SeekIT

A comprehensive freelance marketplace platform that connects clients with freelancers. Built with Python and MySQL, SeekIT provides a complete CLI-based solution for managing freelance projects, job postings, applications, and workspaces.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Project Structure
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Configuration
• Database Setup
• Usage
• User Roles
• Development
• Contributing

Features

For Freelancers

• Profile Management: Create and manage professional profiles with skills
• Job Search: Browse and search available job opportunities
• Application Manager: Track and manage job applications
• Portfolio: Showcase completed projects and client reviews
• Workspace: Submit deliverables and manage active projects

For Clients

• Job Posting: Create and manage job listings
• Freelancer Browser: Search and filter freelancers by skills and ratings
• Application Review: Review and manage applicant submissions
• Workspace: Monitor project progress and review deliverables

Core Features

• Authentication: Secure registration and login with bcrypt password hashing
• User Management: Role-based access control (Client/Freelancer)
• Project Workspace: Collaborative environment for managing active projects
• Portfolio System: Track completed projects with reviews and ratings
• Application Tracking: Complete job application lifecycle management

Project Structure

SeekIT/
├── config/                 # Configuration files
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── settings.py        # Database configuration
├── database/              # Database setup and management
│   ├── db_manager.py      # Database connection manager
│   ├── init_db.py         # Database initialization script
│   ├── schema.sql         # Database schema
│   └── seed_data.py       # Sample data seeding
├── features/              # Application features
│   ├── auth.py           # Authentication flows
│   ├── job_search.py     # Job search functionality
│   ├── job_posting.py    # Job posting management
│   ├── application_manager.py  # Application tracking
│   ├── freelancer_browser.py   # Freelancer search
│   ├── profile.py        # Profile management
│   ├── portfolio.py      # Portfolio management
│   └── workspace.py      # Project workspace
├── models/               # Data models
│   ├── user.py          # User model
│   ├── job.py           # Job model
│   ├── application.py   # Application model
│   ├── project.py       # Project model
│   └── portfolio.py     # Portfolio model
├── tests/               # Test files
│   ├── demo.py
│   ├── test_display.py
│   └── test_integration.py
├── utils/               # Utility modules
│   ├── display.py       # CLI display utilities
│   ├── helpers.py       # Helper functions
│   └── security.py      # Security utilities
├── main.py             # Application entry point
├── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies
└── .env               # Environment variables (create this)

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• MySQL 5.7 or higher
• pip (Python package manager)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd SeekIT

2. Create a virtual environment

   python -m venv venv

3. Activate the virtual environment

   • On macOS/Linux:

     source venv/bin/activate

   • On Windows:

     venv\Scripts\activate

4. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Configuration

1. Create a .env file in the project root directory:

   DB_HOST=localhost
   DB_PORT=3306
   DB_USER=root
   DB_PASS=your_password
   DB_NAME=SeekIT

2. Update the configuration based on your MySQL setup

Database Setup

1. Ensure MySQL is running on your system

2. Initialize the database

   python database/init_db.py

   This will create the database and all necessary tables.

3. (Optional) Seed with sample data

   python database/seed_data.py

   This populates the database with sample users, jobs, and projects for testing.

Usage

Starting the Application

python main.py

Main Menu Options

When you run the application, you'll see the following options:

1. Register new account     - Create a new user account
2. Log in to existing account - Access your account
3. List registered users    - View all users (requires login)
4. Log out                  - Sign out of current account
5. Search open jobs         - Browse available job listings
6. Application manager      - Manage job applications
7. Job posting tools        - Post and manage jobs (clients only)
8. View Profile            - View and edit your profile
9. View Portfolio          - View portfolio (freelancers only)
10. Workspace Manager       - Manage active projects
11. Browse freelancers      - Search for freelancers (clients only)
0. Exit                    - Quit the application

Quick Start Guide

1. Register an account

   • Choose option 1 from the main menu
   • Select user type (client or freelancer)
   • Provide your details

2. For Freelancers

   • Search for jobs (option 5)
   • Apply to jobs via Application Manager (option 6)
   • Build your portfolio (option 9)
   • Manage projects in Workspace (option 10)

3. For Clients

   • Post jobs (option 7)
   • Browse freelancers (option 11)
   • Review applications (option 6)
   • Monitor projects (option 10)

User Roles

Freelancer

• Can search and apply for jobs
• Maintain a portfolio of completed work
• Submit deliverables for active projects
• Manage professional profile with skills

Client

• Can post job opportunities
• Browse and filter freelancers
• Review job applications
• Monitor project progress and review deliverables

Development

Running Tests

# Run integration tests
python tests/test_integration.py

# Run display tests
python tests/test_display.py

# Run demo
python tests/demo.py

Key Dependencies

• mysql-connector-python: MySQL database connectivity
• python-dotenv: Environment variable management
• bcrypt: Password hashing and security

Database Schema

The application uses the following main tables:

• users - User accounts and authentication
• skills - Freelancer skills and expertise
• jobs - Job postings and descriptions
• applications - Job application submissions
• projects - Active client-freelancer projects
• portfolio_items - Freelancer portfolio entries
• reviews - Client reviews and ratings

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is part of an ALU academic project.

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please open an issue in the repository.