Project Setup and Developer Documentation

1. Tools/Services Used

Below is a list of all tools, libraries, and services required for the project, along with a brief description of their purpose:

• Node.js and npm: Used for managing dependencies and running the application.
• React: JavaScript library for building the frontend user interface.
• Spring Boot: Java-based framework for building the backend API.
• SQL Database: Used for data persistence; currently configured for MySQL.
• Playwright: Framework for testing the application’s frontend functionality.

2. Directions to Set Up a Development Environment

Follow these steps to set up the environment from scratch:

1. Install Prerequisites

Install the following prerequisites:

• Node.js (version V23.1.0): Node.js download link
• Java (JDK 17 or later) for Spring Boot: Java download link
• MySQL (version X.X) or another SQL database: MySQL download link

2. Clone the Project Repository

Clone the project repository and navigate to the project folder:

git clone <repository-url>
cd <project-folder>

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in both the frontend and backend directories (if applicable). Use the following examples for guidance:

Frontend .env:

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5050/api

Backend .env:

DB_URL=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/db_name
DB_USER=root
DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword

4. Install Dependencies

Install the required dependencies for both the frontend and backend.

• For the frontend:

  cd frontend
  npm install -g [email protected]
  npm install
  

• For the backend:

  cd backend
  ./mvnw install
  

• For Testing

     cd frontend
    npm install @playwright/test --save-dev
  

3. Directions to Run the Code for Testing

Follow these instructions to run the application and set up testing.

1. Start the Backend

Navigate to the backend directory and start the server:

cd backend
./mvnw spring-boot:run

2. Start the Frontend

Navigate to the frontend directory and start the application:

cd frontend
 npm run start

3. Running Tests

To run the tests for both the frontend and backend, follow the steps below.

• Frontend Tests (using Playwright):

  cd frontend
  npx playwright test
  

• Backend Tests:

  cd backend
  ./mvnw test
  

4. Instructions for Using Developer Accounts

If the project requires connecting to third-party services, configure the environment settings to use personal credentials.

• Database Configuration: If using a hosted SQL database, update DB_URL, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD in the .env file with your database instance details.