NurtureTech

Overview

The NurtureTech project is a full-stack application designed to manage and track attendance, caregiver information, child enrollments, and financial records for childcare or educational settings. This application includes a backend server for API management and a frontend client for user interaction, featuring real-time updates, caching, robust authentication mechanisms, and seamless integration with Neon PostgreSQL for database management.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Deployment
• Project Structure
• Installation
• Running the Project
• File Structure
• API Documentation
• Real-time Updates
• Caching
• Error Handling
• Environment Variables
• Enhancements
• Contributing
• License

Features

• Real-time updates using Socket.IO and PostgreSQL triggers: Enables instant data synchronization between the server and clients by using triggers in the PostgreSQL database.
• RESTful APIs for various childcare management operations: Facilitates CRUD operations for managing attendance, caregivers, children, enrollments, and finances.
• Authentication system: Secure user authentication and authorization using JSON Web Tokens (JWT).
• Database integration with Neon PostgreSQL: A scalable, managed PostgreSQL database solution.
• Caching mechanism using Redis Cloud: Enhances performance by caching frequently accessed data.
• CORS support for frontend integration: Allows secure cross-origin requests from the frontend application.
• Internationalization (i18n): Supports English, Hindi, and French for a localized user experience.
• Theme preferences: Users can toggle between light and dark themes for better accessibility and user comfort.

Technologies Used

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• Socket.IO
• Neon PostgreSQL: A scalable and secure PostgreSQL database solution.
• Redis (Redis Cloud by Redis Labs)
• CORS
• JSON Web Token (JWT)
• i18n

Frontend

• React
• Vite
• Tailwind CSS

Infrastructure

• Neon PostgreSQL: For scalable and secure database management.
• Redis Cloud (Redis Labs): For high-performance caching.
• Render: For backend and frontend deployment.

Deployment

• Live Website: https://nurturetech.onrender.com

Project Structure

Backend

Manages server, APIs, database, real-time communication, and caching.

Frontend

Provides the user interface for interaction with the backend.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm installed on your system.
• Neon PostgreSQL account and database setup.
• Redis installed and running.

Running the Project

1. Start the PostgreSQL Server: Ensure PostgreSQL is running (either locally or using Neon PostgreSQL).
2. Start the Redis Server: Make sure Redis is running.
3. Configure Environment Variables: Use the appropriate .env or .env.production for local or production environments.
4. Start the backend server:

   cd backend_node
   npm start

5. Start the frontend client:

   cd ../frontend
   npm run dev

   The frontend application will be available at http://localhost:5173.

File Structure

Backend

• config/: Configuration files for database and environment setup.
• controllers/: Logic for each API endpoint.
• middleware/: Authentication, validation, and CORS handling.
• models/: Database schemas using ORM (e.g., Sequelize).
• app.js: Main backend entry point.

Frontend

• public/: Static assets and translation files.
• src/: React components, context, and styling.
  • components/: Individual React components.
  • context/: Global state management with context providers.
  • pages/: Main page components.
  • App.jsx: Routing and context integration.
  • index.jsx: Entry point for React.

Real-time Updates

• PostgreSQL triggers are set up to listen for data changes in the database (e.g., for children, caregivers, attendance, finances, and enrollments).
• Socket.IO is used to push updates in real-time from the backend to the frontend.
• Redis is used in conjunction with PostgreSQL triggers and Redis Pub/Sub to cache frequently accessed data and notify clients of any changes.

This ensures consistent and up-to-date information across all clients without the need for manual refresh.

Caching

Redis Cloud optimizes performance by caching frequently accessed data such as:

• Attendance records
• Caregiver details
• Child profiles

This reduces Neon PostgreSQL load and enhances application scalability.

Error Handling

Custom middleware catches and formats errors, returning standardized responses for better debugging and user experience.

Environment Variables

Backend .env (Development)

# PostgreSQL Configuration
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_USER=your_pg_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_pg_password
DB_NAME=NurtureTech
PORT=3000

# JWT Configuration
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

# Redis Configuration
REDIS_HOST=localhost
REDIS_PORT=6379

Backend .env.production

# PostgreSQL Configuration (Neon PostgreSQL)
DB_HOST=your_neon_pg_host
DB_PORT=5432
DB_USER=your_pg_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_pg_password
DB_NAME=NurtureTech

# JWT Configuration
JWT_SECRET=your_production_jwt_secret

# Redis Configuration (Redis Cloud)
REDIS_HOST=your_redis_cloud_host
REDIS_PORT=your_redis_cloud_port
REDIS_PASSWORD=your_redis_cloud_password

Enhancements

Internationalization (i18n)

• The application supports English (default), Hindi, and French for a localized user experience.
• Language preferences are stored persistently using local storage, ensuring the user's choice is remembered across sessions.
• Translation files are managed dynamically under the public/locales directory for efficient scalability.

Light/Dark Theme Preferences

• Integrated a responsive theme switcher that allows users to choose between light and dark modes.
• The selected theme is applied instantly across the application and saved in local storage for persistent preferences.
• Built using Tailwind CSS for seamless theme transitions.

Database Migration

• Neon PostgreSQL has replaced MySQL, leveraging its scalability and reliability for the database solution.
• Redis caching is now migrated to Redis Cloud for better performance and reliability.

Real-Time Updates with Redis Pub/Sub and PostgreSQL Triggers

• Real-time updates are driven by PostgreSQL triggers that notify Redis, which in turn pushes updates via Socket.IO to the clients.
• This setup ensures low latency and high performance for real-time data changes.

Deployment

• Backend and frontend are deployed on Render.
• Integrated Neon PostgreSQL for PostgreSQL database hosting.
• Redis Cloud handles the caching mechanism.

Upcoming Features

Detailed API Documentation:

• Comprehensive documentation for all endpoints, including:
  • Authentication (login, register)
  • CRUD operations for attendance, caregivers, children, enrollments, and finances.
  • Real-time communication with Socket.IO.
  • Redis caching strategies with PostgreSQL triggers.

Multi-Tenancy Support:

• Enable multiple childcare centers or schools to use the app with separate data and configurations.

Advanced Analytics Dashboards:

• Visualize key metrics like attendance trends, caregiver performance, financial summaries, and enrollment statistics.

Localization Enhancements:

• Expand language support and implement locale-specific formatting for dates, currencies, and numbers.

AI-Powered Insights:

• Use AI to predict trends, such as enrollment forecasts and staffing needs based on historical data.

Mobile App Integration:

• Develop mobile applications for on-the-go access and push notifications.

User Feedback and Support System:

• Integrate real-time support features like chatbots and live feedback mechanisms.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Fork the repository, make changes, and submit a Pull Request. Ensure your code follows project standards and is well-documented.

License

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

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