Hiking-Logbook

API Setup Guide

This guide shows you how to set up the backend API for development.

What You Need

• Node.js (v18 or higher) installed
• Database setup completed
• Code editor (VS Code recommended)

What the API Does

The backend API provides:

• User authentication and profiles
• Hike logging with GPS tracking
• Achievement and goal tracking
• Social features (friends, activity feed)
• Public API for external developers
• Interactive API documentation (Swagger)

Setup Steps

1. Install Dependencies

cd backend
npm install

2. Configure Environment

Create backend/.env file (if not done in database setup):

PORT=3001
NODE_ENV=development

# Firebase credentials (from database setup)
FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY_ID=your_private_key_id
FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY="-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\n...\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----"
FIREBASE_CLIENT_EMAIL=firebase-adminsdk-xxxxx@your_project.iam.gserviceaccount.com
FIREBASE_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id

3. Start the Server

npm start

You should see:

Server running on port 3001
Environment: development
Health check: http://localhost:3001/health
API Docs: http://localhost:3001/api-docs

4. Test the API

Open your browser and visit:

• Health Check: http://localhost:3001/health
• API Documentation: http://localhost:3001/api-docs

You should see the API is running!

Available Scripts

npm start              # Start the server
npm run dev            # Start with auto-reload (nodemon)
npm test               # Run tests
npm run test:coverage  # Run tests with coverage
npm run lint           # Check code style
npm run lint:fix       # Fix code style issues

Project Structure

backend/
├── src/
│   ├── server.js          # Main server file
│   ├── config/            # Configuration files
│   ├── middleware/        # Authentication, error handling
│   ├── routes/            # API endpoints
│   ├── services/          # Business logic
│   ├── models/            # Database schemas
│   └── tests/             # Test files
├── package.json           # Dependencies
└── .env                   # Environment variables

Main API Routes

The API provides these endpoints:

• /api/auth - Login, signup, token verification
• /api/users - User profiles and preferences
• /api/hikes - Hike logging and GPS tracking
• /api/goals - Goals and achievements
• /api/friends - Friend system
• /api/feed - Activity feed
• /api/gear - Gear management
• /api/discover - Popular locations
• /api/planned-hikes - Future hike planning
• /api/public - Public API (no auth required)

For detailed documentation:

• Public API documentation: http://localhost:3001/api-docs (Swagger)
• Internal API documentation: See API Documentation

Development Workflow

Adding a New Feature

1. Create route file in src/routes/
2. Create service file in src/services/
3. Add route to src/server.js
4. Write tests in src/tests/
5. Test locally with Swagger or Postman

Example: Testing an Endpoint

# Test health endpoint
curl http://localhost:3001/health

# Test public stats (no auth)
curl http://localhost:3001/api/public/stats

# Test with authentication
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     http://localhost:3001/api/users/profile

Common Issues

Problem: Port 3001 already in use

# Solution: Kill the process
npx kill-port 3001

Problem: Firebase connection error

• Solution: Check .env file has correct Firebase credentials
• Verify Firebase project is active in Firebase Console

Problem: “Cannot find module” errors

# Solution: Reinstall dependencies
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Problem: CORS errors from frontend

• Solution: Check src/middleware/index.js allows http://localhost:3000

Testing

Run tests to verify everything works:

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run with coverage
npm run test:coverage

# Run specific test file
npm test -- auth.test.js

Next Steps

• Set up the Frontend to connect to this API
• Deploy to production when ready
• Explore public API documentation at http://localhost:3001/api-docs

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The frontend will connect to http://localhost:3001