MBank (Marks Bank) / Cupuri

Overview

This project is a modern, scalable platform for students to access past exam papers and resources to prepare for their exams effectively. It includes a web-based application built with React and Tailwind CSS, with plans to extend to a mobile app using Flutter if the web-based app sees significant usage.

Features

User Authentication: Secure login and registration using OAuth 2.0.
Access to Exam Papers: Students can search, filter, and download past papers.
Responsive Design: Built for both desktop and mobile web browsers.
Secure API: Token-based authentication with JWT and refresh tokens for secure and stateless API calls.

Tech Stack

Backend

Node.js (TypeScript): For building the RESTful API.
PostgreSQL: Relational database for storing user data, exam papers, and other resources.
OAuth 2.0: Used for authentication and authorization.

Frontend (Web)

React: For building the user interface.
Vite: For fast development and optimized builds.
TypeScript: For type safety and scalability.
Tailwind CSS: For efficient, consistent, and modern styling.

Mobile (Future Development - Conditional)

Dart/Flutter: For building cross-platform mobile applications if the web-based app usage justifies the need.

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your system:

Node.js (v16+)
PostgreSQL (v12+)
Git
Yarn or npm

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Mr-Ndiname/MBank.git
cd MBank

Backend Setup

Navigate to the backend folder:
```
cd backend
```
Install dependencies:
```
yarn install
```

Create a .env file and configure the following environment variables:

PORT=5000
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/mbank
JWT_SECRET=my_jwt_secret
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=my_refresh_token_secret
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY=15m
REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRY=7d

Run database migrations:
```
yarn run migrate
```
Start the backend server:
```
yarn run dev
```

Frontend Setup

Navigate to the frontend folder:
```
cd frontend
```
Install dependencies:
```
yarn install
```
Create a .env file and configure the following environment variables:
```
VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000/api
```
Start the development server:
```
yarn run dev
```

API Overview

Authentication

POST /auth/login: User login (OAuth 2.0 flow).
POST /auth/register: User registration.
POST /auth/refresh-token: Refresh access token using refresh token.

Exam Papers

GET /papersInSchool: Retrieve a list of past exam papers (supports pagination and filtering).
GET /papers/:ModuleName: Retrieve a specific exam paper by ID.
POST /papers: Add a new exam paper

Security

Token-Based Authentication: Access tokens (JWT) are used for stateless authentication.
Secure Data Storage: Environment variables for sensitive data.
HTTPS: Enforce HTTPS for secure communication.
Role-Based Access Control: Different permissions for students and admins.

Future Enhancements

Mobile App: Build a Flutter-based mobile application for cross-platform support if the web app usage grows significantly.
Push Notifications: Notify users about new exam papers and updates.
GraphQL API: Transition to GraphQL for more flexible querying.
Advanced Search: Add AI-based search for better paper recommendations.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

Fork the repository.
Create a new branch for your feature:
```
git checkout -b feature-name
```

Commit your changes and push:

git commit -m "Add feature description"
git push origin feature-name

Submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

For questions or feedback, feel free to reach out:

Email: ndiramiyeninshuti1@gmail.com | onlythenotes@gmail.com
GitHub Issues: Submit an issue

Mr-Ndi/MBank