SparkUp-Server

SparkUp is a Flask-based social platform that enables users to connect, collaborate, and participate in various activities. The platform features real-time chat, user profiles, event posting, and a reference system.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure user registration and login system
• Profile Management: Detailed user profiles with customizable fields
• Event Posts: Create and manage event posts with various attributes
• Real-time Chat: WebSocket-based chat rooms for event participants
• Reference System: Post-event rating and reference system
• Applicant Management: System for managing event applications
• Bookmarking System: Save and organize interesting events
• Comment System: Engage in discussions through comments
• Dynamic Content Loading: Pagination support for efficient data loading

Tech Stack

• Backend Framework: Flask
• Database: PostgreSQL with SQLAlchemy ORM
• Authentication: Flask-Security
• Real-time Communication: Flask-SocketIO with eventlet
• API Documentation: Flask-RESTX
• Database Migration: Alembic with Flask-Migrate
• CORS Support: Flask-CORS

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• PostgreSQL
• Additional requirements listed in requirements.txt

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone [repository-url]
cd sparkup

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up environment variables:

export FLASK_APP="run.py"
export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/database_name"
export FLASK_CORS_ORIGINS="*"  # Configure as needed for production

5. Initialize the database:

flask db upgrade

Running the Application

Start the application using gunicorn with eventlet worker:

gunicorn -k eventlet -w 1 run:app

Or for development:

python run.py

API Documentation

API documentation is available at /docs endpoint for each blueprint:

• Auth API: /auth/docs
• Profile API: /profile/docs
• Post API: /post/docs
• Comment API: /comment/docs
• Applicant API: /applicant/docs
• Reference API: /reference/docs
• Chat API: /chat/docs

Project Structure

sparkup/
├── app/
│   ├── extensions.py    # Flask extensions
│   ├── config.py        # Configuration
│   ├── main.py          # Application factory
│   ├── models.py        # Database models
│   ├── utils.py         # Utility functions
│   └── routes/          # API routes
├── migrations/          # Database migrations
├── requirements.txt     # Project dependencies
├── run.py               # Application entry point
└── README.md            # This file

Database Models

• User: Core user information and authentication
• Profile: Extended user profile details
• Post: Event and activity posts
• PostComment: Comment system
• ChatRoom: Real-time chat functionality
• Reference: User rating and reference system
• PostApplicant: Event application management

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Security

• Password hashing using bcrypt
• JWT-based authentication
• CORS protection
• SQL injection prevention through SQLAlchemy
• WebSocket security measures

Deployment Notes

• Configure FLASK_CORS_ORIGINS appropriately for production
• Use proper SSL/TLS certificates for production
• Set up proper database backup procedures
• Configure proper logging for production environment
• Consider using a process manager like supervisord
• Set up proper monitoring and alerting

Support

For support, please open an issue in the GitHub repository.