ApartmentScouting

The objective of this project is to create a user-friendly platform that caters to the unique needs of international students seeking accommodation near their college campus. The platform will allow students to post apartment listings and communicate with local scouts who can visit and verify the apartments in person.

Apartment Scout

Apartment Scout is a web application designed to help international students find suitable apartments near their college or university by connecting them with local scouts who can visit, verify, and document the apartments on their behalf. The platform is built using Node.js, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and aims to save time and resources for both students and scouts.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
• Features
  • Homepage
  • User Authentication
  • User Dashboard
  • Apartment Listing Management
  • Scout Dashboard
  • Extra Features

Getting Started

These instructions will help you set up a local development environment for Apartment Scout.

Prerequisites

Ensure that you have the following software installed on your local machine:

• Node.js (version 14.x.x or higher)
• NPM (version 6.x.x or higher)
• axios (version 1.3.4 or higher)
• bcryptjs (version 2.4.3 or higher)
• cookie-parser (version 1.4.6 or higher)
• express (version 4.18.2 or higher)
• express-handlebars (version 7.0.4 or higher)
• express-session (version 1.17.3 or higher)
• handlebars (version 4.7.7 or higher)
• mongodb (version 4.13.0 or higher)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

gh repo clone sushilrajeeva/ApartmentScouting

2. Navigate to the project directory:

cd ApartmentScouting

3. Install the required dependencies:

npm install

4. Start the development server:

npm start

5. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to access the web application.

Important note regarding Settings.js file

If you are a windows user change the serverURL to 'mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017'

If you are a mac user change the serverURL to 'mongodb://localhost:27017/'

Running seed file

To run seed file run npm run seed in your terminal. This "" Cs546$Password "" is the password for the all user to login to application, While using the data provided in the seed.js file.

Features

Homepage

The landing page of the application, providing an overview of the platform, its purpose, and the functionalities offered to both international students and local scouts.

User Authentication

Allows international students and scouts to sign up and log in using their email and password.

User Dashboard

A central hub for international students to manage their apartment listings, communicate with subscribed scouts, and view relevant information.

Apartment Listing Management

Enables international students to post, edit, delete, and manage their apartment listings.

Scout Dashboard

A dedicated area for scouts to search for apartments, subscribe to listings, and manage their tasks.

Extra Features

• Review System: Allows scouts and international students to rate each other.
• In-app Messaging: Built-in messaging system for communication between users and scouts.
• Group Listings: Enables international students to create group listings for shared accommodations and find roommates.