GigGatek Advanced Ecommerce Platform - Development Notes

Overview

GigGatek is an advanced ecommerce site specializing in refurbished computer hardware, featuring direct sales and a unique “rent-to-own” service. This document tracks the development progress and deployment plan.

Technology Stack

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP (for server-side includes and future backend integration)
• Backend: Python (Flask)
• Database: MySQL
• Server OS: Ubuntu 22.04 (Target Deployment)
• Web Server: Apache2 (Target Deployment)

Deployment Plan (Target: root@giggahost.com)

1. Database Setup (Remote):
   • Ensure MySQL is running on giggahost.com.
   • Connect to MySQL (mysql -u root -pteamrsi12teamrsi12).
   • Execute SQL scripts to create the giggatek database and required tables (products, customers, orders, order_items, rentals, rental_payments).
2. Application Code Deployment:
   • Transfer the giggatek/frontend and giggatek/backend directories to the appropriate location on the server (e.g., /var/www/giggatek.com).
   • Ensure the backend virtual environment (venv) is recreated or transferred and dependencies are installed on the server.
   • Update backend DB_CONFIG in app.py if the remote MySQL server details differ from localhost.
3. Web Server Configuration (Apache2):
   • Configure an Apache2 virtual host for giggatek.com pointing to the giggatek/frontend directory (or a build output if applicable).
   • Set up Apache to serve the Python backend, likely using mod_wsgi or a reverse proxy configuration (e.g., proxying requests for /api/* to a Gunicorn/uWSGI process running the Flask app).
   • Ensure necessary Apache modules (proxy, proxy_http, wsgi, etc.) are enabled.
   • Install and configure SSL/TLS certificates (e.g., Let’s Encrypt) for HTTPS.
   • Set correct file permissions for the web server user.
4. Final Steps:
   • Restart Apache2 (sudo systemctl restart apache2).
   • Test the live site thoroughly.

Current Development Status (As of 2025-04-12)

Frontend

• Basic project structure created (frontend/, backend/ directories).
• Created the homepage with product listings (frontend/index.php), styled with CSS (frontend/css/style.css).
• Generated and implemented a tech-themed logo (frontend/img/logo.png) in the site header.
• Implemented detailed product page with specifications, condition ratings, and images (frontend/product.php).
• Added interactive rent-to-own calculator with monthly payment options for different terms.
• Created user authentication pages (login and registration) with form validation.
• Fixed security issue in the escapeHTML function to prevent XSS vulnerabilities.
• Generated a placeholder image for products without images.
• Enhanced CSS with Google Font (Roboto), header gradient, and animations for product items.

Backend

• Basic Python Flask backend (backend/app.py) setup with a virtual environment (venv) and dependencies.
• Implemented database connection logic and API endpoints:
  • /api/products endpoint fetches products from the database
  • /api/products/<id> endpoint for single product detail
• Created comprehensive admin panel structure using Flask Blueprints:
  • Dashboard for metrics and KPIs
  • Product management with CRUD operations
  • Order management and tracking
• Enhanced admin UI with advanced styling, modals, and client-side functionality.
• Added placeholder data for local development and testing.

API Development

• Implemented RESTful API for products
• Backend properly handles JSON fields (specifications, image_urls)
• Added error handling for database operations

Database Integration

• Set up connection to MySQL database
• Implemented JSON parsing for complex product fields
• Added protection against SQL injection with parameterized queries

Next Steps & Suggested Improvements

1. End-to-End Testing:

   • Implement comprehensive end-to-end testing for all user flows.
   • Test the complete user journey from registration to checkout.
   • Verify rental contract creation and management flow.

2. Performance Optimization:

   • Implement frontend asset optimization (minification, bundling).
   • Optimize database queries for better performance.
   • Implement caching strategies for frequently accessed data.
   • Optimize image loading and processing.

3. Security Audit:

   • Review authentication and authorization mechanisms.
   • Audit data validation and sanitization.
   • Review payment processing security.
   • Implement additional security headers.
   • Review CSRF protection implementation.

4. Deployment Preparation:

   • Finalize Apache2 configuration for production.
   • Prepare database migration scripts.
   • Set up monitoring and logging.
   • Configure backup and recovery procedures.
   • Implement CI/CD pipeline for automated deployment.

5. Documentation:

   • Update API documentation with all endpoints.
   • Create comprehensive user guide.
   • Document deployment and maintenance procedures.
   • Create developer onboarding documentation.

Database Schema (Simplified)

CREATE TABLE `products` (
  `product_id` int PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
  `description` text,
  `category` varchar(50) NOT NULL,
  `specifications` json,
  `condition_rating` varchar(50) NOT NULL,
  `purchase_price` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  `rental_price_3m` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  `rental_price_6m` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  `rental_price_12m` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  `stock_quantity` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
  `image_urls` json,
  `created_at` timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
  `updated_at` timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

CREATE TABLE `users` (
  `user_id` int PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `email` varchar(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
  `password_hash` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
  `first_name` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
  `last_name` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
  `phone` varchar(20),
  `role` varchar(20) DEFAULT 'customer',
  `created_at` timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

CREATE TABLE `orders` (
  `order_id` int PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `user_id` int NOT NULL,
  `order_date` timestamp DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
  `total_amount` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  `status` varchar(50) DEFAULT 'pending',
  `shipping_address` text NOT NULL,
  `payment_method` varchar(50) NOT NULL,
  FOREIGN KEY (`user_id`) REFERENCES `users` (`user_id`)
);

CREATE TABLE `order_items` (
  `item_id` int PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `order_id` int NOT NULL,
  `product_id` int NOT NULL,
  `quantity` int NOT NULL,
  `price` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  FOREIGN KEY (`order_id`) REFERENCES `orders` (`order_id`),
  FOREIGN KEY (`product_id`) REFERENCES `products` (`product_id`)
);

CREATE TABLE `rentals` (
  `rental_id` int PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `user_id` int NOT NULL,
  `product_id` int NOT NULL,
  `start_date` date NOT NULL,
  `end_date` date NOT NULL,
  `monthly_rate` decimal(10,2) NOT NULL,
  `status` varchar(50) DEFAULT 'active',
  `buyout_price` decimal(10,2),
  FOREIGN KEY (`user_id`) REFERENCES `users` (`user_id`),
  FOREIGN KEY (`product_id`) REFERENCES `products` (`product_id`)
);