Simple Social Network

This application resembles a simple social network written in Python with MySQL as the data storage solution. The user interface is command-line based and supports a list of instructions to emulate social interactions between users.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python3
• MySQL8.0
• mysql-connector-python
• python-tabulate

Check default Python version

• Install Python3 by following this article.
• Check if your system has installed Python3 and what version it is by typing python --version
• If the default version is at least v3, use python and pip in the following guidelines
• Otherwise, if the default version is v2, use python3 and pip3

Note: The following sections assume the default python version is at least v3

Installing using requirements.txt

1. Install MySQL8.0 by following this article.

2. Install relevant dependencies by running pip install -r requirements.txt.

3. If any command above fails, refer to the Installing Manually section below.

Installing Manually

1. Install MySQL v8.0.15 by following this article.

2. Make sure Python3 is installed by typing mysql --version in your terminal.

3. Install mysql-connector-python by typing pip install mysql-connector-python. Refer to this guide if the above command fails.

4. Install tabulate by typing pip install tabulate. Refer to this guide if the above command fails.

Run

1. Important: Edit main.py line 19 - 21 to replace the MySQL credentials with your own credentials(Host, user, password).
2. Launch the application by using the following command:

python main.py

3. Use sample credentials in the database to log in. For example, use the following name/ID pair: Alice/1, Bob/2 and Cindy/3.

Functionalities

• A person can initial a post on a topic.
• A person can join a group with another person.
• A person can follow a topic.
• A person can determine what posts have been added by people and/or topics that they are following since they last read from those people/topics.
• A person can respond to a post with thumbs up/down and/or a response post.

Instruction Usage

• show_current_user_info:

  • Prints out the ID, name and date of birth information of the current user.
  • Example output:

    ID  Name    Date of Birth    Last Login
     1  Alice   1988-01-01       2019-03-30 13:46:22
  

• show_new_posts_from_followees_since_last_login:

  • Prints out the information of new posts from people that current user follows since their last login.
  • To test output of this function
    1. Login as user "Bob", then logout
    2. Login as user "Alice", make new posts, then logout
    3. Login as user "Bob", call the instruction show_new_posts_from_followees_since_last_login
  • Example output:

  User name      Post ID  Content    Created Time           Thumb Number    Topic ID  Topic Name
  Alice                1  qwer       2019-03-30 14:11:13               0           1  Dark souls
  Alice                2  asdf       2019-03-30 14:11:13               0           2  Civilization
  

• show_new_posts_from_topics_user_follows_since_last_login:

  • Prints out the information of new posts from topics that current user follows since their last login.
  • To test output of this function
    1. Login as user "Alice", then logout
    2. Login as user "Bob", join groups id 1 and 2, make new posts, then logout
    3. Login as user "Alice", call the instruction show_new_posts_from_topics_user_follows_since_last_login
  • Example output:

    Post ID  Content    Created Time           Thumb Number    Topic ID  Topic Name
          1  qwer       2019-03-30 14:12:54               0           1  Dark souls
          3  zxcv       2019-03-30 14:12:54               0           1  Dark souls
          2  asdf       2019-03-30 14:12:54               0           2  Civilization
  

• show_all_followers:

  • Prints out IDs and names of all people that follow the current user.
  • Example output:

    ID  Name
     2  Bob
     3  Cindy
  

• show_all_followees:

  • Prints out IDs and names of all people that the current user follows.
  • Example output:

    ID  Name
     1  Alice
     3  Cindy
  

• show_topics_user_follows:

  • Prints out IDs and names of all topics that the current user follows.
  • Example output:

    ID  Name
     1  Dark souls
     2  Civilization
  

• show_groups_user_joins:

  • Prints out IDs and names of all groups that the current user follows.
  • Example output:

    group ID  group name
           1  Evil
           2  Goose
  

• show_posts_user_owns:

  • Prints out ID, content, timestamp and total number of thumbs of all posts created by the current user.
  • Example output:

    postID  content    created time           thumb number
         1  qwer       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0
         2  asdf       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0
  

