UW Madison Data Science for Sustainable Development Application API

Overview

This API serves as the backend for the application process to the UW Madison Data Science for Sustainable Development program. It provides endpoints for submitting, updating, and deleting applications.

Table of Contents

1. Prerequisites
2. Installation
3. Configuration
4. Running the Application
5. API Endpoints
6. Rate Limiting
7. Error Handling
8. Development vs Production
9. Contributing
10. License

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or later recommended)
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• Firebase account and project
• Firebase Admin SDK credentials

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [your-repo-url]
   cd [your-repo-name]
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

Configuration

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

   PORT=8080
   NODE_ENV=development
   

2. Place your Firebase Admin SDK credentials file in the appropriate location:

   • For development: ./certs/oa-madison-firebase-adminsdk-tr5iw-80ae5b92fb.json
   • For production: /etc/secrets/oa-madison-firebase-adminsdk-tr5iw-80ae5b92fb.json

Running the Application

To start the server:

npm start

For development with auto-restart on file changes:

npm run dev

API Endpoints

POST /apply

Submit a new application.

Request body:

{
  "first_name": "String",
  "last_name": "String",
  "email": "String",
  "phone_number": "String",
  "year": Number,
  "essay_questions": ["String"],
  "urls": ["String"]
}

Response:

{
  "message": "Application submitted successfully"
}

PUT /apply

Update an existing application.

Request body:

{
  "email": "YOUR_EMAIL",
  "applicationData": {
    "first_name": "String",
    "last_name": "String",
    "email": "String",
    "phone_number": "String",
    "year": Number,
    "essay_questions": ["String"],
    "urls": ["String"]
  }
}

Response:

{
  "message": "Application updated successfully"
}

DELETE /apply

Delete an existing application.

Request body:

{
  "email": "YOUR_EMAIL"
}

Response:

{
  "message": "Application deleted successfully"
}

Rate Limiting

The API implements rate limiting to prevent abuse. Each IP is limited to 100 requests per 15-minute window. If you exceed the rate limit, wait for at least 15 minutes before trying to submit your application again.

Error Handling

The API returns appropriate HTTP status codes and error messages:

• INVALID_REQUEST (400): Missing required fields or invalid data
• DATABASE_ERROR (500): Problem with the database while processing the application
• RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED (429): Too many requests in a short period of time

Development vs Production

The application detects the environment based on the NODE_ENV variable:

• development: Uses local credentials file and enables additional logging.
• production: Uses credentials file from /etc/secrets/ and optimizes for performance.

Contributing

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Program Benefits

As a student in our program, you will have the opportunity to:

• Engage in hands-on projects and research collaborations with industry partners
• Develop high-value skills in software development
• Build a network of highly motivated, passionate, and intelligent peers
• Create solutions to real-life problems
• Apply data and computer science to real-world problems in sustainability and more

For more information about the program and to visit the main website, go to https://madison.dssdglobal.org/.