Marketplace Management System

Introduction

The Marketplace Management System is a platform that allows both sellers and customers to manage their respective activities in an online marketplace. It is built using Flask for the backend, React for the frontend, and SQLAlchemy for database management. The system facilitates the following functionalities:

Sellers: Create shops, add items, manage inventory, and delete shops and items.
Customers: Browse items, add items to their cart, update their cart, and purchase items.

The backend utilizes Flask, with JWT authentication for secure login and role-based access control. The frontend, built with React, provides an interactive user interface for both sellers and customers.

The system is structured to provide an easy-to-use interface and robust backend services for managing products, shops, and user profiles.

Prerequisites

Before running the system, ensure the following tools and technologies are installed on your system:

Python 3.11.5: Backend is built with Python 3.11.5. Download it from the official Python website.
Node.js and npm: For managing frontend dependencies. Download it from Node.js official site.
PostgreSQL (or SQLite for development): Backend uses PostgreSQL or SQLite as the database.
Git: For version control and code management. Download it from Git official site.

Main Setup

Clone the Market Management repository in your local system

git clone https://github.com/amansoni7477030/marketplace_management.git

Backend Setup

Go to Backend folder

cd Marketplace_System_Backend

Create a Virtual Environment

It is recommended to use a virtual environment to avoid conflicts with system-wide packages.

python3 -m venv venv

Activate the Virtual Environment

On macOS/Linux:

source venv/bin/activate

On Windows:

venv\Scripts\activate

Install Backend Dependencies

Install the required Python dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory of the backend folder to store sensitive information like database credentials and secret keys:

SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key
DATABASE_URL=your_database_url
JWT_SECRET_KEY=your_jwt_secret_key

For local development, the DATABASE_URL can be set to use SQLite:

DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///marketplace.db

Initialize the Database

Set up the database and apply migrations:

flask db init
flask db migrate -m "Initial migration"
flask db upgrade

Run the Backend

Finally, run the backend server:

python app.py

The backend will be running at http://localhost:5000.

Frontend Setup

Navigate to the Frontend Directory

Change to the frontend directory:

cd Marketplace_System_Frontend

Install Frontend Dependencies

Use npm to install the required dependencies:

npm install

Configure the API URL

In the frontend, make sure that API requests point to the backend server URL. You can set this in a .env file (inside the frontend project folder):

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

Run the Frontend

Start the React development server:

npm start

The frontend will be accessible at http://localhost:3000.

Backend API Endpoints

Authentication

POST /api/register — Register a new user (both Seller and Customer roles).
POST /api/login — Login with email and password and receive a JWT token.
GET /api/user/profile — Get user profile data (Requires JWT).

Seller Endpoints

GET /api/shops — Get all shops for the logged-in seller.
POST /api/shops — Create a new shop (Requires seller role).
POST /api/shops/<shop_id>/items — Add an item to a shop (Requires seller role).
PUT /api/items/<item_id> — Update an item (Requires seller role).
DELETE /api/items/<item_id> — Delete an item (Requires seller role).
DELETE /api/shops/<shop_id> — Delete a shop (Requires seller role).

Customer Endpoints

GET /api/items — Get all items available in the marketplace (Requires no login).
POST /api/cart/items — Add an item to the customer’s cart (Requires customer role).
GET /api/cart — View the customer's cart (Requires customer role).
PUT /api/cart/items/<item_id> — Update the quantity of an item in the cart (Requires customer role).
DELETE /api/cart/items/<item_id> — Remove an item from the cart (Requires customer role).

Testing with Supertest

This project uses Supertest for unit and integration testing in the React.js frontend. Follow the instructions below to run the tests.

Running Tests

To run the tests in the project, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Frontend directory:
```
cd Marketplace_System_Frontend
```
Install the dependencies (if not already installed):
```
npm install
```
Run the tests:

Use the following command to run both unit and integration tests:
```
npm test
```
This will run all tests in the project, including both unit tests and integration tests. The tests will be executed using Supertest for making HTTP assertions and verifying the behavior of your API endpoints from the frontend.

Test Structure

The tests are structured as follows:

Unit Tests: These tests validate the behavior of individual components and functions in isolation.
Integration Tests: These tests validate the interaction between various parts of the application, including communication between the frontend and the backend.

Conclusion

This Marketplace Management System allows sellers to manage their products and shops, while customers can shop and manage their carts efficiently. The backend is structured with Flask and SQLAlchemy, and the frontend is built with React for a modern user interface. By following the setup instructions provided, you can run the complete system locally for development and testing purposes.

amansoni7477030/marketplace_management