Note App

A full-stack notes application with file attachments, built with Flutter (frontend) and Node.js/Express (backend) with SQLite storage. Includes push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging and local notifications.

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Frontend	Flutter 3.x, Dart
Backend	Node.js, Express 5
Database	SQLite via Sequelize ORM
File Uploads	Multer (local disk storage)
Notifications	Flutter Local Notifications, Firebase Cloud Messaging
Theming	Material 3 with light/dark mode

Features

• CRUD Operations — Create, read, update, and delete notes
• File Attachments — Upload JPG, PNG, or PDF files (max 10 MB) to notes
• Dark/Light Theme — Toggle between themes with persistence across sessions
• Pull to Refresh — Swipe down to refresh the note list
• Local Notifications — Notification on note creation
• Push Notifications — FCM setup for foreground, background, and cold start messages
• Multi-platform — Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows support

Project Structure

note-app/
├── backend/
│   ├── config/
│   │   └── database.js          # Sequelize + SQLite config
│   ├── models/
│   │   └── Note.js              # Note model (title, description, file_url)
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── notes.js             # Notes CRUD endpoints
│   │   └── upload.js            # File upload endpoint
│   ├── uploads/                 # Uploaded files directory
│   ├── .env                     # Environment variables
│   ├── index.js                 # Express app entry point
│   ├── package.json
│   └── database.sqlite          # SQLite database file
├── frontend/
│   ├── lib/
│   │   ├── main.dart            # App entry, theme, Firebase init
│   │   ├── notification.dart    # Local + FCM notification setup
│   │   ├── firebase_options.dart # Firebase config (FlutterFire CLI)
│   │   ├── screens/
│   │   │   ├── note_list_screen.dart   # Note list with search, refresh, delete
│   │   │   └── note_form_screen.dart   # Create/edit form with file upload
│   │   └── services/
│   │       └── api_service.dart        # HTTP client for backend API
│   ├── android/
│   ├── ios/
│   ├── web/
│   └── pubspec.yaml
└── README.md

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 18
• Flutter SDK >= 3.10
• Android Studio or VS Code with Flutter/Dart plugins
• For iOS: Xcode + CocoaPods
• For Firebase: A Firebase project with Cloud Messaging enabled

Setup

Backend

cd backend
npm install

Create a .env file in backend/:

PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

Start the server:

# Development (with auto-reload)
npm run dev

# Production
npm start

The API starts at http://localhost:3000. The SQLite database is auto-created on first run.

Frontend

cd frontend
flutter pub get

Update the API base URL in lib/services/api_service.dart to match your machine's IP:

static String get baseUrl {
  if (kIsWeb) return 'http://localhost:3000';
  // Replace with your local IP for native builds
  return 'http://<YOUR_IP>:3000';
}

Run the app:

flutter run

API Endpoints

Notes

Method	Endpoint	Description	Body
GET	/notes	List all notes	—
GET	/notes/:id	Get a single note	—
POST	/notes	Create a note	{ title, description?, file_url? }
PUT	/notes/:id	Update a note	{ title, description?, file_url? }
DELETE	/notes/:id	Delete a note	—

File Upload

Method	Endpoint	Description	Body
POST	/upload	Upload a file	multipart/form-data with file field

Upload response:

{ "file_url": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/1724812345678-photo.jpg" }

Upload limits: 10 MB max. All file types accepted.

Health Check

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/	Returns { status: "Notes API running", version: "1.0.0" }

Note Model

{
  "id": 1,
  "title": "My Note",
  "description": "Optional description text",
  "file_url": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/file.jpg",
  "createdAt": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "updatedAt": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	INTEGER	auto	Primary key
title	STRING	yes	Note title
description	TEXT	no	Note body
file_url	STRING	no	URL to uploaded file
createdAt	DATE	auto	Creation timestamp
updatedAt	DATE	auto	Last update timestamp

Firebase Setup (Optional)

The app includes Firebase Cloud Messaging integration. To enable it:

1. Create a Firebase project at console.firebase.google.com
2. Install FlutterFire CLI: dart pub global activate flutterfire_cli
3. Run flutterfire configure from the frontend/ directory
4. This will update lib/firebase_options.dart and platform configs

For Android: Ensure google-services.json is in android/app/. For iOS: Ensure GoogleService-Info.plist is in ios/Runner/ and APNs is configured in Firebase Console.