CreativeSpace System Installation Guide

Installation Process

Step 1: Download and Install XAMPP

1. Go to https://www.apachefriends.org
2. Download the XAMPP version for your operating system (Windows/macOS/Linux)
3. Run the installer and follow the prompts (use default settings)
4. Once installed, open the XAMPP Control Panel

Step 2: Configure the Database

1. In the XAMPP Control Panel, start Apache and MySQL services by clicking the "Start" buttons
2. Wait until both services show a green status indicator
3. Click "Admin" next to MySQL to open phpMyAdmin in your browser
4. Create a new database named creativespace_db:
   • Click on "New" in the left sidebar
   • Enter "creativespace_db" in the database name field
   • Click "Create"
5. Import the database structure:
   • Select the creativespace_db from the left panel
   • Click the "Import" tab at the top
   • Click "Choose File" and select the creativespace_db.sql file
   • Click "Go" at the bottom to import the database structure

Step 3: Install Node.js

1. Go to https://nodejs.org
2. Download the LTS (Long-Term Support) version
3. Run the installer and follow the prompts
4. Verify the installation by opening Command Prompt or Terminal and typing:

   node -v
   npm -v
   

   You should see version numbers displayed for both commands

Step 4: Start the Backend Server

1. Open Command Prompt or Terminal as administrator
2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd C:\Projects\creativespace
   

3. Start the server:

   node server.js
   

4. You should see a message indicating the server is running at http://localhost:5000

Step 5: Start the Frontend Application

1. Open a new Command Prompt or Terminal window as administrator
2. Navigate to the frontend directory:

   cd C:\Projects\creativespace\frontend
   

3. Start the React application:

   npm start
   

4. Your default web browser should automatically open with the application running at http://localhost:3000

Troubleshooting

If Apache or MySQL won't start:

• Check if other applications are using ports 80 or 3306
• Try stopping and restarting the services
• Check XAMPP logs for specific error messages

If the backend server fails to start:

• Ensure MySQL is running
• Verify the database connection settings in the server configuration
• Check if required dependencies are installed with:

  cd C:\Projects\creativespace
  npm install
  

If the frontend fails to start:

• Ensure you have the correct package.json file with all dependencies
• Open cmd and run:

  cd C:\Projects\creativespace\frontend
  npm install
  

• This is to install any missing dependencies
• Check console for specific error messages