Feature Request App

This is an implementation of the assignment for a request feature app The app is a single page application that uses KnockoutJS on front-end side, and Flask, SQLAlchemy for the RESTFul back-end. In addition to all project requirements, Google auth, CSRF protection, HTTP authentication were enabled as well.

Install

Required soft

1. install GIT.
2. install Python 2.7.14

Upload and run

After required soft are installed, enter into terminal the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/DudkinON/feature_request_app

cd feature_request_app

then, on Mac OS: use installer

on Windows: use installer

on Linux:

sudo apt-get install python-pip

how to install python on defferent OS: read

after python will installed, make sure that you have correct version:

python --version

you should see the following output:

Python 2.7.10

a version can be older but not 3+ or newer.

install virtual environment

In your console type:

python -m pip install --user virtualenv

to be sure that virlual environment was installed type:

pip show virtualenv

more information you can find in official documentation

then create virtual environment:

sudo python -m virtualenv env

on Mac OS or Linux type:

source env/bin/activate

on Windows OS type:

.\env\Scripts\activate

This command will run virtual environment.

install requirements

and finally install requirements for application

sudo pip install -r requirements.txt

Run application

Then run app with following command:

python run.py

After it will run, and you'll see text like this:

 * Running on http://0.0.0.0:5000/ (Press CTRL+C to quit)
 * Restarting with stat
 * Debugger is active!
 * Debugger PIN: 121-184-468

Go to open app

Configuration

This documentation is for the configuration of Google authorization, you can skip this if you don't plan to use Third-party OAuth.

Open file feature_request_app/app/secrets/client_secrets.json and edit values of: client_id, project_id, client_secret, or if you familiar with Google OAuth. Or just replace the file with yours Do not change file name.

In directory "templates" find file "head.html". In file "head.html" find following code:

<meta id="google-app-id"
    data-key-api="API_KEY"
    data-clientid="OAuth_client_ID"
    data-scope="openid email"
    data-redirecturi="postmessage"
    data-accesstype="offline"
    data-cookiepolicy="single_host_origin"
    data-approvalprompt="force">

and replace the values with your data. To learn more about each parameter, read official documentation.

Settings

Application for database settings and secret key uses the following file: feature_request_app/app/secrets/keys.py if you use PostgreSQL as database edit the file with your database settings. then, in file: feature_request_app/app/settings.py, change POSTGRES = False to POSTGRES = True otherwise, the SQLite will be used as a database.

Other settings

In file: feature_request_app/app/settings.py are several variables:

app_host - IP address where you want to user app

app_port - port where will run app

app_debug - if true will run Flask debug

BASE_DIR - root directory of app

SECRETS_DIR - define secrets folder for the app

POSTGRES - if True app will use PostgreSQL as database

CONNECT_SETTINGS - configuration string for PostgreSQL

DB_FILE_NAME - file name of SQLite database

SAME_THREAD - if true will checks same thread for SQLite db

HOST - define host for unittests

CREDENTIALS - define user credentials for unittests

Used technologies

• Server Side Scripting: Python 2.7.10
• Server Framework: Flask 1.0.2
• ORM: Sql-Alchemy 1.2.7
• JavaScript: KnockoutJS 3.4.2
• Database: PostgreSQL 9.5

Testing

App passes test on both databases PostgreSQL and SQLite

Running tests

To run the tests you have to run the application. To do this read the "Installation guide" above.

Open a terminal window in root application directory and run your virtual environment

on Mac OS or Linux type:

source env/bin/activate

on Windows OS type:

.\env\Scripts\activate

then type into the terminal the following commands:

python app_tests.py

NOTE: When you run the tests, your application has to be running

Additional information

1. This application uses open source frameworks and libraries.

2. Decoupled backend and frontend, Single Page Application frontend communicates with RESTFul backend by AJAX queries.

3. Tests imitate user behavior for each link. Additionally, each function is tested.

4. Frontend side is implemented with Responsive Interface. The app looks good on desktop and mobile devices.

5. Frontend side uses Knockout JS MVVM framework for implementing Single Page Application.

Backend server

The app deployed on AWS

IP address: 35.169.195.44

URL: Feature Request App

Installed apps

• Ubuntu - OS (version 16.04)
• Apache - HTTP server (version2.4)
• Python - Programming Language (version 2.7.12)
• PostgreSQL - Database (version 9.5)
• Python Framework and libraries list

Configuration

• Configured SSH access changed port to 2222
• Configured AWS firewall and Ubuntu firewall
• Configured HTTP server Apache
• Disabled .htaccess support in Apache
• Turned on HTTP 2.0
• Configured HTTPS protocol
• Configured Flask application as a WSGI app
• Configured database server PostgreSQL

License

This application sharing under MIT license, all used frameworks and libraries have thyself license type.