AIDF Back-End

A TypeScript-based REST API backend for an AI-powered job application and recruitment platform. This system manages job postings, job applications, and integrates with OpenAI for intelligent features and Clerk for authentication.

🚀 Features

• Job Management: Create, read, update, and delete job postings
• Job Applications: Submit and manage job applications
• AI Integration: OpenAI integration for intelligent features
• Authentication: Clerk-based authentication and authorization
• Authorization Middleware: Role-based access control
• MongoDB Database: NoSQL database with Mongoose ODM
• TypeScript: Fully typed for better development experience
• Error Handling: Global error handling middleware

📋 Prerequisites

Before running this project, ensure you have:

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB instance (local or MongoDB Atlas)
• Clerk account and API keys
• OpenAI API key

🛠️ Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/savanisgithub/AIDF-back-end.git
   cd AIDF-back-end

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables

   Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

   CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb://localhost:27017/your-database-name
   # Or for MongoDB Atlas:
   # CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@cluster.mongodb.net/<dbname>?retryWrites=true&w=majority
   
   CLERK_SECRET_KEY=your_clerk_secret_key
   CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=your_clerk_publishable_key
   OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key
   PORT=8000

   Important Notes:

   • Replace <username>, <password>, and <dbname> with your actual MongoDB credentials
   • URL-encode special characters in your password
   • Get Clerk keys from your Clerk Dashboard
   • Get OpenAI API key from OpenAI Platform

🚦 Running the Application

Development Mode (with hot reload)

npm run dev

Production Mode

npm start

The server will start on http://localhost:8000 (or the PORT specified in your .env file).

📡 API Endpoints

Jobs

Method	Endpoint	Description	Authentication	Authorization
GET	/jobs	Get all jobs	No	No
POST	/jobs	Create a new job	Yes	Admin only
GET	/jobs/:id	Get job by ID	Yes	No
PUT	/jobs/:id	Update a job	No	No
DELETE	/jobs/:id	Delete a job	No	No

Job Applications

Method	Endpoint	Description	Authentication	Authorization
POST	/jobApplications	Submit a job application	Yes	No
GET	/jobApplications	Get all job applications	Yes	Admin only
GET	/jobApplications/:id	Get job application by ID	Yes	Admin only

🏗️ Project Structure

AIDF-back-end/
├── src/
│   ├── api/                    # API routes and middleware
│   │   ├── middleware/
│   │   │   ├── authorization-middleware.ts
│   │   │   └── global-error-handler.ts
│   │   ├── jobApplications.ts
│   │   └── jobs.ts
│   ├── application/            # Business logic layer
│   │   ├── jobApplicatons.ts
│   │   ├── jobs.ts
│   │   └── rating.ts
│   ├── domain/                 # Domain models and errors
│   │   └── errors/
│   │       ├── forbidden-error.ts
│   │       ├── not-found-error.ts
│   │       ├── unauthorized-errors.ts
│   │       └── validation-error.ts
│   ├── infrastructure/         # Database and schemas
│   │   ├── schemas/
│   │   │   ├── job.ts
│   │   │   └── jobApplication.ts
│   │   ├── db.ts
│   │   └── jobs.ts
│   └── index.ts               # Application entry point
├── .env                       # Environment variables
├── nodemon.json              # Nodemon configuration
├── package.json              # Dependencies and scripts
├── tsconfig.json             # TypeScript configuration
└── README.md                 # This file

🔧 Technologies Used

• Runtime: Node.js
• Language: TypeScript
• Framework: Express.js
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
• Authentication: Clerk
• AI: OpenAI API
• Validation: Zod
• CORS: cors middleware
• Development: nodemon, ts-node

🔐 Authentication & Authorization

This API uses Clerk for authentication:

1. Authentication: Protected routes require a valid Clerk session token in the request headers
2. Authorization: Admin-only routes check user roles using the AuthorizationMiddleware

To access protected endpoints, include the Clerk session token in your request headers:

Authorization: Bearer <your-clerk-token>

📝 Job Schema

Jobs include the following default questions for applicants:

1. Share your academic background and highlight key programming concepts you've mastered. How has your education shaped your current tech skill set?
2. Describe your professional development, emphasizing any certifications obtained. How have these certifications enriched your technical abilities, and can you provide an example of their practical application?
3. Discuss notable projects in your programming experience. What challenges did you face, and how did you apply your skills to overcome them? Highlight the technologies used and the impact of these projects on your overall growth as a professional.

🐛 Troubleshooting

MongoDB Connection Issues

If you encounter ENOTFOUND errors:

1. Check your connection string in .env
2. For MongoDB Atlas: Ensure your IP is whitelisted in Atlas Network Access
3. Test DNS resolution (Windows PowerShell):

   nslookup -type=SRV _mongodb._tcp.your-cluster.mongodb.net

4. Flush DNS cache:

   ipconfig /flushdns

5. URL-encode special characters in your password

Port Already in Use

If port 8000 is already in use, change the PORT in your .env file.

👤 Author

savanisgithub

• GitHub: @savanisgithub

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