Parkaroo

A community-based iOS app that helps urban drivers quickly find on-street parking.

Overview

Parkaroo is a parking marketplace that connects drivers who are leaving parking spots with those who need them. The app uses GPS technology and real-time notifications to facilitate seamless parking spot transactions between users.

Features

Core Functionality

• Get Spot: Browse available parking spots on an interactive map and reserve them using credits
• Give Spot: Mark your current parking spot as available when you're about to leave
• Real-time GPS Tracking: Precise location services using MapKit and Core Location
• Credit System: In-app currency for reserving parking spots
• Instant Messaging: Built-in chat system for communication between buyers and sellers
• Push Notifications: Real-time alerts for new available spots and transaction updates

User Experience

• Onboarding Flow: Guided first-time user experience
• User Authentication: Secure Firebase Authentication with email/password
• Profile Management: User accounts with ratings and transaction history
• Rating System: Mutual rating system for buyers and sellers
• Street Information: Detailed parking spot descriptions and instructions

Technical Features

• Offline Support: Graceful handling of network connectivity issues
• Location Services: Background location tracking and geofencing
• Payment Integration: Stripe payment processing for credit purchases
• Analytics: Comprehensive user behavior tracking and crash reporting
• Force Updates: Automatic app update enforcement for critical releases

Tech Stack

Frontend

• SwiftUI: Modern declarative UI framework
• MapKit: Apple's mapping and location services
• Core Location: GPS and location tracking
• UserNotifications: Push notification handling

Backend

• Firebase Firestore: NoSQL cloud database
• Firebase Authentication: User authentication and management
• Firebase Cloud Functions: Serverless backend logic
• Firebase Cloud Messaging: Push notification delivery
• Firebase Analytics: User behavior tracking
• Firebase Crashlytics: Error monitoring and crash reporting

Third-Party Services

• Stripe: Payment processing and credit system
• CocoaPods: Dependency management

Architecture

The app follows the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architecture pattern:

• Models: Data structures for users, parking spots, and transactions
• Views: SwiftUI views for all user interfaces
• ViewModels: Business logic and state management
• Services: Location, notification, and authentication services

Project Structure

Parkaroo/
├── Parkaroo/                 # Main iOS app
│   ├── Auth/                # Authentication components
│   ├── GetSpot/             # Parking spot reservation features
│   ├── GiveSpot/            # Parking spot sharing features
│   ├── Messaging/           # Chat and communication
│   ├── Models/              # Data models
│   ├── Services/            # Core services
│   ├── ViewModels/          # Business logic
│   └── Utilities/           # Helper functions and constants
├── functions/               # Firebase Cloud Functions
└── Pods/                    # CocoaPods dependencies

Requirements

• iOS 14.0+
• Xcode 12.0+
• Swift 5.0+
• CocoaPods

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/parkaroo.git
cd parkaroo

2. Install dependencies

pod install

3. Open the workspace

open Parkaroo.xcworkspace

4. Configure Firebase

   • Add your GoogleService-Info.plist to the project
   • Configure Firebase project settings

5. Configure Stripe

   • Update Stripe publishable key in ParkarooApp.swift

6. Build and run the project

Configuration

Firebase Setup

1. Create a Firebase project
2. Enable Authentication, Firestore, Cloud Functions, and Cloud Messaging
3. Download and add GoogleService-Info.plist to the project
4. Deploy Cloud Functions:

cd functions
npm install
firebase deploy --only functions

Stripe Setup

1. Create a Stripe account
2. Update the publishable key in ParkarooApp.swift
3. Configure webhook endpoints for payment processing

Usage

For Drivers Looking for Parking

1. Open the app and navigate to "Get Spot"
2. Browse available parking spots on the map
3. Select a spot and review details
4. Use credits to reserve the spot
5. Navigate to the location and park
6. Rate the seller after parking

For Drivers Leaving a Spot

1. Navigate to "Give Spot" when ready to leave
2. Set departure time and add street information
3. Confirm spot availability
4. Wait for a buyer to reserve your spot
5. Rate the buyer after the transaction

Contributing

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

License

This project is proprietary software owned by Parkaroo, LLC.

Support

For support and questions, please contact the development team or refer to the in-app FAQ section.