BoardsApp
CREATE DATABASE BoardsApp;
USE BoardsApp; CREATE TABLE Boards ( BoardId INT PRIMARY KEY IDENTITY(1,1), BoardName NVARCHAR(100) NOT NULL, OwnerId NVARCHAR(450) NOT NULL, CanvasState TEXT, LastModified DATETIME, FOREIGN KEY (OwnerId) REFERENCES AspNewUsers(Id) ); CREATE TABLE BoardPermissions ( PermissionId INT PRIMARY KEY IDENTITY, BoardId INT NOT NULL, UserId NVARCHAR(450) NOT NULL, CanEdit BUT NOT NULL, -- Permission to edit or view only FOREIGN KEY (BoardId) REFERENCES Boards(BoardId), FOREIGN KEY (UserId) REFERENCES AspNetUsers(Id) );
To run: React App: boards-app • npm start Asp project: • dotnet run
Let’s go through each step in detail, focusing on the core concepts, tools, and code examples to help you understand how to build a website like the Boards App from scratch.
- Project Setup
What You’ll Do:
• Set up a basic development environment.
• Choose your front-end and back-end frameworks.
Tools:
• Code Editor: Use a code editor like Visual Studio Code.
• Node.js: Install Node.js for running JavaScript on the server.
• NPM: Node Package Manager, comes with Node.js, used to install libraries and packages.
Steps:
1. Install Node.js:
• Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org.
• Verify the installation by running node -v in your terminal. You should see the version number.
2. Initialize a New Project:
• Open your terminal and navigate to the folder where you want to create your project.
• Run npm init -y to create a package.json file, which keeps track of your project’s dependencies and scripts.
3. Install React:
• Run npx create-react-app boards-app to create a new React project. This will set up a basic structure for your front-end.
• Navigate to the project folder: cd boards-app.
4. Set Up Express.js (for the back-end):
• Run npm install express to install Express.js, a web framework for Node.js.
• Create a new folder called server in your project.
• Inside the server folder, create a file named index.js.
• Add the following code to index.js:
const express = require('express'); const app = express(); const port = 5000;
app.get('/', (req, res) => { res.send('Hello World!'); });
app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(Server is running on http://localhost:${port});
});
• Run the server with node server/index.js. Visit http://localhost:5000 in your browser, and you should see “Hello World!” displayed.
- Board Canvas Development
What You’ll Do:
• Create the interactive board where users can draw, add shapes, and write text.
Tools:
• HTML5 Canvas: A powerful element for drawing graphics.
• Fabric.js: A JavaScript library to simplify working with the Canvas.
Steps:
1. Set Up Fabric.js:
• Install Fabric.js in your React app: npm install fabric.
2. Create the Canvas Component:
• In your React app, create a new component called BoardCanvas.js.
• Inside BoardCanvas.js, set up the Fabric.js canvas:
import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'; import { fabric } from 'fabric';
const BoardCanvas = () => { const canvasRef = useRef(null);
useEffect(() => {
const canvas = new fabric.Canvas(canvasRef.current, {
width: 800,
height: 600,
backgroundColor: 'white',
});
// Example: Add a rectangle
const rect = new fabric.Rect({
left: 100,
top: 100,
fill: 'red',
width: 200,
height: 100,
});
canvas.add(rect);
}, []);
return <canvas ref={canvasRef} />;
};
export default BoardCanvas;
• Import and use BoardCanvas in your App.js.
3. Add Shapes, Text, and Drawing Tools:
• Explore the Fabric.js documentation to add more tools and features, like freehand drawing or adding images.
- Real-Time Collaboration
What You’ll Do:
• Enable real-time updates so that multiple users can collaborate on the board simultaneously.
Tools:
• WebSocket: A protocol for two-way communication between the server and clients.
• Socket.IO: A library that makes WebSockets easier to work with.
