CareerCompass

This application is designed for currently enrolled students and recent graduates, offering a platform akin to LinkedIn but focused on entry-level job seekers. Recruiters can post job openings and events, while users can connect, create posts, and engage with communities aligned with their interests or career goals.

Dependencies

• PostgreSQL
• Django

File Structure

• env/: This directory contains the virtual environment created using the python -m venv env command. It includes Python executable, libraries, and other necessary files for the environment.

• careercompass/: This is the main directory of the Django project.

• ./careercompass/careercompass/: This directory represents the Django project. It contains the project-level files such as settings.py, urls.py, wsgi.py, etc.

• ./careercompass/careercompass/settings.py: This file contains the Django project settings, including installed apps and database credentials.

• ./careercompass/careercompassapp/: This directory represents the main Django app within the project. It contains the app-specific files, such as models, views, migrations, etc.

• ./careercompass/careercompassapp/models.py: This file contains the Django models for the PostgreSQL database tables, where we define the database schema using Django's ORM (Object-Relational Mapping).

• ./careercompass/careercompassapp/migrations/: This directory contains Django migration files generated when running python manage.py makemigrations. These files manage changes to the database schema over time.

• ./careercompass/careercompassapp/database_utils.py: This file contains functions used to execute raw SQL queries. These functions will be called on certain actions within the ./careercompass/careercompassapp/views.py file.

• ./careercompass/careercompassapp/views.py: This file contains the views for the Django app, which handle HTTP requests and responses. It includes logic to interact with the database, process user input, and render HTML templates.

• Other Django app files: These include files such as admin.py, apps.py, tests.py, etc., depending on what functionality the app requires.

How to Work on the Project

1. Once you have set your terminals current directory to the repository's location, run the following command to activate the virtual environment in VSCode: env/Scripts/activate

2. Run the following command to install all requirements: pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Open pgAdmin4 on your local device and navigate to server and choose PostgreSQL on the hierarchy found on the left side of the window.

4. Right-click on Databases and create a new database with a name of your choosing (the current configuration is preset with the database name dbcareercompass).

5. Next, navigate to settings.py, found in /careercompass/careercompassapp/ and change the NAME, USER, PASSWORD, HOST, and PORT firlds under DATABASES as needed:

   • NAME → Database name e.g. dbtest previously created in pgAdmin
   • USER → Database username (default is postgres)
   • PASSWORD → Database password
   • HOST → Database host (In development stage, use localhost or IP Address 127.0.0.1 also available)
   • PORT → The port that used to run the database (Default port is 5432)

6. Now, you should be able to make any changes to this project.

How to Apply Database Schema Changes

1. Set your current directory to CareerCompass/careercompass.

2. Run the command: python manage.py makemigrations.

   • You should see a list of all the schema changes you made.

3. Run the command: python manage.py migrate.

   • You should see a list of the chema changes you made, each followed by an OK message.

4. Check your database schema in pgAdmin4 to make sure the changes have been successfully mad.