LIMS - Sample Tracker API (Backend)

This is the backend API for the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) application. It's a secure RESTful API built with Python, Django, and Django REST Framework, designed to manage user authentication and sample data.

Live API URL: https://laboratory-sample-tracker-api.onrender.com

Frontend Client Repo: [Link to your GitHub repo for the frontend]

Features

• Token Authentication: Secure user registration and login endpoints using DRF's built-in authtoken.
• RESTful API: Full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) functionality for Sample models.
• Permissions: API endpoints are protected, ensuring users can only view and edit their own samples.
• Data Integrity: Automatically creates an AuditLog entry for every sample creation and status update.
• Custom Endpoints: Includes a /api/user/ endpoint to retrieve the current user's details from their token.

Tech Stack

• Framework: Django & Django REST Framework
• Language: Python
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Authentication: DRF Token Authentication
• CORS: django-cors-headers
• Deployment: Render

API Endpoints

All endpoints are prefixed with /api/.

Endpoint	Method	Permission	Description
/register/	POST	AllowAny	Creates a new user.
/login/	POST	AllowAny	Logs in a user, returns an auth token.
/user/	GET	IsAuthenticated	Returns the logged-in user's details.
/samples/	GET	IsAuthenticated	Returns a list of the user's samples.
/samples/	POST	IsAuthenticated	Creates a new sample for the user.
/samples/<id>/	GET	IsAuthenticated	Returns details for a single sample.
/samples/<id>/	PUT	IsAuthenticated	Updates a sample (e.g., its status).
/samples/<id>/	DELETE	IsAuthenticated	Deletes a sample.

Running Locally

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [your-repo-url]
   cd laboratory-sample-tracker-api

2. Set up a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv env
   source env/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up PostgreSQL:
   • Create a local PostgreSQL database (e.g., lims_db).
   • Create a user (e.g., lims_user) with a password.
   • Grant the user privileges on the database.
5. Set up environment variables: Create a .env file in the root.

   SECRET_KEY='your-django-secret-key'
   DEBUG='True'
   ALLOWED_HOSTS='127.0.0.1,localhost'
   DATABASE_URL='postgres://lims_user:password@127.0.0.1:5432/lims_db'

6. Run migrations:

   python manage.py migrate

7. Run the development server:

   python manage.py runserver

   The API will be running at http://127.0.0.1:8000.