NetShop v2 — Full-Stack E-Commerce Rebuild

NetShop v2 is a ground-up rebuild of the original NetShop project. This version focuses on clean architecture, real-world patterns, and production-ready fundamentals.

The goal is not to “clone Jumia,” but to build a scalable, understandable e-commerce system that mirrors how real startups structure their products.

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🎯 Project Goals

• Rebuild NetShop with clear separation of concerns
• Strengthen backend fundamentals (API design, auth, data flow)
• Treat the frontend as a true API consumer
• Build features incrementally with discipline
• Create a solid portfolio-grade project and MVP foundation

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🧠 Core Principles

• Backend first, frontend second
• Features over pages
• Boring technology, strong fundamentals
• No hidden logic, no magic files
• Readability > cleverness

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🧩 Features (MVP Scope)

User

• Register
• Login
• View products
• Add to cart
• Checkout
• View order history

Products

• Product listing
• Product details
• Stock handling (basic)

Orders

• Create order
• Store order data
• Fetch user orders

Admin (Basic)

• Add products
• Edit products
• Delete products

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🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend

• HTML
• CSS / Bootstrap
• Vanilla JavaScript

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js

Database (Phase 1)

• JSON file storage

Database (Phase 2 – planned)

• MongoDB

Authentication

• Simple auth (Phase 1)
• JWT-based auth (Phase 2)

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📁 Project Structure

Backend

backend/
├── server.js
├── routes/
├── controllers/
├── services/
├── middlewares/
├── data/
└── utils/

Frontend

frontend/
├── pages/
├── css/
├── js/
├── assets/
└── api/

All API requests live inside the frontend/api/ directory. No fetch calls scattered across random files.

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🔌 API Endpoints (Initial)

Health

• GET /api/health

Products

• GET /api/products
• GET /api/products/:id

Auth

• POST /api/auth/register
• POST /api/auth/login

Orders

• POST /api/orders
• GET /api/orders/:userId

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🚧 Development Phases

Phase 1: Backend Foundation

• Project setup
• API structure
• Product endpoints
• JSON data persistence

Phase 2: Authentication

• User registration
• Login
• Protected routes

Phase 3: Frontend Integration

• API helper
• Product listing
• Product details
• Error handling

Phase 4: Cart & Orders

• Cart logic
• Checkout flow
• Order storage

Phase 5: Admin Basics

• Product CRUD
• Simple admin checks

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🧪 Testing Strategy

• Manual API testing with Postman / Thunder Client
• Console-based debugging
• Feature-by-feature validation before UI polish

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🧾 Version Control Rules

• Meaningful commits only
• One feature per commit
• No “final final” commits

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🚀 Long-Term Vision

NetShop v2 is designed to evolve into:

• A production-ready MVP
• A scalable startup foundation
• A teaching project for content and mentorship

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📌 Status

🚧 Active rebuild in progress 📅 Iterative development 🧠 Learning-driven, not rush-driven