Marketplace App

The Marketplace App is an internal platform designed to facilitate the buying, selling, and exchange of assets within an organization. Built with a modern tech stack, it offers a seamless user experience, robust functionality, and secure transactions. Key features include user profiles, asset listings, comments, ratings, and administrative tools for managing content and users.

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Getting Started (Local Development)
• Deployment (GCP with Firebase)
• Usage
• Contributing
• License

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Features

• User Profiles: Manage personal information, track activity, and view ratings.
• Asset Listings: Create, view, and manage asset listings with detailed descriptions and images.
• Comments and Ratings: Engage with assets through comments and rate user interactions.
• Admin Tools: Administrative features for managing users, assets, and content moderation.
• Secure Authentication: User authentication and authorization powered by Firebase.
• Real-time Updates: Live updates for comments, ratings, and asset changes using Firestore.

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Technologies Used

• Frontend: Vue.js 3, Vuetify 3
• Backend: Firebase (Firestore, Authentication, Storage, Hosting)
• Development Tools: Vite, Firebase Emulators, Node.js, npm

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Getting Started (Local Development)

To set up the project locally, follow these steps:

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm: Ensure you have Node.js (v16+) and npm installed.

• Firebase CLI: Install the Firebase CLI globally:

  npm install -g firebase-tools

Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/marketplace-app.git
   cd marketplace-app

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set Up Firebase Emulators:

   The project uses Firebase Emulators for local development. Start the emulators with:

   firebase emulators:start

   This will run Firestore, Authentication, and other services locally.

4. Configure Firebase:

   Create a .env file in the root directory with your Firebase configuration:

   VITE_FIREBASE_API_KEY=your-api-key
   VITE_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN=your-auth-domain
   VITE_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
   VITE_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=your-storage-bucket
   VITE_FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID=your-messaging-sender-id
   VITE_FIREBASE_APP_ID=your-app-id

   Replace the placeholders with your Firebase project’s configuration values.

5. Run the Development Server:

   Start the Vite development server:

   npm run dev

   Access the app at http://localhost:5173.

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Deployment (GCP with Firebase)

To deploy the app on a new GCP account using Firebase, follow these steps:

Prerequisites

• GCP Account: Ensure you have a Google Cloud Platform account.

• Firebase CLI: Install the Firebase CLI globally (if not already done):

  npm install -g firebase-tools

Deployment Steps

1. Create a Firebase Project:

   • Go to the Firebase Console.
   • Click "Add project" and follow the prompts to create a new project.
   • Enable the necessary services: Firestore, Authentication, and Storage.

2. Set Up Firebase Services:

   • Firestore: Create a Firestore database in "Native mode."
   • Authentication: Enable authentication methods (e.g., Email/Password, Google).
   • Storage: Set up Firebase Storage for asset images or files.

3. Configure Security Rules:

   Update Firestore and Storage security rules to match your project’s requirements. Example rules are in firestore.rules and storage.rules. Deploy rules using:

   firebase deploy --only firestore:rules,storage:rules

4. Initialize Firebase in the Project:

   • Log in to Firebase CLI:

     firebase login

   • Initialize Firebase in the project directory:

     firebase init

   • Select "Hosting" and choose your Firebase project.

   • Set the public directory to dist (for Vite builds).

5. Build the Project:

   Build the Vue.js app for production:

   npm run build

6. Deploy to Firebase Hosting:

   Deploy the app:

   firebase deploy --only hosting

   Access the deployed app at the provided URL (e.g., https://your-project-id.web.app).

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Usage

Once the app is running:

1. Sign Up / Log In: Create an account or log in using Firebase Authentication.
2. Create Assets: List assets with titles, descriptions, and images.
3. Engage: Comment on assets, rate users, and manage your profile.
4. Admin Features: If you’re an admin, manage users, assets, and content.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bugfix.
3. Commit your changes and push to your fork.
4. Submit a pull request with a detailed description of your changes.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.