Release Notes – Version 2.1

Minor bug fix.

Introduced more achievements and rewards.

Release Notes – Version 2.0

✨ Added

• Personalized event discovery based on user interests and participation history
• Gamification system with points and achievement badges
• User profile enhancements to display earned badges and progress
• Smart notification system for: Event registrations, Upcoming events, Organiser updates
• Automated background jobs for scheduled reminders (e.g. 3-day event reminders)
• Improved organiser event management flow - added attendance sheet to mark participant as present
• Event filtering by category, date, and event type

🔄 Changed

• Refactored backend architecture for improved maintainability
• Improved event browsing UX and navigation flow
• Optimized database queries for faster event retrieval
• Updated role-based access control logic for clearer permission boundaries

🛠️ Fixed

• Notification unread count inconsistencies
• Edge cases in event registration logic
• API response handling for failed or invalid requests
• CORS-related configuration issues during deployment
• Minor UI alignment and loading state issues

⚙️ Technical

• Backend performance optimizations for higher concurrent users
• Improved error handling and validation across API routes
• Background services stabilized for long-running tasks (notifications, reminders)
• Environment configuration cleanup for local and production parity

🚧 Known Limitations

• No HTTPS termination at this stage (planned for future release)
• Mobile UI optimizations still in progress for smaller screen sizes

🔜 Planned

• Advanced organiser analytics dashboard
• Expanded badge challenges and seasonal achievements
• In-app feedback and event rating system
• Deeper personalization using behavioral data

Release Notes – Version 1.1

Overview

Version 1.1 introduces the first full version of the UpNext home experience, delivering personalized event recommendations, a structured "All Events" section, and a refined event browsing interface. This update enhances both backend logic and frontend presentation, ensuring users receive relevant, open events in a clean and organized layout.

Key Features

1. Personalized Event Recommendations

• Added /api/events/personalized backend route.
• Backend now filters events based on:
• User-selected eventTypes
• User-selected eventCategories
• Personalized events displayed in a horizontal EventCarousel on the Home page.
• Each event dynamically calculates days left until registration closes.

2. All Events Grid Component

• Introduced new AllEventsGrid component for browsing all open events.
• Uses a responsive flexbox layout for cleaner alignment.
• Cards remain consistent using fixed width + height.
• Grid width aligns with carousel for uniform visual layout.

3. Improved Event Card Design

• Updated EventCard with a new Tags hover-pill to declutter the UI.
• Full tag list appears in a tooltip on hover.
• Ensures cards stay compact and evenly sized.
• Image wrapper and content made consistent across all cards.

4. Automatic Closed Event Filtering

• Backend now excludes closed events from all feeds:
• /api/events
• /api/events/personalized
• Events with registration deadlines in the past are automatically hidden.
• Ensures users only see active, actionable events.

5. Logout Functionality

• Added new /api/logout route for consistency.
  Frontend logout now:
• Removes JWT token from localStorage
• Redirects instantly to /login
• Provides a clean and predictable sign-out experience.

Fixes & Improvements

Home page updated to include two structured sections:

• Personalized carousel
• All Events grid
• Unified container widths for improved visual alignment.
• Added placeholder handling for missing event images.
• Improved responsiveness across mobile/tablet/desktop layouts.
• Separated UI logic into new reusable components (EventCarousel, AllEventsGrid, Footer).
• Backend logic refactored for cleaner event filtering and scalability.

Known Issues (Targeted for v1.2)

• No frontend filters (e.g., category filters) for the All Events grid yet.
• No search bar for event filtering.
• Personalized and All Events sections currently load independently without skeleton loaders.
• Tooltip styling for tags may require polishing on certain devices.
• No admin view for managing closed/past events.

Summary

Version 1.1 significantly enhances the UpNext platform’s event discovery experience by introducing personalized recommendations, a well-organized event grid, and a refined event card interface. Backend logic now fully supports real-time relevance by filtering out closed events, while new components contribute to a cleaner, modular frontend architecture. Together, these updates bring UpNext closer to a polished, student-ready event platform.

Release Notes – Version 1.0

Overview

Version 1.0 delivers the core user onboarding flow, including account creation, login, and a guided personalization experience that saves user preferences and prepares for personalized event recommendations.

Key Features

1. Authentication System

• User registration and login using JWT authentication.
• Protected routes with automatic redirects for unauthenticated users.

2. Personalization Flow

• Multi-step SPA allowing users to:
• Select up to 2 event types
• Select up to 3 event categories
• Includes confirmation step and clean UI using reusable EventBox components.

3. Backend Preference Saving

• New API endpoints:
• GET /api/personalize – Fetch user data.
• POST /api/personalize – Save personalization preferences and set personalized: true.
• User model updated with eventTypes, eventCategories, and personalized.

4. Route Logic Improvements

• /personalize accessible only if the user has not completed onboarding.
• / now properly loads Home only for authenticated users.
• Invalid navigation automatically redirects to login or home when needed.

5. UI Enhancements

• Interactive selection boxes with hover + selected states.
• Reusable EventBox component for both event types and categories.

6. Fixes & Improvements

• Corrected improper class → className usage.
• Fixed missing navigate() calls.
• Updated routing to use react-router
• Improved API validation and error handling.

7. Known Issues (Targeted for v1.1)

• Home page is currently a placeholder.
• No session timeout or auto-logout functionality.
• Personalization progress is not visually shown (e.g., Step 1 → Step 2).
• No loading indicators for API calls.
• No toast / alert notifications for success or errors.

8. Summary

• Version 1.0 establishes the core foundation of UpNext:
• Secure login, protected routes
• Full personalization onboarding flow
• Preference storage and user state tracking
• Clean, reusable UI components