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Back-end Introduction

This section provides an overview of the back-end architecture and tools used for the "RaiseHub" project. It covers the technologies, development practices, and structure of the back-end codebase, along with instructions for setting up the development environment.

Overview​

The back-end of the "RaiseHub" application is a robust REST API built using modern Java development frameworks. It handles data management, business logic, and API services to support the front-end application. The goal is to deliver secure, scalable, and efficient back-end services.

Technologies Used​

The back-end is built using the following technologies:

  • Spring Boot: A Java-based framework for building production-ready applications with minimal configuration.
  • Gradle: For project build automation and dependency management.
  • Spring Data JPA: Simplifies database interactions and ORM (Object-Relational Mapping).
  • MySQL: A relational database to store user and project data.
  • Docker: For containerizing the application, ensuring consistency across environments.
  • SonarQube: For static code analysis to improve code quality.

Project Structure​

The codebase follows a modular and layered structure, organized into different folders:

  • src/main/java/: Contains the application code, structured as follows:
    • controller/: Manages HTTP requests and responses.
    • bussiness/: Contains business logic.
    • repository/: Interfaces with the database using JPA.
    • persistence/: Defines the application's data entities and DTOs.
  • src/main/resources/: Stores configuration files such as application.properties.
  • tests/: Includes unit tests and integration tests for validating application functionality.

Setting Up the Back-end Development Environment​

Follow these steps to set up the back-end for development:

  1. Prerequisites:

    • Java 17
    • Gradle 8.1
    • MySQL

  2. Clone the Repository:

    git clone https://github.com/MateoGlzAlon/ui-crowfunding-fontys-project.git

  3. Set Up the Database:

    • Create a MySQL database named crowdfund_db.
    • Update the application.properties file with your database credentials: 
      spring.datasource.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3307/crowdfund_db
      spring.datasource.username=${MYSQL_PASSWORD}
      spring.datasource.password=${MYSQL_USERNAME}

    The default port is 3307, you can change that in the application.properties file

    You can review the environment variables here

  4. Create an .env file: Create an .env file in the root directory for the environment variables

    .env
     JWT_SECRET=<value, eg: DFEOXMB4XAQBIGLBN9FOQNMUTK3EZUYQLRIJ1R1ZNRQH0MPP>
     MYSQL_USERNAME=<value, eg: admin>
     MYSQL_PASSWORD=<value, eg: admin>

  5. Build the Application: Run the following Gradle command to build the project:

    ./gradlew build

  6. Run the Application: Start the Spring Boot application using:

    ./gradlew bootRun

Run with Docker (optional):​

  • Download the image from the DockerHub repository: DockerHub repository
  • Run the container with the environment variables: 
    docker run -d -e JWT_SECRET=<value> -e MYSQL_USERNAME=<value> -e MYSQL_PASSWORD=<value> --name raisehub_backend_container -p 8080:8080 mateogonzalezz/raisehub_backend:<tag>

You can review the environment variables here

The application will be accessible at http://localhost:8080 by default.