Backend capability

[willgarrett64]

I don't really know what is involved in doing this, so I will let the backend team take this issue on and create any new issues as you see fit. This one can be either edited or deleted.

The main things that will be needed:

• A database of users, with their usernames, passwords and list of their custom countdowns
• Ability to log in / out
• Ability to sign up (create new account)
• Ability for new countdowns to be received (GET), added (POST), edited (PUT) and deleted (DELETE)
• Link up front end and back end

I believe that the backend team can begin work on the log in/sign up part straight away, without needing to wait for the frontend team to actually build the sign up/in forms. You could create a separate issue later for linking up the front and back end.

Update:

After some research I started mapping out the steps needed for creating the backend.
I will likely create a separate issue for most of these later on, but also keep them all as a list here. I will continue adding new steps as I figure out what they are. :)
I am following this tutorial:
Python Flask Tutorial

• Research the technologies and find the best way to build the backend.
• Set up the development environment: python, flask, git etc.
• Create a Flask app that renders some simple example pages
• Make the app render the existing Countdown pages

[willgarrett64]

Assigning myself more out of interest than being able to help. I do know some basic python though.

[thecodehippo]

I was thinking more tonight about requirements and what we'll need backend wise. Here are some random notes based on my knowledge but I think they are covered already

• Check Username Route (but don't need this right away)
  Takes a string and checks db if username already in use
  Returns available or username in use

• Register route
  Takes username and password
  Encrypts password and stores in db
  Returns success or error

• Login route
  Takes username and password
  Get player from db by username to retrieve their password
  return error if username not found
  if found then compare encrypted password against the one entered
  return error if they don't match or success

• Sessions
  Once login in success we need backend to return a 'session token', to present their logged in state and authenticate any requests that are for logged in players only.

There are a few options to do this maybe python already supports it too?

• Maybe we could do it via FE just to create a localStorage/sessionStorage and store username for now. Then we can access/use this for what we need, it's only stored there until close browser or tab. But not really secure storing username.
• Python can have a table for username and session token. So we can store session token in a cookie or storage and use this for requests with python can convert to username.

If player clicks 'continue as a guest' we still create a session but it can just be a randomly generated id.

• Logout
  Destroy session token. As above.

• Countdown Routes

Create/Edit
Takes a countdown object and stores in the db - it'll take a username or the generated id.

Delete
Delete from db by username or generated id

Get Countdowns Route
Retrieve list of countdowns from db by username or generated id or default

At a really high level this is. I'll let more experienced people decide table structures, but maybe something like

Player table
username and password

Countdown table
countdown fields plus owner (generated id, username or default) which links back to primary key on player table

Maybe we can generate a default on startup script that can be stored there - initially for xmas.

And depending how we host it whether python app is rendering the pages or it's a separate app we might have to decide how to handle CORs

[Mapuchit]

Thanks, @thecodehippo! This is very helpful.