ChessImprover: Play and Learn Chess (MEAN App) Website Link

Project Description

ChessImprover is a fully functional chess-education platform that enables users to Play With A Coach/Friend (available feature) or Play With A Computer with real-time-every-move-AI-explanation (Intended Feature) in MEAN stack, which includes Angular, NodeJS, MongoDB, and ExpressJS. ChessImprover aims to provide:

• A platforn on which a player can play and chat with their peers and instructors across the globe.
• A platform on which a player can learn on their own leveraging latest AI capabilities.

In the following sections, we will cover the technical details of the platform, including:

1. System architecture: The high-level overview of the platform's components and diagrams of the architecture.
2. Front-end: The description of the front-end architecture, user interface design, features, and functionalities of the front-end, and frameworks, libraries, and tools used.
3. Back-end: The description of the back-end architecture, features and functionalities of the back-end, frameworks, libraries, tools used, and data models and database schema.
4. API Design: The description of the API design, list of API endpoints, their functionalities, and sample API requests and responses.

In summary, ChessImprover is a versatile and intuitive chess-education platform that is designed to provide an immersive learning experience to students and a platform for instructors to showcase their expertise. In the following sections, we will delve into the technical details of the platform, which will provide a comprehensive understanding of the platform's features and functionalities.

System Architecture

The ChessImprover platform consists of three main components: the front end, the back end, and the database. The platform follows a client-server architecture, with the front end serving as the client and the back end and database serving as the server.

Front-end

The front end of the platform is built using Angular which is a complete toolkit to create seamless interfaces, which are critical for providing an engaging learning experience to the students. The front end communicates with the back end using RESTful API calls

Back-end

The back end of the platform is built using NodeJS and ExpressJS,. The back end provides APIs for the front end to consume, which include functionalities such as user authentication, course creation, and course consumption. The back end also handles the logic for processing and storing the course content and user data.

Database

The database for the platform is built using MongoDB, which is a NoSQL database that provides a flexible and scalable data storage solution. MongoDB allows for the storage of unstructured and semi-structured data. The database stores the course content, user data, and other relevant information related to the platform.

Architecture Diagram

Here is a high-level diagram that illustrates the architecture of the ChessImprover ed-tech platform:

Front End

The front end of ChessImprover has the following pages:

• Homepage: This page asks whether player wants to play with a Friend or a Computer.
• Game Screen: This page contains the chess board (and the intended chat-bot)

Back End

Description of the Back-end Architecture: ChessImprover uses a monolithic architecture, with the backend built using Node.js and Express.js, and MongoDB as the primary database.

Features and Functionalities of the Back-end: The back end of ChessImprover provides a range of features and functionalities, including:

1. AIExplanation: ChatGPT response are generated here.
2. Authentication: If player wants to chat with a friend they will first have to log in.
3. Chat: WebSocket and chat functionality is defined here.

Frameworks, Libraries, and Tools used: The back end of ChessImprover uses a range of frameworks, libraries, and tools to ensure its functionality and performance, including:

1. Node.js: Node.js is used as the primary framework for the back end.
2. MongoDB: MongoDB is used as the primary database, providing a flexible and scalable data storage solution.
3. Express.js: Express.js is used as a web application framework, providing a range of features and tools for building web applications.
4. JWT: JWT (JSON Web Tokens) are used for authentication and authorization, providing a secure and reliable way to manage user credentials.
5. Bcrypt: Bcrypt is used for password hashing, adding an extra layer of security to user data.
6. Mongoose: Mongoose is used as an Object Data Modeling (ODM) library, providing a way to interact with MongoDB using JavaScript

Data Models and Database Schema:

The back end of ChessImprover uses a range of data models and database schemas to manage data, including:

1. User: Includes fields such as name, email, password, and course details for each player.
2. Games: Media-Server Links to the PGN of games played by the user.

Overall, the back-end of ChessImprover is designed to provide a robust and scalable solution for an education platform, with a focus on security, reliability, and ease of use. By using the right frameworks, libraries, and tools, we can ensure that the platform functions smoothly and provides an optimal user experience for all its users.

API Design

The ChessImprover platform's API is designed following the REST architectural style. The API is implemented using Node.js and Express.js. It uses JSON for data exchange and follows standard HTTP request methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Sample list of API endpoints and their functionalities:

1. /api/auth/signup (POST) - Create a new user (student or instructor) account.
2. /api/auth/login (POST) – Log in using existing credentials and generate a JWT token.
3. /api/auth/verify-otp (POST) - Verify the OTP sent to the user's registered email.
4. /api/auth/forgot-password (POST) - Send an email with a password reset link to the registered email.
5. /api/games (GET) - Get a list of all the games played by the user.

In conclusion, the REST API design for the ChessImprover platform is a crucial part of the project. The API endpoints and their functionalities are designed to ensure seamless communication between the front-end and back-end of the application. By following RESTful principles, the API will be scalable, maintainable, and reliable. The sample API requests and responses provided above illustrate how each endpoint will function and what kind of data it will accept or return. With this API design, ChessImprover will be able to provide a smooth user experience while ensuring security and stability.