📱 Subscription Management Website

A beginner-friendly web application to track and manage your subscriptions (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Gym memberships, etc.). Built with Flask (Python) and includes a Django alternative version.

✨ Features

• ✅ User registration and login
• ✅ Add, edit, and delete subscriptions
• ✅ Dashboard showing all subscriptions
• ✅ Monthly and yearly spending calculations
• ✅ Automatic email notifications for upcoming renewals
• ✅ Analytics page with charts
• ✅ Mobile-friendly responsive design
• ✅ Secure password hashing
• ✅ SQLite database (development) or MySQL (production)

🚀 Quick Start Guide (For Beginners)

Step 1: Install Python

1. Download Python from python.org
2. Install Python (check "Add Python to PATH" during installation)
3. Verify installation:

   python --version

   Should show: Python 3.x.x

Step 2: Create Virtual Environment

A virtual environment keeps your project dependencies separate:

# Navigate to project folder
cd FYPNew

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv

# Activate virtual environment
# On Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate
# On Mac/Linux:
source venv/bin/activate

You should see (venv) in your terminal prompt.

Step 3: Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

This installs all required packages (Flask, SQLAlchemy, etc.).

Step 4: Set Up Environment Variables

1. Copy .env.example to .env:

   # On Windows:
   copy .env.example .env
   # On Mac/Linux:
   cp .env.example .env

2. Edit .env file and add your settings:

   SECRET_KEY=your-random-secret-key-here
   DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///subscriptions.db
   MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
   MAIL_PASSWORD=your-gmail-app-password

   Note: For Gmail, you need an "App Password":

   • Go to Google Account → Security → 2-Step Verification → App Passwords
   • Generate a password for "Mail"

Step 5: Run the Application

python run.py

You should see:

==================================================
Subscription Management Website
==================================================
Server starting on http://127.0.0.1:5000
Press CTRL+C to stop the server
==================================================

Step 6: Open in Browser

Open your web browser and go to:

http://127.0.0.1:5000

Step 7: Create Your Account

1. Click "Register"
2. Fill in username, email, and password
3. Click "Register"
4. You'll be redirected to login

Step 8: Add Sample Subscriptions

After logging in:

1. Click "Add Subscription"
2. Add these examples:
   • Netflix: $10/month, Next renewal: (30 days from today)
   • Amazon Prime: $6/month, Next renewal: (30 days from today)
   • Gym: $15/month, Next renewal: (30 days from today)

📁 Project Structure

project/
├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py          # Flask app factory
│   ├── routes.py             # URL routes and page handlers
│   ├── models.py             # Database models (User, Subscription)
│   ├── forms.py              # Form definitions
│   ├── utils.py              # Helper functions (notifications, calculations)
│   ├── templates/            # HTML templates
│   │   ├── layout.html
│   │   ├── register.html
│   │   ├── login.html
│   │   ├── dashboard.html
│   │   ├── subscription_form.html
│   │   └── analytics.html
│   └── static/
│       ├── css/style.css     # Stylesheet
│       └── js/charts.js      # Chart utilities
├── config.py                 # Configuration settings
├── run.py                    # Application entry point
├── requirements.txt          # Python dependencies
├── Procfile                  # For deployment (Heroku/Render)
├── .env.example              # Environment variables template
├── tests/
│   └── test_basic.py         # Basic tests
└── README.md                 # This file

🔧 Configuration

Database

Development (SQLite):

• No setup needed! SQLite is included with Python.
• Database file: subscriptions.db (created automatically)

Production (MySQL):

1. Install MySQL server
2. Create database:

   CREATE DATABASE subscriptions_db;

3. Update .env:

   DATABASE_URL=mysql+pymysql://username:password@localhost/subscriptions_db

4. Install MySQL driver:

   pip install PyMySQL cryptography

Email Notifications

Email notifications are sent 3 days before subscription renewal.

Setup Gmail:

1. Enable 2-Step Verification in Google Account
2. Generate App Password: Security → App Passwords → Mail
3. Add to .env:

   MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
   MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password

📊 Features Explained

Dashboard

• Shows all your subscriptions in a table
• Displays monthly and yearly totals
• Highlights upcoming renewals (next 7 days)
• Quick actions: Edit or Delete subscriptions

Analytics

• Visual charts showing spending by category
• Monthly vs Yearly spending comparison
• Total subscription count

Notifications

• Automatic email reminders 3 days before renewal
• Runs daily at 9 AM (configurable in run.py)

🚢 Deployment Guide

Deploy to Render (Recommended - Easy!)

