University Event Management System

This project is a full-stack web application for managing university events, RSOs (Registered Student Organizations), and user interactions.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (which includes npm)
• Docker
• Docker Compose (usually included with Docker Desktop)

Setup Instructions

Follow these steps to get the application running locally:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone <your-repository-url>
   cd <repository-directory>

2. Start the Database:

   • The application uses a MariaDB database managed by Docker.
   • Navigate to the project root directory.
   • Run the provided script to start the database container in detached mode:

     ./startDb.sh

   • Alternatively, you can use Docker Compose directly:

     docker-compose up -d

   • On the first run, Docker Compose will use the backend/init.sql script to set up the database schema and create the necessary tables.
   • Database Connection Details:
     • Host: localhost
     • Port: 3306
     • Username: dbuser
     • Password: dbpassword
     • Database Name: event_system

3. Configure Backend:

   • Navigate to the backend directory:

     cd backend

   • Create a .env file by copying the example:

     cp .env.example .env

   • Important: Open the .env file and fill in the required environment variables. See the Environment Variables section below for details. You'll need to set the database credentials (which match the defaults in docker-compose.yml unless you changed them) and generate secrets for SESSION_SECRET and JWT_SECRET.
   • Install backend dependencies:

     npm install

4. Configure Frontend:

   • Navigate to the frontend directory from the project root:

     cd ../frontend
     # Or just `cd frontend` if you are already in the root

   • Install frontend dependencies:

     npm install

Running the Application

You need to run both the backend and frontend servers concurrently.

1. Run the Backend Server:

   • Open a terminal in the backend directory.
   • Start the server (with automatic restarts on file changes using nodemon):

     npm run dev

   • Or, for production mode (though dev is usually preferred for local development):

     npm start

   • The backend server will typically run on the port specified in your backend/.env file (default might be 3000 or 5000, check server.js or .env).

2. Run the Frontend Development Server:

   • Open another terminal in the frontend directory.
   • Start the Vite development server:

     npm run dev

   • Vite will typically output the URL where the frontend is being served (usually http://localhost:5173).

3. Access the Application:

   • Open your web browser and navigate to the URL provided by the frontend Vite server (e.g., http://localhost:5173).

Environment Variables (backend/.env)

The backend requires the following environment variables. Create a .env file in the backend directory and set these values:

# Database Configuration
DB_HOST=localhost         # Or the IP/hostname if your DB is elsewhere
DB_USER=dbuser            # Matches docker-compose.yml
DB_PASSWORD=dbpassword    # Matches docker-compose.yml
DB_NAME=event_system      # Matches docker-compose.yml
DB_PORT=3306              # Matches docker-compose.yml

# Application Secrets (Generate strong random strings for these)
SESSION_SECRET=your_strong_session_secret_here
JWT_SECRET=your_strong_jwt_secret_here

# Server Port
PORT=5000                 # Or any other port for the backend API

Replace your_strong_session_secret_here and your_strong_jwt_secret_here with actual secure, random strings.

Available Scripts

Root Directory

• startDb.sh: Starts the MariaDB Docker container using docker-compose up -d.
• migration.sh: Warning: Destructive! Stops the database container, removes the data volume (deleting all data), restarts the container, and re-initializes the database using backend/init.sql. Use this to reset the database to a clean state.

Backend (backend/)

• npm install: Installs backend dependencies.
• npm start: Starts the backend server using node server.js.
• npm run dev: Starts the backend server using nodemon server.js for development (auto-restarts on changes).
• npm test: (Currently prints an error message - needs test implementation).

Frontend (frontend/)

• npm install: Installs frontend dependencies.
• npm run dev: Starts the frontend development server using Vite.
• npm run build: Builds the frontend application for production.
• npm run lint: Lints the frontend code using ESLint.
• npm run preview: Serves the production build locally for previewing.