersive experience, allowing users to select a location of interest, view its current weather conditions, and explore the surrounding areas through the intuitive map interface.

• Scalability and Performance: Designed with scalability and performance in mind, the application supports horizontal scaling through load balancing and auto-scaling mechanisms. Performance optimizations include minimizing API call latency and employing asynchronous processing and parallelization techniques.

Design Documentation

Design Document

System Architecture

The Live Weather and Map Application is built on a three-tier architecture:

1. Presentation Layer: Consists of user interface components responsible for rendering weather information and maps. It includes web pages, views, and client-side scripts designed to be intuitive and user-friendly.
2. Application Layer: Serves as the intermediary between the presentation layer and external services. It handles user requests, fetches data from APIs, and orchestrates information flow within the application.
3. Integration with External Services: The application interacts with the OpenWeatherMap and OpenStreetMap APIs using RESTful principles, exchanging JSON-formatted data over HTTP protocols to retrieve real-time weather updates, forecasts, and geographical information.

Components

• Model: Defines the structure and data manipulation logic for the application. The NextFiveDayForecastData model includes classes representing forecast data for the next five days, while the WeatherData model represents current weather data.

• View: Implemented using Razor Pages along with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it provides the user interface for interacting with weather data. Key files include:

  • Index.cshtml: Displays the home page, allowing users to input their location and view current weather information, the five-day weather forecast, and an interactive map.
  • IndexPage.js: Handles fetching and displaying current weather and forecast data, as well as user input validation and UI updates.

• Controller: Manages application logic, including routing, data retrieval, and view rendering. The HomeController.cs handles HTTP requests related to weather data, communicates with the OpenWeatherMap API, and returns JSON responses.

Deployment

The application is deployed on Azure, ensuring a reliable and scalable hosting environment.

Getting Started

1. Prerequisites

   • Install .NET Core

2. Installation

   • Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/DeanProgramming/WeatherApp.git
   • Navigate to the project directory: cd WeatherApp

3. API Setup

   • Find API key called "API_KEY" and import a free api key from Open Weather

4. Run the Application

   • Run the application using the following command: dotnet run

5. Access the Application

   • Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:5000 to access the Weather App.

Unit Testing

In addition to the main project, this repository includes a companion project containing unit tests for the .NET components. The test project comprises 10 different unit tests that validate the functionality, performance, and reliability of various aspects of the application.