Virtual Physics Lab - Backend API

Backend server for the Virtual Physics Lab application, providing authentication, user management, and progress tracking services.

Live API

• Production: https://vlab-backend.vercel.app
• Health Check: https://vlab-backend.vercel.app/api/health

Technology Stack

• Runtime: Node.js serverless functions
• Database: MongoDB Atlas
• Authentication: JWT tokens with bcrypt hashing
• Deployment: Vercel serverless functions
• CORS: Configured for cross-origin requests

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

cd backend
npm install

2. Set up environment variables: Copy .env.example to .env and update the values:

cp .env.example .env

3. Start MongoDB (make sure MongoDB is installed and running)

4. Install MongoDB Community Edition:

   • Windows: Download from https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community
   • macOS: brew install mongodb-community
   • Linux: Follow MongoDB official installation guide

5. Start the development server:

npm run dev

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - Register new user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login user
• GET /api/auth/verify - Verify token
• POST /api/auth/logout - Logout user

Users

• GET /api/users/profile - Get user profile
• PUT /api/users/profile - Update user profile
• GET /api/users/stats - Get user statistics
• DELETE /api/users/account - Delete user account

Progress

• POST /api/progress - Save progress
• GET /api/progress - Get user progress
• GET /api/progress/stats - Get progress statistics
• DELETE /api/progress/:id - Delete progress entry

Simulations

• GET /api/simulations - Get all simulations
• GET /api/simulations/:id - Get simulation by ID
• POST /api/simulations/initialize - Initialize default simulations (admin)

Environment Variables

• NODE_ENV - Environment (development/production)
• PORT - Server port (default: 5000)
• MONGODB_URI - MongoDB connection string
• JWT_SECRET - JWT secret key
• FRONTEND_URL - Frontend URL for CORS

Database Schema

User

• name, email, password (hashed)
• role (student/teacher/admin)
• timestamps, last login

Progress

• userId, simulationId, simulationName
• timeSpent, score, parameters, results
• achievements, completedAt

Simulation

• simulationId, name, description
• category, difficulty, estimatedTime
• parameters, learning objectives
• materials, prerequisites

Development

# Start development server with auto-reload
npm run dev

# Run tests
npm test

# Start production server
npm start