EduChain - Decentralized Learning Platform

A comprehensive blockchain-based education platform built with React, Express.js, MySQL, and Sui blockchain.

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16+)
• MySQL (v8.0+)
• Git

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd educhain

2. Run Setup Script

# For first-time setup (includes dependencies)
chmod +x setup.sh
./setup.sh

# For team members (after cloning)
chmod +x scripts/setup-team.sh
./scripts/setup-team.sh

3. Configure Environment

# Backend configuration
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
# Edit backend/.env with your settings

# Frontend configuration
cp educhain-frontend/.env.example educhain-frontend/.env
# Edit educhain-frontend/.env with your settings

4. Start Development Servers

# Terminal 1: Backend
cd backend
npm run migrate  # Setup database
npm run dev

# Terminal 2: Frontend
cd educhain-frontend
npm run dev

5. Verify Setup

# Check if everything is working
./scripts/health-check.sh

🏗️ Project Structure

educhain/
├── backend/                 # Express.js API server
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── controllers/     # Route handlers
│   │   ├── models/         # Database models
│   │   ├── routes/         # API routes
│   │   ├── middleware/     # Custom middleware
│   │   └── utils/          # Helper functions
│   ├── scripts/            # Database migrations
│   └── .env.example        # Environment template
├── educhain-frontend/      # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/     # React components
│   │   ├── contexts/       # React contexts
│   │   ├── services/       # API services
│   │   └── utils/          # Helper functions
│   └── .env.example        # Environment template
├── sources/                # Sui Move contracts
├── tests/                  # Contract tests
└── setup.sh               # Setup automation

🔧 Environment Setup

Backend (.env)

# Server
PORT=3001
NODE_ENV=development

# Database
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_USER=your_mysql_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_mysql_password
DB_NAME=educhain_db

# JWT
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_key
JWT_EXPIRE=7d

# Blockchain
SUI_RPC_URL=https://fullnode.testnet.sui.io:443
PACKAGE_ID=your_package_id
ADMIN_CAP_ID=your_admin_cap_id
REGISTRY_ID=your_registry_id

Frontend (.env)

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:3001/api
VITE_SUI_RPC_URL=https://fullnode.testnet.sui.io:443
VITE_PACKAGE_ID=your_package_id
VITE_ADMIN_CAP_ID=your_admin_cap_id
VITE_EDUCHAINRegistry=your_registry_id

🛠️ Development Tools

Health Check

# Verify all services are running
./scripts/health-check.sh

Team Setup

# For new team members
./scripts/setup-team.sh

🤝 Team Collaboration Guide

Git Workflow

1. Branch Strategy

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

# Create bug fix branch
git checkout -b bugfix/issue-description

# Create hotfix branch
git checkout -b hotfix/critical-fix

2. Commit Convention

# Feature commits
git commit -m "feat: add user authentication"

# Bug fixes
git commit -m "fix: resolve wallet connection issue"

# Documentation
git commit -m "docs: update API documentation"

# Refactoring
git commit -m "refactor: optimize database queries"

3. Pull Request Process

1. Create PR from your feature branch to main
2. Add description with:
   • What was changed
   • Why it was changed
   • How to test
3. Request review from team members
4. Address feedback and make necessary changes
5. Merge after approval

Environment Setup for Team Members

New Team Member Setup

# 1. Clone repository
git clone <repo-url>
cd educhain

# 2. Run setup script
./setup.sh

# 3. Configure environment
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
cp educhain-frontend/.env.example educhain-frontend/.env

# 4. Edit .env files with personal credentials
# - Database credentials
# - JWT secret
# - API keys (if any)

# 5. Install dependencies
cd backend && npm install
cd ../educhain-frontend && npm install

# 6. Setup database
cd ../backend
npm run migrate

# 7. Start development
npm run dev &
cd ../educhain-frontend && npm run dev

Database Setup

# Create MySQL database
mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE educhain_db;
EXIT;

# Run migrations
cd backend
npm run migrate

🔒 Security & Best Practices

Environment Variables

• ✅ Never commit .env files to Git
• ✅ Use strong secrets for JWT and database passwords
• ✅ Document required environment variables
• ✅ Provide examples in .env.example files

API Testing

# Backend must be running for API testing
cd backend && npm run dev

# Test endpoints
curl http://localhost:3001/health
curl http://localhost:3001/api/courses/published

Database Management

# Run migrations
npm run migrate

# Reset database (development only)
mysql -u root -p educhain_db < reset.sql

🚀 Deployment

Development

# Backend
cd backend && npm run dev

# Frontend
cd educhain-frontend && npm run dev

Production

# Backend
cd backend && npm start

# Frontend (after build)
cd educhain-frontend
npm run build
npm run preview

📚 API Documentation

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• GET /api/auth/profile - Get user profile
• PUT /api/auth/profile - Update profile

Courses

• GET /api/courses/published - Get published courses
• GET /api/courses/:id - Get course details

Development

• GET /health - Health check

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Backend Won't Start

# Check if port is available
lsof -i :3001

# Check database connection
cd backend && npm run migrate

Frontend API Errors

# Ensure backend is running
curl http://localhost:3001/health

# Check API URL in frontend .env
cat educhain-frontend/.env

Database Connection Issues

# Test MySQL connection
mysql -u your_user -p -h localhost educhain_db

# Reset database
cd backend && npm run migrate

📞 Support

• Issues: Create GitHub issues for bugs/features
• Discussions: Use GitHub discussions for questions
• Documentation: Update this README for improvements

📋 Development Checklist

Before Pushing Code

• Run tests: npm test
• Lint code: npm run lint
• Update documentation
• Test API endpoints
• Check environment variables

Before Merging to Main

• Code review completed
• All tests passing
• Documentation updated
• Environment variables documented
• Migration scripts tested

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Happy coding! 🎓🚀

For detailed API documentation, see backend/README.md and educhain-frontend/README.md.