TMU Connect

TMU Connect is a classified advertisements website tailored specifically for TMU students. This platform allows students to post and browse classified ads in various categories, fostering a seamless exchange of items and academic services within the university community.

Features

1. User Authentication

   • Secure login and registration system for TMU students.

2. Responsive Design

   • Interface seamlessly adapts to both desktop and mobile screens.

3. Classified Ad Categories

   • Items Wanted: Students can post ads seeking specific items.
   • Items for Sale: Students can post ads selling specific items.
   • Academic Services: Section for offerings like tutoring, textbook exchanges, and study groups.

4. Search Functionality

   • Efficient search capabilities with filters such as category, price, and location.

5. Ad Posting Interface

   • User-friendly interface for posting new ads with text, images, and relevant details.

6. Communication Platform

   • Secure system for users to communicate with each other within the website.

7. Admin Dashboard

   • For site administrators to manage ads, users, and site content.

8. Mobile Optimization

   • Full functionality and enhanced user experience on mobile devices.

Prerequisites

1. Node.js
   • Install Node.js from the official website.
   • Verify the installation by running node -v and npm -v in the terminal.
2. MySQL
   • Install MySQL from the official website.

Deploying the Application

Ensure you have all the prerequisites installed before proceeding.

Manual Deployment

Install Dependencies

npm install --prefix client
npm install --prefix server

Build the application

npm run build --prefix client
npm run build --prefix server

Setup the Database

1. Change directory to the server folder.
   • cd server
2. Copy the .env.example file to `.env.
   • cp .env.example .env
3. Modify the .env file to configure the MySQL database.
   • Update the {USER} and {PASSWORD} fields with your MySQL username and password.
4. Deploy the database
   • npx prisma db push

Start the Production Server

node server/dist/server.js

Docker Deployment

Build the Docker Image

docker build -t tmu-connect .

Run the Docker Container

Replace the DATABASE_URL environment variable with your MySQL database URL.

docker run -d -p 5000:5000 -e DATABASE_URL=mysql://root:password@localhost:3306/TMU-connect tmu-connect

Additional Configuration

• To run the application in production mode, set the NODE_ENV environment variable to production. The default mode for docker is production.
• To configure the server port, set the PORT environment variable. The default port is 5000.
• To enable SSL for the server, set the SSL environment variable to true. This only enables SSL checks and does not provide SSL certificates.

Setting Up a Local Development Environment

Ensure you have all the prerequisites installed before proceeding.

Install Dependencies

npm install --prefix client
npm install --prefix server

Setup the Database

1. Change directory to the server folder.
   • cd server
2. Copy the .env.example file to .env.
   • cp .env.example .env
3. Modify the .env file to configure the MySQL database.
   • Update the {USER} and {PASSWORD} fields with your MySQL username and password.
4. Deploy the database
   • npx prisma db push

Start the Development Server

npm start --prefix server