Payments App Backend

The backend for the Payments App is a robust server-side application built with Node.js and Express.js. It provides APIs for user authentication, account management, and transaction processing. This document serves as a guide to understanding, setting up, and contributing to the backend component.

---

Features

• Authentication: Secure signup, signin, and token-based authentication using JWT.
• User Management: APIs to manage user details and credentials.
• Balance Management: Retrieve balance and process money transfers.
• Transaction History: Store and retrieve transaction logs.

---

Prerequisites

To run the backend, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm (v6 or higher)
• A database service (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB)

---

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/paymentapp.git
   cd paymentapp/backend

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Configure environment variables:

   Create a .env file in the backend directory with the following variables:

   DATABASE_URL=your_database_connection_string
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

---

Running the Backend

1. Start the server:

   npm start

2. The backend server will start and listen on http://localhost:3000 by default.

3. API Endpoints:

   Method	Endpoint	Description
   POST	/auth/signup	Register a new user
   POST	/auth/signin	Login a user
   GET	/users/:id	Retrieve user details
   PATCH	/users/:id	Update user credentials
   GET	/balance	Get user balance
   POST	/transfer	Transfer money to another user

---

Testing

• Postman/Insomnia: Test API endpoints manually.

• Automated Testing: Run test cases with:

  npm test

---

Folder Structure

backend/
├── controllers/    # Business logic for each route
├── models/         # Database models
├── routes/         # API route definitions
├── middlewares/    # Middleware functions (e.g., authentication)
├── utils/          # Utility functions
├── tests/          # Unit and integration tests
├── app.js          # Main application file
├── package.json    # Dependency and script configuration
└── README.md       # Documentation

---

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve the backend. Please:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature-name).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m "Add feature").
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature-name).
5. Open a pull request.

---

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

---

Contact

For inquiries or assistance, reach out to:

• Email: shivam.chem21@iitg.ac.in
• GitHub: Shivam

Thank you for contributing to the Payments App Backend!