Tech-freak: Server for Tech-Freak E-Commerce Web App

1. Project Description:

This repository serves as the backend for the Tech Freak e-commerce web application. It handles functionalities like:

• User authentication and management (signup, login, password reset)
• Product data management (CRUD operations)
• Order processing
• Email notifications

2. Technologies:

• Node.js: https://nodejs.org/en - Open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment for building server-side and networking applications.
• Express.js: https://expressjs.com/ - A popular web framework for Node.js that provides a robust set of features for building web applications and APIs.
• MongoDB: https://www.mongodb.com/ - A NoSQL document database that offers flexible data storage and retrieval capabilities.
• Mongoose: https://www.mongodb.com/developer/languages/javascript/getting-started-with-mongodb-and-mongoose/ - An object data modeling (ODM) library for MongoDB in Node.js, providing a convenient way to interact with the database using JavaScript objects.
• JWT (JSON Web Token): https://jwt.io/ - An open standard (RFC 7519) for representing claims secured by cryptographic signatures. Used for secure information transmission between parties, often in the context of authentication and authorization.
• Nodemailer: https://github.com/nodemailer/nodemailer - A popular Node.js library for sending emails.
• Stripe: https://stripe.com/ - A payment processing platform that allows businesses to accept online payments.

3. Security Features:

• Rate limiting: Implemented to prevent malicious overuse of the API and protect against denial-of-service attacks.
• CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) handling: Ensures secure communication between the frontend and backend, preventing unauthorized cross-origin requests.
• Robust error handling: Provides informative error messages for troubleshooting and prevents unexpected application crashes.
• CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) protection: Mitigates the risk of unauthorized actions being performed on a user's account by an attacker.

4. Frontend:

This backend is designed to work seamlessly with the corresponding frontend repository: https://github.com/duske953/ecommerce-frontend.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js and npm (or yarn) installed on your machine.

Installation:

1. Clone this repository.
2. Navigate to the project directory.
3. Run npm install (or yarn install) to install all required dependencies.

Configuration:

1. Create a .env file in the project root directory.
2. Add environment variables for sensitive information like:
   • Database connection details (URI, username, password)
   • JWT secret key
   • Stripe API keys

6. Important Note:

• This project is intended solely for demonstration purposes. Please note that while Stripe integration is included, it is not intended for real-world transactions and should not be used in a production environment.

7. Additional Notes:

• Refer to the official documentation of each technology listed above for detailed usage and configuration information.
• The backend architecture utilizes:
  • Express.js for building the RESTful API.
  • Mongoose for interacting with the MongoDB database.
  • JWT for user authentication and authorization.
  • Nodemailer for sending email notifications.
  • Stripe for payment processing