Steps:
1. Set Up Socket.IO:
• Install Socket.IO in both the client and server:
• Server: npm install socket.io
• Client: npm install socket.io-client
2. Integrate Socket.IO in Your Server:
• Update your index.js to include Socket.IO:
const express = require('express'); const http = require('http'); const { Server } = require('socket.io');
const app = express(); const server = http.createServer(app); const io = new Server(server);
io.on('connection', (socket) => { console.log('a user connected');
socket.on('disconnect', () => {
console.log('user disconnected');
});
});
server.listen(5000, () => { console.log('Server is running on http://localhost:5000'); });
3. Connect the Client to Socket.IO:
• In your React app, connect to the server:
import io from 'socket.io-client'; const socket = io('http://localhost:5000');
socket.on('connect', () => { console.log('Connected to server'); });
4. Real-Time Updates:
• Use Socket.IO to send and receive updates when users draw or add elements on the board.
• Broadcast changes to all connected clients, so everyone sees the updates in real-time.
- Board Management
What You’ll Do:
• Implement a dashboard where users can create, view, and manage their boards.
Tools:
• React Router: For navigating between different pages (e.g., dashboard, individual boards).
Steps:
1. Set Up React Router:
• Install React Router: npm install react-router-dom.
• Set up basic routes in your App.js:
import { BrowserRouter as Router, Route, Switch } from 'react-router-dom'; import Dashboard from './Dashboard'; import Board from './Board';
function App() { return ( ); }
export default App;
2. Create the Dashboard Component:
• Create a new Dashboard.js component where users can create and view boards.
• Use state to manage the list of boards.
3. Link to Individual Boards:
• In your Dashboard.js, create links to individual boards using React Router.
- User Authentication
What You’ll Do:
• Allow users to sign up, log in, and manage their accounts.
Tools:
• JWT (JSON Web Tokens): For secure user authentication.
• Passport.js: A popular authentication middleware for Node.js.
Steps:
1. Set Up Passport.js:
• Install Passport.js: npm install passport passport-jwt.
• Configure Passport in your server to handle user authentication.
2. Implement Registration and Login:
• Create routes for user registration and login.
• Use JWT to generate tokens when a user logs in successfully.
3. Protect Routes:
• Protect certain routes (e.g., creating a new board) so that only authenticated users can access them.
- Permissions and Sharing
What You’ll Do:
• Allow users to share boards with others and set permissions.
Tools:
• Database: Store board permissions in your database.
Steps:
1. Store Permissions:
• Design your database schema to store information about who owns a board and who can view/edit it.
2. Implement Sharing Functionality:
• Create a UI for users to share boards via email or a link.
• Implement backend logic to check permissions when a user tries to access a shared board.
- Versioning and Exporting
What You’ll Do:
• Allow users to revert to previous versions of their boards and export them as images or PDFs.
Tools:
• MongoDB: Store different versions of boards.
• html2canvas: For exporting the board as an image.
Steps:
1. Store Board Versions:
• When a user makes a change, save a new version of the board in the database.
• Allow users to revert to previous versions.
2. Export Board:
• Use html2canvas to capture the board as an image.
• Provide an option to download the image or print it.
- Testing
What You’ll Do:
• Ensure your app works as expected by writing tests.
Tools:
• Jest: A JavaScript testing framework.
• React Testing Library: For testing React components.
Steps:
1. Set Up Jest:
• Install Jest: npm install jest.
• Create test files and write unit tests for your components and functions.
2. Run Tests:
• Run your tests with npm test.
• Fix any issues that arise.
- Deployment
What You’ll Do:
• Deploy your app so others can access it online.
Tools:
• Docker: For containerizing your application.
• AWS/GCP/Azure: Cloud services to host your application.
Steps:
1. Containerize Your App:
• Create a Dockerfile for your app.
• Build the Docker image: docker build -t boards-app ..
• Run the image locally to test it: docker run -p 5000:5000 boards-app.
2. Deploy to the Cloud:
• Push your Docker image to a cloud service.
• Set up your server and deploy the app.
- Post-Launch
What You’ll Do:
• Monitor your app and plan for future updates.
Tools:
• Monitoring Tools: Use services like Google Analytics or AWS CloudWatch.
Steps:
1. Monitor Performance:
• Set up monitoring to track how users are interacting with your app and identify any issues.
2. Plan Updates:
• Gather feedback from users.
• Plan new features and improvements.