Development Log

10.06.2024 - Initial Planning:

Analyzed user flow and brainstormed ideas for the ERD and MVP.
Investigated features for chat and artboard functionality, drawing inspiration from platforms like Nintendo PictoChat and Reddit Place.
Drafted the initial ERD and MVP, setting the foundation for the project.

11.06.2024 - Refinement:

Collaborated with Victor to refine the ERD and MVP.
Decided on in-memory management of ArtRooms using WebSockets to ensure they are temporary and dynamically managed.
Chose Node.js for the backend, React for the frontend, and MySQL for the database.

12.06.2024 - Project Setup:

Initialized the project on GitHub and set up the structure in Webstorm.
Implemented basic user authentication functionalities.
Faced issues with displaying specific user data on the frontend, despite successful backend fetch.

13.06.2024 - Separation of Concerns:

Split the project into distinct frontend and backend directories to resolve port conflicts.
Successfully displayed user data by running frontend and backend on different ports.

14.06.2024 - Styling and Design:

Applied custom fonts and styles using Tailwind and Google Fonts.
Discussed deployment strategies with Michael Macher, focusing on environment-specific configurations.

17.06.2024 - Deployment:

Faced challenges connecting the database and hosting with PHP.
Switched from React to Vite framework for the frontend, resolving deployment issues.

18.06.2024 - ArtRoom Development:

Implemented the "Create ArtRoom" page, allowing users to draw, erase, and save images to their gallery.

19.06.2024 - ArtRoom Management Change:

Changed the approach to having a single ArtRoom where any user can join, instead of multiple ArtRooms.

20.06.2024 - Functionality Integration:

Worked on integrating real-time features but faced persistent issues with the chat functionality.

21.06.2024 - Chat Feature Debugging:

22.06.2024 - 28.06.2024 - Final Adjustments and Testing:

Conducted thorough testing to ensure all functionalities work as expected.
Encountered CORS errors during deployment, which were addressed by configuring CORS middleware in the backend.
Initially faced WebSocket connection failures because the frontend was attempting to connect to the local port instead of the deployed WebSocket server.
Resolved this by updating the WebSocket URL to the secure endpoint provided by the Campus Cloud: wss://cc231023-10351.node.fhstp.cc:10351.

Creative Code Lab 2 SS 24 – Connected World