OpenRockets LMS - Complete Learning Management System

A modern, full-stack Learning Management System built with Node.js, Express, and AstraDB. Features include user authentication, course management, community interactions, real-time messaging, and calendar-based event scheduling.

Coding meets collaboration. Level up your skills through weekly challenges, open-source teamwork, live sessions, Discussions & peer events!

🚀 Features

Authentication & User Management

• User Registration & Login with JWT authentication
• Profile Management with image upload (converted to DataURI)
• Role-based Access (Student Learners & Student Lecturers)
• Verified Status system
• User Status indicators (online, busy, studying, coding, etc.)

Community Features

• Post Creation with rich content, images, and tags
• Comments System with likes and replies
• Real-time Interactions
• Trending Topics and hashtag support
• Study Groups functionality
• User Search and discovery

Calendar & Events

• Event Scheduling (for instructors)
• Calendar Views (week, month, mini-calendar)
• Event Registration with capacity limits
• Real-time Updates of event status
• Event Filtering by type and category

Messaging System

• Direct Messaging between users
• Message History persistence
• Real-time Notifications
• Message Status tracking

Dashboard Features

• Personalized Dashboard with progress tracking
• Upcoming Events overview
• Community Highlights
• Study Statistics and progress bars
• Quick Actions for common tasks

🛠 Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js with Express.js
• AstraDB (Cassandra) for data persistence
• JWT for authentication
• bcryptjs for password hashing
• Multer for file uploads
• CORS for cross-origin requests

Frontend

• Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+)
• CSS3 with CSS Grid and Flexbox
• Font Awesome for icons
• Google Fonts (Inter, Space Mono)
• Responsive Design for all devices

Database Collections

• users - User profiles and authentication
• posts - Community posts and content
• comments - Post comments and replies
• events - Calendar events and classes
• messages - Direct messages between users
• notifications - System notifications
• study_groups - Study group management
• user_progress - Learning progress tracking

📁 Project Structure

openrockets.me/
├── server.js                 # Main backend server
├── package.json              # Dependencies and scripts
├── .env                      # Environment variables
├── landing.html              # Landing page
├── dashboard.html            # User dashboard
├── community.html            # Community page
├── calendar.html             # Calendar page
├── about.html               # About page (PDF viewer)
├── scripts/
│   ├── api.js               # API client and utilities
│   ├── auth.js              # Authentication modals and forms
│   ├── landing.js           # Landing page interactions
│   ├── dashboard.js         # Dashboard UI functionality
│   ├── dashboard-integration.js # Dashboard backend integration
│   ├── community.js         # Community UI functionality
│   ├── community-integration.js # Community backend integration
│   ├── calendar.js          # Calendar UI functionality
│   └── calendar-integration.js  # Calendar backend integration
├── styles/
│   ├── lms-main.css         # Landing page styles
│   ├── dashboard.css        # Dashboard styles
│   ├── community.css        # Community styles
│   ├── calendar.css         # Calendar styles
│   ├── components.css       # Shared components
│   ├── main.css            # Global styles
│   └── responsive.css       # Mobile responsiveness
└── v/                      # Static assets (images, etc.)

🚀 Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• AstraDB account and database

1. Clone and Install

git clone <repository-url>
cd openrockets.me
npm install

2. Environment Setup

The .env file is already configured with AstraDB credentials:

ASTRA_DB_ID=35eb48e5-0472-4568-9f3d-a452a1c8ab2c
ASTRA_DB_KEYSPACE=default_keyspace
ASTRA_DB_API_ENDPOINT=https://35eb48e5-0472-4568-9f3d-a452a1c8ab2c-eu-west-1.apps.astra.datastax.com
ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN=AstraCS:lNoNTboZjvbvFGrJWTyJwZqp:8a244f6afa4acf88c1a43b4c9e25e6a56dc384caa5176b3141e93dc9375c5c4a

3. Start the Server

# Development mode
npm run dev

# Production mode
npm start

4. Access the Application

• Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
• Create an account or sign in
• Explore the features!

🔧 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• GET /api/auth/profile - Get user profile
• PUT /api/auth/profile - Update user profile

Posts & Community

• POST /api/posts - Create new post
• GET /api/posts - Get posts (with filtering)
• GET /api/posts/:id - Get single post
• POST /api/posts/:id/like - Like/unlike post
• POST /api/posts/:id/comments - Add comment
• GET /api/posts/:id/comments - Get comments

Events & Calendar

• POST /api/events - Create new event (instructors only)
• GET /api/events - Get events (with filtering)
• POST /api/events/:id/join - Join event

Messaging

• POST /api/messages - Send message
• GET /api/messages/:userId - Get conversation

Search & Discovery

• GET /api/search - Search posts, events, and users

🎨 UI Features

Design System

• Dark Mode by default with Microsoft Teams inspiration
• Responsive Layout that works on all devices
• Smooth Animations and micro-interactions
• Consistent Typography using Inter and Space Mono fonts
• Programming-focused color scheme and iconography

Interactive Elements

• Modal Dialogs for forms and details
• Loading States with spinners and skeletons
• Toast Notifications for user feedback
• Dropdown Menus for navigation
• Image Galleries with lightbox functionality
• Real-time Updates without page refresh

Accessibility

• Keyboard Navigation support
• ARIA Labels for screen readers
• Focus Management in modals
• Color Contrast compliance
• Responsive Text sizing

🔒 Security Features

• JWT Authentication with secure token storage
• Password Hashing using bcryptjs
• Input Validation on frontend and backend
• File Upload Security with type checking
• CORS Configuration for cross-origin requests
• SQL Injection Prevention through parameterized queries

📱 Mobile Support

• Responsive Grid layouts
• Touch-friendly interface elements
• Mobile-optimized navigation
• Swipe Gestures for image galleries
• Adaptive Typography for small screens

🚀 Deployment

Local Development

npm run dev

Production Build

npm start

Environment Variables

Make sure to set these in production:

• PORT - Server port (default: 3000)
• JWT_SECRET - Secret key for JWT tokens
• ASTRA_DB_* - AstraDB connection details

📖 Usage Guide

For Students (Learners)

1. Register with your email and create a profile
2. Browse Events in the calendar to find interesting classes
3. Join Classes by clicking the join button
4. Participate in community discussions
5. Track Progress on your dashboard

For Students (Lecturers)

1. Register as a "Student Lecturer"
2. Create Events using the calendar interface
3. Manage Attendees and event capacity
4. Share Knowledge through community posts
5. Monitor Engagement through analytics

Community Interaction

1. Create Posts with rich content and images
2. Comment and Like to engage with content
3. Use Hashtags to categorize content
4. Join Study Groups for collaborative learning
5. Follow Trending Topics to stay updated

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Database Connection Error

   • Verify AstraDB credentials in .env
   • Check network connectivity
   • Ensure keyspace exists

2. Authentication Issues

   • Clear browser localStorage
   • Check JWT token expiration
   • Verify user credentials

3. File Upload Problems

   • Check file size (max 5MB)
   • Verify file type (images only)
   • Ensure proper form encoding

Development Tips

• Use browser DevTools for debugging
• Check console for JavaScript errors
• Monitor network requests in DevTools
• Use Postman for API testing

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

🆘 Support

For issues and questions:

• Create an issue on GitHub
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation

---

OpenRockets LMS - Empowering the next generation of programmers through collaborative learning! 🚀

OpenRockets.me is the present official domain of the OpenRockets Open-Source Software Foundation, though this may be subject to change in the future.

=======