Games_DashBoard

A robust, console-based Game Library Manager built with .NET and Spectre.Console. This application allows users to manage their personal game collection by fetching real-time data from the IGDB API.

✨ Key Features

• Real-Time Data Fetching: Integrates with the IGDB API to search for games, retrieve metadata (developers, genres, DLCs).
• Rich CLI Interface: Uses Spectre.Console for an immersive terminal experience, including spinners, tables, and interactive prompts.
• User Authentication: Secure login and registration system using BCrypt for password hashing.
• Library Management:
  • Add games to your personal collection.
  • Rate games on multiple metrics (Gameplay, Story, Visuals, Audio, Creativity).
  • Sort library by Name or Date Added.
• Data Persistence: Asynchronous JSON file storage ensures user data is saved securely without blocking the UI.

🛠️ Technical Highlights

This project demonstrates modern C# best practices:

• Asynchronous Programming: Fully async/await implementation for File I/O and Network calls to prevent UI blocking.
• Dependency Management: Separation of concerns between UI, Services, and Data layers.
• Security: Passwords are never stored in plain text; User Secrets are used for API keys.

🧠 What I Learned

• HTTP & API Integration: This project was my primary focus for mastering HttpClient. I learned how to manage request headers for authentication, handle JSON serialization/deserialization, and interact with a professional REST API (IGDB).
• Connection Management: I learned the importance of reusing HttpClient instances to prevent socket exhaustion in .NET applications.
• Architecture Refinement: While I had previous experience with Spectre.Console and layered architecture, building this application reinforced those concepts and helped me practice applying the Service-Repository pattern in a more complex, real-world scenario.

🚀 Installation

Option 1: Quick Start (Pre-built Release)

Best for users who just want to run the app without coding.

1. Go to the Releases tab on this repository.
2. Download the latest .zip file (Windows only).
3. Extract the folder.
4. Important: Open appsettings.json in a text editor and add your IGDB Keys (Get the keys from twitch developer portal):

   {
     "IGDB": {
       "ClientId": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
       "Token": "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN_HERE"
     }
   }

5. Double-click Games_DashBoard.exe to launch!

Option 2: Build from Source

Best for developers who want to modify the code.

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/red-arachnid/Games_Dashboard.git

2. Configure API Keys (User Secrets)

   cd Games_Dashboard
   dotnet user-secrets init
   dotnet user-secrets set "IGDB:ClientId" "YOUR_CLIENT_ID_HERE"
   dotnet user-secrets set "IGDB:Token" "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN_HERE"

3. Build and Run

   dotnet run

📂 Project Structure

Games_Dashboard/
├── Data/           # JSON Repository & Storage Logic
├── Model/          # Data Models (User, Game, IGDB schemas)
├── Services/       # Business Logic (Auth, IGDB API, Game Management)
├── UI/             # Spectre.Console Screens & Interactions
└── Program.cs      # Entry point & Dependency Injection

📺 Demo