• make_new_post_with_topic:

  • Takes two inputs: post content and topic name.
  • If the topic name does not exist, a new topic with this name will be created.
  • A new post with provided content will be created and assigned under a topic with the provided topic name.
  • User will be told whether actions have successed or actions are aborted due to invalid inputs from them.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:make_new_post_with_topic
  
  
  Topic ID  Topic Name
         1  Dark souls
         2  Civilization
  
  
  Please enter post content (text only): aloha
  Please enter the topic name associated with the current post:1
  A new topic named 1 is created successfully. ID = 3
  Post created successfully. ID = 4
  

• thumb_up_post:

  • Takes one input: post id.
  • User will see errors if the post id does not exist;
  • The number of thumb ups will increment by 1 provided that the id exists.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:thumb_up_post
  
  
  Post ID  Content    Created Time           Thumb Number  Topic Name
        1  qwer       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0  Dark souls
        3  zxcv       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0  Dark souls
        2  asdf       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0  Civilization
        4  aloha      2019-03-30 13:55:22               0  1
  
  
  what is the ID of the post you want to thumb up? 1
  thumb up added to the the post!
  

• thumb_down_post:

  • Takes one input: post id.
  • User will see errors if the post id does not exist;
  • The number of thumb ups will decrement by 1 provided that the id exists.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:thumb_down_post
  
  
  Post ID  Content    Created Time           Thumb Number  Topic Name
        1  qwer       2019-03-30 13:46:22               1  Dark souls
        3  zxcv       2019-03-30 13:46:22              -1  Dark souls
        5  mie        2019-03-30 14:00:58               0  Dark souls
        2  asdf       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0  Civilization
        4  aloha      2019-03-30 13:55:22               1  1
  
  
  what is the ID of the post you want to thumb down? 3
  thumb down added to the the post!
  

• reply_to_post:

  • Takes two inputs: post id and reply content.
  • User will see errors if the post id does not exist or the content is invalid.
  • A new post will be created successfully in the response to an existing post.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:reply_to_post
  
  
  Post ID  Content    Created Time           Thumb Number  Topic Name
        1  qwer       2019-03-30 13:46:22               1  Dark souls
        3  zxcv       2019-03-30 13:46:22              -1  Dark souls
        2  asdf       2019-03-30 13:46:22               0  Civilization
        4  aloha      2019-03-30 13:55:22               1  1
  
  
  what is the ID of the post you want to reply? 1
  what is the content to reply? mie
  A new post with content "mie" is created successfully. post ID = 5
  You have replied to post id 1 successfully!
  

• join_group:

  • Takes one input: group id
  • User will see errors if the group id does not exist.
  • User will join the group successully if the group id is valid.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:join_group
  
  
  Group ID  Group Name
         1  Evil
         2  Goose
         3  jaksldfjla
  
  
  Please enter the id of the group that you would like to join:3
  You've joined group 3 successfully.
  

• create_group:

  • Takes two inputs: group name, id of another user that's been invited
  • User will see errors if the user id does not exist or group name is invalid.
  • User and their friend will join the new group successully if both arguments are valid.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:create_group
  
  
  User ID  User Name
        1  Alice
        2  Bob
        3  Cindy
  
  
  Please enter the name of the new group:jaksldfjla
  Please enter the ID of another user that you'd like to join the new group with:3
  A new group named jaksldfjla is created successfully. ID = 3
  You and user 3 have joined group 3.
  

• follow_topic:

  • Takes one input: topic id.
  • User will see errors if the topic id does not exist.
  • User will follow the topic successully if the argument is valid.
  • Example output:

  Please enter your instruction:follow_topic
  
  
  Topic ID  Topic Name
         1  Dark souls
         2  Civilization
         3  1
  
  
  Please enter the id of the topic that you would like to follow:1
  You've followed topic 1 successfully.
  

Limitation

• This application does not support multi-user sessions.
• This application does not support registering as a new user. To log in, please use existing credentials in the table NetworkUser.
• This application does not store user passwords. User ID and name are the only things needed to log in.