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QuizHub Backend

Overview

The backend of QuizHub is built with Node.js, Express, and MongoDB, using Mongoose for database interactions. It provides RESTful API endpoints for handling user authentication, classrooms, tests, and submissions. The backend follows a modular structure, with controllers, models, and routes organized for clarity and scalability.

Table of Contents

Installation

To set up the backend locally:

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/MaryEhb/QuizHub.git
cd QuizHub/backend

  2. Install dependencies:

    npm install

  3. Set up environment variables:
    Create a .env file in the backend directory. Refer to the Environment Variables section for the required variables and their configuration.

  4. Run the server:

    npm start

    The server will run on the port specified by the PORT variable in the .env file (default is 3000 if not set).

  5. Access the server at http://localhost:<PORT>, where <PORT> is the value defined in the .env file.

Project Structure

backend/
│
├── config/           # Configuration files
│   └── db.js         # Database connection setup
│   └── config.js     # Deals with .env variables
│
├── controllers/      # API request logic
│   ├── authController.js
│   └── classroomController.js
│   └── SubmissionController.js
│   └── testController.js
│   └── userController.js
│
├── middleware/       # Request lifecycle tasks
│   └── authMiddleware.js
│
├── model/           # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── User.js
│   └── Classroom.js
│   └── Test.js
│   └── Submission.js
│
├── routes/           # API route definitions
│   ├── authRoutes.js
│   └── protectedRoutes.js
│   └── unprotectedRoutes.js
│
├── utils/            # Utility functions
│   └── passwordUtils.js  # Password hashing and validation
│
├── .env              # Environment variables (not included in repo)
├── server.js         # Entry point of the backend server
└── package.json      # Node.js project dependencies and scripts

Folder Descriptions

  • config/: Holds the database connection setup. The db.js file contains the configuration to connect to MongoDB using Mongoose.

  • controllers/: Contains the logic for handling API requests and sending appropriate responses. Each file handles a specific feature (e.g., authController.js for authentication).

  • middleware/: Middleware handles tasks like authentication and error handling before requests reach the controllers.

    • auth.js checks for valid JWT tokens to protect routes.
    • errorHandler.js provides centralized error handling.

  • models/: Contains the Mongoose models which define the data structure for MongoDB collections like User and Classroom.

  • routes/: Defines the API endpoints and links them to their respective controller functions. Each file handles related routes (e.g., authRoutes.js handles login/signup).

  • utils/: Shared utility functions across the backend. passwordUtils.js handles password hashing and validation.

Environment Variables

The following environment variables must be configured in a .env file at the root of the backend directory. Some are required, while others are optional, depending on whether you're using a local MongoDB setup or a remote one.

Essential Environment Variables

# Use 'true' if you want to connect to a local MongoDB instance (default: true).
# Set this to 'false' if you are connecting to a remote MongoDB instance.
USE_LOCAL_DB=true

# Server Configuration
PORT=8081                        # The port on which the backend server will run (default: 8081).
JWT_SECRET=secret                 # Secret key for signing JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for authentication (required).
VALID_DAYS=7                      # Number of days after which the JWT token will expire (default: 7 days).

# Frontend URL for CORS (required for proper CORS handling).
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

Local MongoDB Configuration (Required if USE_LOCAL_DB=true)

If you are connecting to a local MongoDB instance, you will need the following environment variables:

LOCAL_DB_NAME=alxFinalProjectDB    # The name of the local MongoDB database (required if using local DB).
LOCAL_DB_PORT=27017                # The port for the local MongoDB instance (default: 27017).
LOCAL_DB_HOST=localhost            # The hostname for the local MongoDB instance (default: localhost).

Remote MongoDB Configuration (Required if USE_LOCAL_DB=false)

If you are connecting to a remote MongoDB instance, set USE_LOCAL_DB=false and configure the following:

# MongoDB Connection Details for Remote (leave empty if using local DB).
MONGO_HOST=your_remote_host        # The hostname or IP address of the remote MongoDB server (required if using remote DB).
MONGO_PORT=your_remote_port        # The port of the remote MongoDB server (default: 27017).
MONGO_USER=your_mongo_user         # Username for authenticating with the remote MongoDB server (required if authentication is enabled).
MONGO_PASSWORD=your_mongo_password # Password for authenticating with the remote MongoDB server (required if authentication is enabled).
MONGO_DB_NAME=your_remote_db_name  # The name of the remote MongoDB database (required if using remote DB).

