auction-project

A feature-rich eBay-like e-commerce auction site where users can post listings, place bids, comment on listings, and manage a watchlist.

Features

• Listings: Create, view, and close auction listings.
• Bidding: Real-time validation for bid amounts.
• Watchlist: Add/remove items to a personal watchlist.
• Categories: Filter listings by category.
• Admin Interface: Full control over users, listings, and comments.

Security Measures

To follow industry best practices, this project uses environment variables to manage sensitive data. The SECRET_KEY and DEBUG mode are handled via a .env file, which is excluded from version control for security.

Installation & Local Setup

1. Clone the repository

git clone [https://github.com/thoughts-cell/auction-project](https://github.com/thoughts-cell/auction-project)
cd ./auction-project/commerce/

2. Install Dependencies

On Windows:

py -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Or if python is in your PATH:

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

On macOS/Linux:

python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt

(Note: Ensure python-dotenv is installed as it is required to read the configuration.)

3. Automatic Environment Configuration

I have included a helper script to make setup easier. Run the following command to automatically generate a secure SECRET_KEY and create your local .env file:

On Windows:

py setup_env.py

Or if python is in your PATH:

python setup_env.py

On macOS/Linux:

python3 setup_env.py

4. Database Setup

Apply the migrations to initialize the SQLite database. This will automatically create the database schema and populate 8 default categories:

First, create the migrations:

py manage.py makemigrations

Then, apply the migrations:

py manage.py migrate

Default Categories: Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Sports & Outdoors, Toys & Games, Books, Music, and Art & Collectibles.

5. Start the Server

python manage.py runserver
 

Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000/ in your browser.