📱 Phonebook - E-Commerce Website

📋 Table of Contents

• About the Project
  • Key Features
  • Built With
• Environment Variables
• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Running the Application
• Demo
• Acknowledgements

---

About the Project

Phonebook is a fully functional e-commerce website built using Node.js and Express.js, featuring a responsive design for showcasing products, managing orders, and enabling cart functionality. It includes:

• User Authentication: Login and registration for customers and admin accounts.
• CRUD Functionality: Full Create, Read, Update, and Delete support for products, orders, users, and cart items.
• APIs for Dynamic Content:
  • Google Maps API: Displays branch locations on an interactive map.
  • GNews API: Fetches and displays the latest news articles.
  • Facebook API: Enables posting products to the website's Facebook page.

The project leverages MongoDB as the database for scalable and efficient data management.

---

Key Features

• Product Management:
  • Admins can add, edit, and delete products.
  • Users can view and search for products.
• User Roles:
  • Regular users can browse, add to cart, and order.
  • Admins have access to additional features like managing products and users.
• Dynamic APIs:
  • Integration with external APIs (Google Maps, GNews, Facebook) for dynamic data.
• Real-time Features:
  • Socket.io for chat functionality with real-time updates.

---

Environment Variables

To run the project, the following environment variables are required:

PORT=3000
MONGODB_URL=<Your MongoDB Connection String>
API_URL=/api/v1
SECRET=<Your Secret Key>

Create a config folder and inside create a .env.dev file and add the variables above. Ensure these values are secure and not hardcoded into the application.

---

Built With

• Node.js:
  • Express: Backend framework for building REST APIs.
  • Mongoose: ODM library for MongoDB.
• MongoDB: NoSQL database for storing user data, products, orders, and more.
• APIs:
  • Google Maps API: Display branch locations on an interactive map.
  • GNews API: Fetch and display news articles.
  • Facebook API: Share products to the website's Facebook page.
• Socket.io: Enables real-time chat functionality.

---

Getting Started

Follow the steps below to set up the project on your local machine:

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v14 or later)
• MongoDB (local or cloud-based, e.g., MongoDB Atlas)

---

Installation

1. Fork the Repository: Click the fork button on GitHub to create your copy of the repository.

2. Clone the Repository: Clone your forked repo to your local machine.

3. Install Dependencies: Navigate to the project directory and install the required npm packages:

   cd WebApp-Phone-Store
   npm install

4. Set Up Environment Variables: Create a .env.dev file in the config folder and add your environment variables as outlined above.

---

Running the Application

To start the application locally:

Run the Development Server:

npm run dev

Visit the application at http://localhost:5500/views/mainPage.html.

---

Demo

Check out the live demo or watch the preview:

---

Screenshots

Acknowledgements

This project was built with the help of the following resources and contributors:

• Learning Resources: StackOverflow, W3Schools, GetBootstrap
• APIs:
  • Google Maps API
  • GNews API
  • Facebook Graph API
• Tech Support: ASUS, OnePlus, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, HP.

---