Optional Environment Variables

# Database connection timeout settings (optional).
DB_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=30000           # The connection timeout in milliseconds (default: 30,000).

# Logging and Debugging (optional).
LOG_LEVEL=info                     # Logging level (e.g., 'info', 'debug', 'warn'). Default is 'info'.
DEBUG_MODE=false                   # Enable or disable debug mode (default: false).

Example .env for Local MongoDB:

USE_LOCAL_DB=true
LOCAL_DB_NAME=alxFinalProjectDB
LOCAL_DB_PORT=27017
LOCAL_DB_HOST=localhost

JWT_SECRET=secret
VALID_DAYS=7
PORT=8081
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

Example .env for Remote MongoDB:

USE_LOCAL_DB=false
MONGO_HOST=remote.mongodb.com
MONGO_PORT=27017
MONGO_USER=myMongoUser
MONGO_PASSWORD=mySecurePassword
MONGO_DB_NAME=quizhubRemoteDB

JWT_SECRET=secret
VALID_DAYS=7
PORT=8081
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

API Endpoints

The following are the available API endpoints for the QuizHub backend, grouped by functionality.

Authentication (/api/auth)

  • POST /register: Register a new user.
  • POST /login: Log in a user and return a JWT.

User Management (/api/users)

  • GET /users/me: Get the currently authenticated user's information.
  • POST /users/usersByIds: Retrieve user names and profile pictures by a list of user IDs.
  • GET /users/profile: Get the current user's profile details.
  • PUT /users/profile: Update the current user's profile.
  • POST /users/change-password: Change the password of the currently authenticated user.

Classrooms (/api/classrooms)

  • POST /classrooms: Create a new classroom.
  • GET /classrooms: Retrieve all classrooms.
  • GET /classrooms/:id: Get details of a specific classroom by its ID.
  • PUT /classrooms/:id: Update a specific classroom by its ID.
  • DELETE /classrooms/:id: Delete a specific classroom by its ID.
  • POST /classrooms/:id/remove: Remove a user from a classroom.

Enrollment in Classrooms

  • POST /classrooms/:id/enroll: Enroll a user in a specific classroom.
  • POST /classrooms/:id/unenroll: Request unenrollment from a specific classroom.
  • PUT /classrooms/:classroomId/enroll/:userId/accept: Accept a user's enrollment request in a classroom.
  • PUT /classrooms/:classroomId/enroll/:userId/reject: Reject a user's enrollment request in a classroom.

Recent Classrooms

  • POST /users/recent-classrooms/:id: Update the recent classrooms viewed by the user.
  • GET /users/recent-classrooms: Get the recent classrooms viewed by the user.

Classrooms for a User

  • GET /users/:userId/classrooms: Get all classrooms that a specific user is associated with.

Tests (/api/tests)

  • POST /classrooms/:classroomId/tests: Create a new test for a classroom.
  • GET /classrooms/:classroomId/tests: Retrieve all tests for a specific classroom.
  • GET /classrooms/:classroomId/tests/:testId: Get details of a specific test by its ID.
  • PUT /classrooms/:classroomId/tests/:testId: Update a specific test by its ID.
  • DELETE /classrooms/:classroomId/tests/:testId: Delete a specific test by its ID.

Submissions (/api/tests/:testId/submissions)

  • POST /tests/:testId/submit: Submit a test by its test ID.
  • DELETE /tests/:testId/submissions/:submissionId: Delete a specific submission by its submission ID (only accessible to the test owner).

Unprotected Routes (/)

  • GET /: Return a welcome message for unprotected routes.

Database Schema

The database schema for QuizHub consists of four main models: User, Classroom, Test, and Submission. These models define the relationships between users, the classrooms they create and join, the tests created within those classrooms, and the submissions they make for those tests.

Visual Representation

Here’s a visual overview of the database schema showing the relationships between different entities:

Database Schema

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:

  1. Fork the repository.
  2. Create a new branch for your feature: git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature.
  3. Make your changes and commit them: git commit -m 'Add new feature'.
  4. Push your changes to the branch: git push origin feature/my-new-feature.
  5. Submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.