Spark Bytes

Find free food events at Boston University

Spark Bytes is a web application that helps Boston University students discover and attend free food events on campus. Users can browse upcoming events, RSVP, and receive alerts about their favorite events.

Features

User Authentication

• BU email-based authentication (requires @bu.edu email)
• Magic link login (no passwords required)
• User profiles with customizable information

Events

• Browse public events with food
• Create and manage your own events
• RSVP to events
• Filter events by date, location, and tags
• View event details including time, location, and remaining portions

Profiles

• Customizable user profiles
• Add your name, bio, major, and graduation year
• Set interests and social links

Alerts System

• Receive alerts when your favorite events are about to start (within 1 hour)
• Get notified when an event's available portions drop to 10 or fewer
• Real-time notification system

Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js with React
• TypeScript
• Ant Design for UI components

Backend

• Supabase for authentication and database
• PostgreSQL database
• Row Level Security (RLS) for data protection

Database Schema

The application uses the following main tables:

Profiles

Stores user profile information linked to Supabase Auth.

CREATE TABLE profiles (
  id UUID REFERENCES auth.users(id) PRIMARY KEY,
  name TEXT,
  email TEXT UNIQUE,
  bio TEXT DEFAULT '',
  avatar_url TEXT DEFAULT '',
  major TEXT DEFAULT '',
  graduation_year INT,
  interests TEXT[] DEFAULT '{}',
  social_links JSONB DEFAULT '{}',
  created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now()
);

Events

Stores event information including food details.

CREATE TABLE events (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
  title TEXT NOT NULL,
  description TEXT NOT NULL,
  date DATE NOT NULL,
  start_time TEXT NOT NULL,
  end_time TEXT NOT NULL,
  location TEXT NOT NULL,
  user_id UUID REFERENCES auth.users(id) NOT NULL,
  capacity INT DEFAULT 0,
  image_url TEXT DEFAULT '',
  is_public BOOLEAN DEFAULT true,
  is_archived BOOLEAN DEFAULT false,
  tags TEXT[] DEFAULT '{}',
  created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now()
);

Guests

Tracks RSVPs for events.

CREATE TABLE guests (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
  event_id UUID REFERENCES events(id) ON DELETE CASCADE NOT NULL,
  user_id UUID REFERENCES auth.users(id),
  name TEXT,
  email TEXT NOT NULL,
  status TEXT DEFAULT 'pending',
  rsvp_date TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now(),
  notes TEXT DEFAULT '',
  created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now()
);

Alerts

Stores notifications for users about events.

CREATE TABLE alerts (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
  user_id UUID REFERENCES auth.users(id) NOT NULL,
  event_id UUID REFERENCES events(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  type TEXT NOT NULL, -- 'upcoming_favorite', 'low_capacity', etc.
  message TEXT NOT NULL,
  is_read BOOLEAN DEFAULT false,
  created_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT now()
);

Key Components

Login System

The application uses Supabase's magic link authentication, which sends a login link to the user's BU email. No passwords are required, enhancing security and user experience.

Alerts System

The alerts system uses PostgreSQL triggers to automatically generate notifications when:

• A user's favorite event is about to start (within 1 hour)
• An event's available portions drops to 10 or fewer

Profile Management

Users can customize their profiles, including:

• Name (can be updated during login or from profile page)
• Bio and major
• Graduation year
• Interests and social links

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• Supabase account
• PostgreSQL knowledge (for database management)

Installation

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Configure environment variables:
   • NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL
   • NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY
4. Run the development server: npm run dev

Database Setup

1. Create a new Supabase project
2. Run the SQL scripts provided in schema.sql to set up the database tables
3. Configure Row Level Security policies
4. Set up authentication providers (Email)

Project Structure

spark-bytes/
├── public/
├── src/
│   ├── app/                      # Next.js app router
│   │   ├── auth/                 # Authentication pages
│   │   ├── profile/              # Profile pages
│   │   ├── favorites/            # Favorites pages
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── components/               # Reusable components
│   │   ├── NavBar.tsx            # Navigation bar with alerts
│   │   ├── AlertsMenu.jsx        # Alerts dropdown menu
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── utils/                    # Utility functions
│   │   ├── supabaseClient.ts     # Supabase configuration
│   │   ├── eventApi.tsx          # Event-related API functions
│   │   └── ...
│   └── ...
└── ...

Future Enhancements

• Mobile application
• Integration with BU calendar
• Social features for sharing and inviting friends
• Advanced filtering and search capabilities
• Event ratings and reviews

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgements

• Supabase for authentication and database
• Next.js for the React framework
• Ant Design for UI components