Project Description
This project involves building a comprehensive online marketplace platform where users can buy and sell products, manage their accounts, and interact with sellers. The platform aims to provide a seamless experience for both buyers and sellers.
The "Build Your Own Online Marketplace Platform" project aims to develop a scalable and efficient API that allows users to list products, browse and purchase items, manage their accounts, and handle transactions securely. This API will support various front-end applications, including web and mobile interfaces.
In today's digital age, online marketplaces are crucial for connecting buyers and sellers across the globe. This project will create an API that empowers users to access a wide range of products and allows sellers to manage their listings and sales effectively. Here's a more detailed look at how users will interact with the platform:
User Registration and Authentication:
Sign Up: New users can create an account by providing a username, email, and password. Once registered, they will receive a confirmation email to verify their account.
Login: Registered users can log in using their email and password. For enhanced security, the API will support multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Profile Management:
View and Edit Profile: Users can view and edit their profile details, including their name, address, and contact information. This helps users personalize their accounts and manage their purchasing and selling history.
Browsing and Searching for Products:
Product Catalog: Users can browse a catalog of products with details such as title, description, price, seller information, and availability.
Search and Filter: Users can search for products by keywords and apply filters such as category, price range, and availability to find specific items.
Buying and Selling Products:
List Product: Sellers can list new products with details such as title, description, price, category, and images.
Update and Delete Product: Sellers can update or delete their own product listings.
Purchase Product: Users can purchase available products. The system will handle transactions securely and update the inventory accordingly.
Order Management:
Order History: Users can view their order history, including purchased, shipped, and delivered items.
Track Order: Users can track the status of their orders and receive notifications about shipping updates.
Managing Reviews and Ratings:
Add Review: Users can add reviews and ratings for purchased products to provide feedback and help other buyers make informed decisions.
Edit and Delete Review: Users can edit or delete their own reviews.
Administrator Features:
Product Management: Administrators can add, update, and delete product listings, including managing inventory and availability.
User Management: Administrators can manage user accounts, including resetting passwords and handling user queries.
Order Management: Administrators can manage orders and handle issues related to shipping and returns.
Objectives
Allow users to sign up, log in, and manage their accounts.
Enable users to browse, search, and filter products.
Facilitate the buying and selling of products.
Ensure efficient management of orders and transactions.
Provide robust features for managing reviews and ratings.
Enable administrators to manage products, users, and orders effectively.
Functional Requirements
User Management
Sign Up: Users can create an account by providing a username, email, and password.
Login: Users can log in using their email and password.
Profile Management: Users can update their profile information.
Product Management
List Product: Sellers can list new products with details such as title, description, price, category, and images.
Update Product: Sellers can update product details.
Delete Product: Sellers can remove products from the catalog.
View Products: Users can view product listings and details.
Order Management
Purchase Product: Users can purchase available products.
Order History: Users can view their order history.
Track Order: Users can track the status of their orders.
Reviews and Ratings
Add Review: Users can add reviews and ratings for products.
Edit Review: Users can edit their reviews.
Delete Review: Users can delete their reviews.
Administrator Management
Manage Products: Administrators can manage product listings.
Manage Users: Administrators can manage user accounts.
Manage Orders: Administrators can manage orders and handle issues.
Non-Functional Requirements
Scalability: The API should handle a growing number of users and transactions.
Performance: The API should have a fast response time and handle concurrent requests efficiently.
Security: Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms to protect user data.
Reliability: The API should be highly available and handle failures gracefully.
Usability: The API should be easy to use and well-documented.
Use Cases
User Sign Up and Login: New users sign up and existing users log in.
Browse and Search Products: Users browse and search for products.
List and Manage Products: Sellers list and manage their products.
Purchase Products: Users buy products and manage orders.
View and Add Reviews: Users view and manage reviews and ratings.
Administrator Product and User Management: Administrators manage product listings and user accounts.
User Stories
As a user, I want to sign up for an account so that I can buy and sell products.
As a user, I want to log in to my account so that I can manage my profile and purchase history.
As a user, I want to browse and search for products so that I can find items to buy.
As a user, I want to list products for sale so that I can sell items.
As a user, I want to view my order history so that I can track my purchases.
As a user, I want to add reviews and ratings so that I can share my feedback.
As an administrator, I want to manage product listings and user accounts so that I can keep the platform up-to-date.
Technical Requirements
Programming Language: Choose an appropriate backend language (e.g., Node.js, Python, Ruby).
Database: Use a database to store user, product, and order data (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB).
Authentication: Implement JWT for secure user authentication.
API Documentation: Use Swagger or similar tools for API documentation.
API Endpoints
User Management
POST /signup: Register a new user.
POST /login: Authenticate a user.
GET /profile: Get user profile details.
PUT /profile: Update user profile.
Product Management
POST /products: List a new product (seller only).
GET /products: Retrieve a list of products.
GET /products/{id}: Retrieve a single product by ID.
PUT /products/{id}: Update a product by ID (seller only).
DELETE /products/{id}: Delete a product by ID (seller only).
Order Management
POST /purchase: Purchase a product.
GET /orders: Retrieve order history.
GET /orders/{id}: Track order status.
Reviews and Ratings
POST /reviews: Add a review for a product.
PUT /reviews/{id}: Edit a review.
DELETE /reviews/{id}: Delete a review.
Administrator Management
GET /users: Retrieve a list of users (admin only).
PUT /users/{id}: Update user details (admin only).
DELETE /users/{id}: Delete a user account (admin only).
Security
Use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit.
Implement input validation and sanitization to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks.
Use strong password hashing algorithms like bcrypt.
Performance
Implement caching strategies to improve response times.
Optimize database queries to handle large datasets efficiently.
Use load balancing to distribute traffic evenly across servers.
Documentation
Provide comprehensive API documentation using tools like Swagger.
Create user guides and developer documentation to assist with integration and usage.
Glossary
API: Application Programming Interface.
JWT: JSON Web Token.
CRUD: Create, Read, Update, Delete.
Appendix
Include any relevant diagrams, data models, and additional references.
