DeskBuddy Backend

A robust, production-ready Node.js backend for the DeskBuddy onboarding and event management system. Handles student onboarding, QR code generation, multi-stage scanning, and bulk email notifications with advanced logging and Supabase integration.

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🚀 Features

• Express.js REST API for all onboarding and event flows
• Supabase integration for student data storage and updates
• Bulk Email sending with CSV upload, QR code attachment, and SMTP (Gmail) support
• SMS Notifications for arrival, hostel, and documents verification events
• QR Code generation and download for each student
• Multi-stage Scanning (arrival, hostel, documents, kit)
• Robust Logging to both console (color) and logs/app.log (JSON)
• CSV Parsing with validation and error reporting
• Modular Controllers/Services for clean, maintainable code

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🗂️ Directory Structure

deskbuddy-backend/
  controllers/      # Business logic for email, scan, student
  routes/           # API route definitions
  services/         # Email, CSV, Supabase integrations
  utils/            # Logger utility
  uploads/          # Temporary CSV uploads
  logs/             # Log files (gitignored)
  index.js          # Main entry point
  env.example       # Environment variable template
  package.json      # Dependencies and scripts

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⚙️ Setup & Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd DeskBuddy/deskbuddy-backend

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Configure environment variables:
   • Copy env.example to .env and fill in your credentials:

     cp env.example .env
     # Edit .env with your Supabase and Gmail SMTP details

4. Start the server:
   • For production:

     npm start

   • For development (with auto-reload):

     npm run dev

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🔑 Environment Variables

Variable	Description
SUPABASE_URL	Your Supabase project URL
SUPABASE_ANON_KEY	Supabase anon/service key
EMAIL_USER	Gmail address for SMTP
EMAIL_PASSWORD	Gmail app password
SMS_BASE_URL	SMS API base URL
PORT	Server port (default: 3001)
NODE_ENV	Environment (development/production)

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📦 API Endpoints

Student

• GET /api/student/:studentId — Fetch student details

Scan

• POST /api/scan/arrival — Mark arrival for a student
• POST /api/scan/hostel — Mark hostel verification
• POST /api/scan/documents — Mark document verification
• POST /api/scan/kit — Mark kit collection

Request Body (for scan):

{
  "studentId": "NST124",
  "volunteerName": "John Doe"
}

Email

• POST /api/email/upload-csv — Upload CSV, send bulk emails with QR
• GET /api/email/qr-code/:studentId — Get QR code (data URL)
• GET /api/email/qr-download/:studentId — Download QR code (PNG)
• POST /api/email/test-email — Send test email
• GET /api/email/test-smtp — Test SMTP connection
• GET /api/email/stats — Email stats

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📄 CSV Format for Bulk Email

• Required columns: name, email, studentid
• Example:

  name,email,studentid
  Aryan Vibhuti,aryan@example.com,NST123
  Jane Doe,jane@example.com,NST124

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📝 Logging

• All API/database/scan actions are logged to both console (color-coded) and logs/app.log (JSON).
• Log file is gitignored and not pushed to GitHub.
• Log structure includes timestamp, level, message, and context.

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🛡️ Security & Best Practices

• Never commit real credentials; use .env for secrets.
• Ensure CORS is configured for your frontend domain.
• Use HTTPS in production (behind a reverse proxy or AWS load balancer).
• Regularly rotate your SMTP and Supabase keys.

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☁️ Deployment Notes

• Can be hosted on AWS EC2, Elastic Beanstalk, or any Node.js-compatible service.
• Expose the chosen PORT and ensure security group/firewall allows inbound traffic.
• For persistent logs, consider AWS CloudWatch or similar.

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🤝 Contributing

Pull requests and issues are welcome! Please open an issue to discuss major changes.

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📧 Contact

For support, email: aryanvibhuti@gmail.com

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© 2025 DeskBuddy. All rights reserved.