1. Create Render Account:

   • Go to render.com
   • Sign up for free

2. Create New Web Service:

   • Click "New" → "Web Service"
   • Connect your GitHub repository
   • Or upload files manually

3. Configure Settings:

   • Build Command: pip install -r requirements.txt
   • Start Command: gunicorn run:app
   • Python Version: 3.11

4. Set Environment Variables:

   • Go to Environment tab
   • Add all variables from .env:
     • SECRET_KEY (generate random string)
     • DATABASE_URL (use Render's PostgreSQL or MySQL)
     • MAIL_USERNAME
     • MAIL_PASSWORD

5. Deploy:

   • Click "Create Web Service"
   • Wait for deployment (2-3 minutes)
   • Your site is live!

Deploy to Heroku (Alternative)

1. Install Heroku CLI:

   • Download from heroku.com

2. Login:

   heroku login

3. Create App:

   heroku create your-app-name

4. Set Environment Variables:

   heroku config:set SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key
   heroku config:set DATABASE_URL=your-database-url
   heroku config:set MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
   heroku config:set MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password

5. Deploy:

   git push heroku main

6. Open:

   heroku open

🔒 Security Basics (Simple Explanation)

Password Hashing

• What: Passwords are never stored as plain text
• How: Uses Werkzeug's generate_password_hash() function
• Why: If database is hacked, passwords can't be read

CSRF Protection

• What: Prevents fake form submissions
• How: Flask-WTF automatically adds hidden tokens to forms
• Why: Stops attackers from submitting forms on your behalf

Environment Variables (.env)

• What: Stores sensitive data (passwords, keys) outside code
• How: Loaded from .env file (never commit to git!)
• Why: Keeps secrets safe and allows different settings per environment

SQL Injection Prevention

• What: Prevents malicious database queries
• How: SQLAlchemy ORM automatically escapes inputs
• Why: Protects your database from attacks

✅ One-Page Checklist

• Install Python 3.8+
• Create virtual environment (python -m venv venv)
• Activate virtual environment
• Install dependencies (pip install -r requirements.txt)
• Copy .env.example to .env and fill in values
• Run application (python run.py)
• Open browser to http://127.0.0.1:5000
• Register a new account
• Login with your account
• Add your first subscription
• View dashboard with subscription
• Check analytics page
• Test edit and delete functions
• Verify email notifications (if configured)

🎤 Viva / Demo Script (4-5 Lines)

Demo Flow:

1. Login - Show secure authentication system
2. Add Subscription - Demonstrate adding Netflix subscription with form validation
3. Dashboard Updates - Show how totals automatically calculate (monthly/yearly)
4. Chart Updates - Display analytics page with visual spending breakdown
5. Notification System - Explain automatic email reminders for upcoming renewals

🧪 Running Tests

# Install pytest
pip install pytest

# Run tests
python -m pytest tests/

🆚 Flask vs Django Version

Flask Version (Main - Recommended for Beginners)

• ✅ Simpler - Easier to understand
• ✅ Flexible - More control over structure
• ✅ Faster to learn - Less concepts
• ✅ Better for small projects - Lightweight

Django Version (Alternative)

• ✅ More structured - Follows conventions
• ✅ Built-in admin - Automatic admin panel
• ✅ More features - Includes ORM, auth, etc.
• ⚠️ Steeper learning curve - More to learn

Recommendation: Start with Flask version if you're a beginner!

📝 Sample Data

After creating your account, add these subscriptions:

Name	Price	Billing Cycle	Category
Netflix	$10	Monthly	Streaming
Amazon Prime	$6	Monthly	Shopping
Gym Membership	$15	Monthly	Fitness

🐛 Troubleshooting

"ModuleNotFoundError"

• Solution: Make sure virtual environment is activated and dependencies are installed

"Port 5000 already in use"

• Solution: Change port in run.py: app.run(port=5001)

"Email not sending"

• Solution: Check Gmail App Password is correct, enable "Less secure app access" (if needed)

"Database errors"

• Solution: Delete subscriptions.db and restart app (database will be recreated)

📚 Learning Resources

• Flask Documentation: flask.palletsprojects.com
• SQLAlchemy: docs.sqlalchemy.org
• WTForms: wtforms.readthedocs.io

📄 License

This project is open source and available for educational purposes.

👤 Author

Created for Final Year Project (FYP) - Beginner-friendly subscription management system.

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🎯 Quick Commands Reference

# Activate virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate  # Mac/Linux
venv\Scripts\activate      # Windows

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run application
python run.py

# Run tests
python -m pytest tests/

# Create database (automatic on first run)
# Database file: subscriptions.db

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Happy Coding! 🚀

If you have questions or issues, check the troubleshooting section or review the code comments - everything is explained in beginner-friendly terms!

SubscriptionManagmentWeb