Parental Control API

Overview

The Parental Control API is a backend system that allows parents to manage and monitor children's digital screen time, control content access, and generate usage reports. This API provides features such as user authentication, content filtering, screen time management, and generating reports of users' digital activity.

This project aims to provide an efficient backend system for parental control applications, offering parents the ability to maintain healthy boundaries on their children's digital activities.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure registration and login using JSON Web Tokens (JWT).
• Content Filtering: Allows users to add, view, and remove content restrictions.
• Screen Time Management: Set daily screen time limits, log screen time sessions, and track violations if limits are exceeded.
• Reporting: Generates detailed reports on user activities, including screen time logs, content restrictions, total usage duration, daily screen time violations, and average usage summaries.

Technologies Used

• Node.js: JavaScript runtime environment for backend development.
• Express.js: Fast and lightweight web application framework for Node.js.
• MySQL: Relational database used for persistent data storage.
• JWT: Used for authenticating users securely.
• Postman: For testing API endpoints during development.

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js (>= 14.x.x)
• MySQL installed and running
• npm or yarn for dependency management

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/parental-control-api.git
   cd parental-control-api

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set Up MySQL Database:

   • Create a new database in MySQL named parental_control:

     CREATE DATABASE parental_control;

   • Import tables and setup from db_setup.sql (if available).

4. Configure Environment Variables:

   • Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following:

     DB_HOST=localhost
     DB_USER=root
     DB_PASS=yourpassword
     DB_NAME=parental_control
     JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
     PORT=4000

5. Run the Application:

   npx nodemon src/index.js

   The server should now be running at http://localhost:4000.

API Endpoints

Authentication

• Register User: POST /api/auth/register
  • Body: { "username": "user1", "password": "password" }
• Login User: POST /api/auth/login
  • Body: { "username": "user1", "password": "password" }

Screen Time Management

• Set Screen Time Limit: POST /api/screen-time/set
  • Body: { "dailyLimit": 180, "startTime": "09:00:00", "endTime": "21:00:00" }
• Start Screen Time: POST /api/screen-time/start
• Stop Screen Time: POST /api/screen-time/stop
• Get Screen Time Logs: GET /api/screen-time/logs

Content Restrictions

• Add Content Restriction: POST /api/content/add
  • Body: { "url": "example.com" }
• Get Content Restrictions: GET /api/content/list
• Remove Content Restriction: DELETE /api/content/remove/:id

Reports

• Get User Report: GET /api/reports/user/{userId}
  • Provides:
    • Screen Time Logs
    • Content Restrictions
    • Total Screen Time Duration
    • Daily Durations Summary
    • Average Daily Time
    • Violations (if daily limits are exceeded)

Database Schema

Users Table

Column	Type	Details
id	INT	Primary Key, Auto Increment
username	VARCHAR(255)	Unique
password	VARCHAR(255)	Hashed Password
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Default Current Time
email	VARCHAR(255)	(Optional)

Screen Time Limits Table

Column	Type	Details
id	INT	Primary Key, Auto Increment
user_id	INT	Foreign Key referencing users.id
daily_limit	INT	Limit in minutes
start_time	TIME	Optional Start Time
end_time	TIME	Optional End Time
created_at	TIMESTAMP	Default Current Time

Screen Time Logs Table

Column	Type	Details
id	INT	Primary Key, Auto Increment
user_id	INT	Foreign Key referencing users.id
start_time	TIMESTAMP	Default Current Time
end_time	TIMESTAMP	NULL until session ends

Testing

• Using Postman: The Postman collection (Parental_Control_API_Testing.postman_collection.json) is available to automate endpoint testing. ## Postman Collection

A Postman collection is included in this repository for easy testing of the Parental Control API.

You can find it in the postman folder:

• postman/Parental_Control_API_Collection.json

To use it, import this file into Postman and set up the necessary environment variables for testing.

• Test Coverage:
  • User Authentication
  • Screen Time Limits
  • Content Restriction Features
  • Report Generation

Project Status

This project is in the final stages of development. It provides essential features for parental control, such as screen time management, content restrictions, and reporting. Future iterations could focus on enhancing report details, supporting multiple platforms, or creating a front-end interface.

Usage

This backend API could be deployed and connected to a front-end application, providing parents an interface to:

• Register accounts
• Set up daily screen time limits
• Add content restrictions for devices
• Monitor children’s screen usage and content accessed

Future Improvements

• Automate Logging: Automatically log user activity based on usage events.
• Advanced Analytics: Implement machine learning to predict potential content of concern.
• Front-end Interface: Develop a front-end interface for easy access.

License

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

Contact

For any questions or contributions:

• Email: wasimu285@egmail.com
• GitHub: wasim285