Tarpaulin API

The Tarpaulin API supports the backend functionalities of Tarpaulin, a lightweight course management tool designed as an alternative to Canvas. It offers robust endpoints for course information retrieval, assignment management, student submissions, and secure authentication using MySQL for data storage.

Features

• Course Management: Retrieve course details, instructor information, and student enrollment.
• Assignment Operations: Create, update, and delete assignments with deadlines and grading criteria.
• Student Submissions: Allow students to submit assignments and view submission statuses.
• Authentication: Secure API endpoints with JWT authentication for authorized access.
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling to provide clear feedback to users.

Technologies Used

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MySQL
• JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for authentication
• Postman for API testing
• Swagger for API documentation
• Git and GitHub for version control and repository management

Getting Started

To get started with Tarpaulin API, clone the repository and follow these steps:

1. Install dependencies: npm install
2. Set up your environment variables for MySQL connection details and JWT secret key.

Starting the server

Run the MYSQL Docker Container

docker run -d --name mysqlserver -p 3306:3306 -e "MYSQL_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD=yes" -e "MYSQL_DATABASE=tarpaulin" -e "MYSQL_USER=**\<username>**" -e "MYSQL_PASSWORD=**\<password>**" mysql

Run the Redis container for rate limit caching

docker run -d --name redis-container -p 6379:6379 redis

Run the RabbitMQ container for offline work

docker run -d --name rabbitmq-server -p "5672:5672" -p "15672:15672" rabbitmq:management

Add the following fields to your .env file

• MYSQL_DATABASE
• MYSQL_USER
• MYSQL_PASSWORD`

Run the program

npm run dev

What I Learned

Developing the Tarpaulin API project provided valuable insights into several key areas:

• API Design and Development: Structuring RESTful endpoints to efficiently manage course data and assignments.
• Database Integration: Utilizing MySQL for data storage and retrieval, including schema design and query optimization.
• Authentication and Security: Implementing JWT authentication to secure API endpoints and manage user access.
• Error Handling and Validation: Implementing robust error handling mechanisms and data validation to ensure data integrity and user experience.
• API Testing: Performing thorough testing with Postman to ensure reliability and functionality.