Technical Documentation - utourismboard/explore-uganda-application-documentation GitHub Wiki

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Technology Stack
  3. Modules Breakdown
  4. Firebase Services
  5. App Permissions
  6. System Architecture
  7. Error Monitoring & Debugging
  8. Future Enhancements

Overview

The Explore Uganda App is a cross-platform mobile application for tourists, investors, and service providers. This document details the technical architecture, technology stack, modules, backend services, security, and future roadmap.

Technology Stack

Frontend

  • Framework: Flutter (Dart)
  • UI: Material & Cupertino, Custom Widgets
  • State Management: Provider, Riverpod, Bloc (choose one and standardize)
  • Navigation: GoRouter, AutoRoute

Backend

  • Platform: Firebase
  • Services: Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Functions, Cloud Storage, Crashlytics, Analytics

Mapping & Navigation

  • Google Maps API: Location, POI, Directions, Geocoding

Security

  • Transport: HTTPS/TLS
  • Authentication: OAuth 2.0, JWT
  • Local Storage: flutter_secure_storage

Deployment & CI/CD

  • Android: Google Play Store
  • iOS: Apple App Store
  • CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Firebase Hosting, Fastlane

Modules Breakdown

Authentication

  • Google, Apple, Email/Password sign-in
  • JWT session management
  • User profile creation

Home

  • Featured attractions, events, investments
  • Search and filter

To-Do

  • Event categories (Music, Art, etc.)
  • Event details and booking

Explore

  • Map view, nearby services, route planning

Marketplace

  • Service provider listings, booking, reviews

More Features

  • Profile, language, notifications, deals, wishlist, support, currency converter

Firebase Services

Authentication

  • Multi-provider sign-in
  • Secure session tokens
  • Email verification, password reset

Cloud Firestore

  • Real-time NoSQL database
  • User profiles, locations, chat, bookings, notifications

Crashlytics

  • Real-time crash/error reporting
  • Stack traces, device info, user context

Cloud Functions

  • Serverless backend logic
  • Data validation, notifications, scheduled jobs

Cloud Storage

  • Media uploads (images, videos)
  • Access control, optimization

Analytics

  • User engagement, feature usage, conversion tracking

App Permissions

Android

  • Location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION)
  • Storage (READ/WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)
  • Internet (INTERNET, ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE)
  • Camera (CAMERA)

iOS

  • NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription
  • NSCameraUsageDescription
  • NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription

System Architecture

graph TD
    A[Flutter App] --> B[Firebase Auth]
    A --> C[Cloud Firestore]
    A --> D[Cloud Functions]
    A --> E[Cloud Storage]
    A --> F[Google Maps API]
    B --> G[User Management]
    C --> H[Data Sync]
    D --> I[Business Logic]
    E --> J[Media]
    F --> K[Location Services]
  • Frontend: Flutter app (Android/iOS)
  • Backend: Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Functions, Storage)
  • Integrations: Google Maps, Payment Gateways

Error Monitoring & Debugging

  • Crashlytics: Real-time crash/error reporting
  • Logging: Custom logs for debugging
  • Performance Monitoring: Firebase Performance, Analytics
  • Testing: Unit, widget, integration tests (see Testing Guide)

Future Enhancements

  • iOS feature parity
  • Offline support (Firestore persistence)
  • Apple Sign-In
  • In-app messaging/notifications (FCM)
  • Advanced analytics and reporting
  • AI-powered recommendations
  • Multi-language support expansion