How to Use the App

IF YOU USE DOCKER

Prerequisites for Using Docker:

If you choose to open the app with Docker, make sure to install the latest version of Docker Desktop

Initial Setup

1. Start Docker Desktop.
2. Clone the Repository: Clone the project repository into your local environment. For example:

git clone https://github.com/pantaleoflavio/individuyElection /path/to/htdocs/

3. Make sure to create a .env file, or use the one included in this repository and modify it as follows:

DB_HOST=db
DB_NAME=individuyelection
DB_USER=root
DB_PASS=
SMTP_HOST=hostYouWillUseForEmailTesting
SMTP_USERNAME=your_email@email.com
SMTP_PASSWORD=your_password
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_RECIPIENT=your_destination_email@email.com

4. On your terminal, mount and start the Docker container. For the first use, you can use these commands:

docker-compose build
docker-compose up

For subsequent uses, to maintain smooth app performance and better efficiency, I recommend this command:

docker-compose down -v; if ($?) { docker-compose build; if ($?) { docker-compose up } }

5. After building the Docker Container, run:

cd IndividuyElection
docker exec -it individuyElection bash
composer install
npm install

This way the Composer and Npm dependencies will be installed directly into the Container, without having to have the various programs installed.

6. Open a browser of your choice and navigate to http://localhost:8080/ for the main application page and http://localhost:8081/ for database management.

Ensure that the cinema database exists or is populated; if not, you can open http://localhost:8081/, click on the cinema database, click on import, and import the individuyelection.sql file found in the main directory of this project.

7. Log in with these credentials:

email: john@doe.com
password: password

or you can create a new user with the signup feature (if you want to test the Admin dashboard, remember to change the new user's role in the database).

IF YOU DO NOT USE DOCKER

Prerequisites for Not Using Docker

Before starting, make sure to have installed:

• Node.js and NPM: Useful for managing front-end dependencies and compiling SASS or other task runners.
• XAMPP: Provides a local environment with PHP, Apache server, and MariaDB database, facilitating the execution and testing of the app.
• Composer: To manage the PHP dependencies of the project.

Initial Setup

1. Start XAMPP: Start the Apache and MySQL services from the XAMPP Control Panel to have a local server and database operational.
2. Clone the Repository: Clone the project repository into your local environment. If your Apache server points to a directory other than htdocs, make sure to clone the project into the correct directory.

git clone https://github.com/pantaleoflavio/individuyElection /path/to/htdocs/

3. Install Dependencies:

In the main project directory, run the following command to install the front-end dependencies via NPM:

cd /path/to/htdocs/individuyElection
npm install

For PHP dependencies, make sure to be in the main project directory and then run Composer:

composer install

4. Database Configuration:

• Access http://localhost/phpmyadmin from your browser.
• Import the provided individuyelection.sql file from the project to structure your database.

5. Configure the .env File:

• Rename the .env.exampe to .env in the main project directory
• Modify the .env file with your specific configurations.

6. Start the Application: Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/individuyElection/ to start exploring the app.