Project Management System Documentation

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. System Architecture
3. Project Setup
4. API Documentation
5. Database Models
6. Authentication & Authorization
7. Email Service
8. Middleware
9. Error Handling
10. Utilities

Overview

A robust project management system built with Node.js and Express, featuring user authentication, project collaboration, task management, and real-time updates.

Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB
• Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
• Email Service: Nodemailer with Mailtrap
• File Upload: Multer
• Validation: Custom middleware

System Architecture

The application follows a modular MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture:

src/
├── controllers/     # Business logic
├── models/         # Database schemas
├── routes/         # API routes
├── middlewares/    # Custom middlewares
├── utils/          # Helper functions
├── validators/     # Input validation
└── db/            # Database configuration

Project Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v21.x or higher)
• MongoDB
• npm or yarn

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

NODE_ENV=development
CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:3000
PORT=5000
FORGOT_PASSWORD_REDIRECT_URL=http://localhost:3000/reset-password
SERVER_URL=http://localhost:5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_uri
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_token_secret
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY=15m
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=your_refresh_token_secret
REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRY=7d
SMTP_FROM_EMAIL=[email protected]
MAILTRAP_SMTP_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io
MAILTRAP_SMTP_PORT=2525
MAILTRAP_SMTP_USER=your_mailtrap_user
MAILTRAP_SMTP_PASS=your_mailtrap_password

Installation

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Set up environment variables
4. Start development server: npm run dev

API Documentation

Authentication Endpoints

POST /api/v1/auth/register

Register a new user

• Body: { email, username, password }
• Returns: User object with JWT tokens

POST /api/v1/auth/login

Login existing user

• Body: { email, password }
• Returns: User object with JWT tokens

Project Endpoints

POST /api/v1/projects

Create new project

• Auth: Required
• Body: { name, description }
• Returns: Project object

GET /api/v1/projects

Get all user's projects

• Auth: Required
• Returns: Array of projects

Task Endpoints

POST /api/v1/tasks

Create new task

• Auth: Required
• Body: { title, description, projectId, dueDate }
• Returns: Task object

GET /api/v1/tasks/:projectId

Get project tasks

• Auth: Required
• Returns: Array of tasks

Database Models

User Model

{
  username: String,
  email: String,
  password: String,
  refreshToken: String,
  emailVerificationToken: String,
  emailVerificationExpiry: Date,
  isEmailVerified: Boolean
}

Project Model

{
  name: String,
  description: String,
  owner: ObjectId,
  members: [ObjectId],
  tasks: [ObjectId],
  createdAt: Date,
  updatedAt: Date
}

Task Model

{
  title: String,
  description: String,
  project: ObjectId,
  assignedTo: ObjectId,
  status: String,
  priority: String,
  dueDate: Date,
  subtasks: [ObjectId]
}

Authentication & Authorization

The system uses JWT-based authentication with refresh tokens:

• Access tokens expire in 15 minutes
• Refresh tokens expire in 7 days
• Email verification required for new accounts
• Password reset functionality available

Email Service

Email notifications are handled by Nodemailer with Mailtrap integration:

• Email verification
• Password reset
• Project invitations
• Task assignments

Middleware

Authentication Middleware

• Verifies JWT tokens
• Handles token refresh
• Manages user sessions

Validation Middleware

• Input validation
• Request sanitization
• Error formatting

Multer Middleware

• Handles file uploads
• Validates file types
• Manages storage

Error Handling

Custom error handling using ApiError class:

• Standardized error responses
• HTTP status codes
• Error logging
• Development vs Production error details

Utilities

API Response

Standardized API response format:

{
  success: Boolean,
  data: Object|Array|null,
  message: String,
  errors: Array
}

Async Handler

Wrapper for async route handlers with unified error handling.

Mail Service

Email service utility with development and production modes.

Security Features

1. Password Hashing
2. JWT Token Management
3. Rate Limiting
4. CORS Protection
5. Input Validation
6. XSS Prevention

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch
3. Commit changes
4. Push to branch
5. Create Pull Request

License

MIT License