Curtin Capstone Connect

A modern web-based project management system that connects industry clients with final-year students for meaningful capstone projects.

🎯 Project Purpose

Curtin Capstone Connect bridges the gap between industry challenges and student talent by providing:

Industry Partners with access to skilled final-year students
Students with real-world project experience
UC Staff with tools to manage and oversee the entire process

✨ Key Features

For Industry Clients

Easy Project Submission - Submit project proposals through intuitive forms
Student Discovery - Browse student profiles and skills
Project Management - Track progress and communicate with teams
Multi-Phase Support - Handle complex, multi-semester projects

For Students

Project Browsing - Discover opportunities that match your skills
Interest Expression - Apply for projects with custom messages
Dashboard Management - Track applications and project status
Portfolio Showcase - Display completed work in the gallery
Favorites System - Save interesting projects for later

For UC Staff (Administrators)

Project Approval Workflow - Review and approve industry submissions
User Management - Manage students, clients, and staff accounts
Analytics Dashboard - Monitor platform usage and success metrics
System Configuration - Customize branding, rules, and features
Audit Logging - Complete activity tracking for security

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Node.js (version 16.0.0 or higher)
npm (comes with Node.js)
Git

Installation

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/michael-borck/capstone-connect.git
cd capstone-connect

Install dependencies
```
npm install
```
Set up the database
```
npm run setup-db
npm run seed
```
Start the application
```
npm start
```
Access the application
- Open your browser to http://localhost:1077
- Default admin login: admin@curtin.edu.au / admin123

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file for production settings:

# Server Configuration
NODE_ENV=production
PORT=1077
HOST=localhost

# Security
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secure-jwt-secret-key
BCRYPT_ROUNDS=12

# Database
DB_PATH=./database/capstone.db

# Features
ANALYTICS_ENABLED=true
BACKUP_ENABLED=true
EMAIL_ENABLED=false

🏗️ System Architecture

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   Frontend      │    │   Backend       │    │   Database      │
│                 │    │                 │    │                 │
│ • Vanilla JS    │◄──►│ • Node.js       │◄──►│ • SQLite3       │
│ • HTML5/CSS3    │    │ • Express.js    │    │ • Migrations    │
│ • Responsive    │    │ • JWT Auth      │    │ • Audit Logs    │
│ • SPA Design    │    │ • REST APIs     │    │ • Settings      │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘

Core Components

Authentication System - JWT-based with role-based access
Project Management - Complete lifecycle from submission to completion
User Management - Students, clients, and administrators
Settings Engine - Configurable branding, rules, and features
Audit System - Comprehensive activity logging
Gallery System - Showcase completed projects

📊 User Roles

Students

Browse and search available projects
Express interest in projects
Manage project applications
Update profile and skills
Access dashboard with personalized content

Industry Clients

Submit new project proposals
Manage existing projects
View and communicate with interested students
Track project progress
Access client dashboard

UC Staff (Administrators)

Approve/reject project submissions
Manage all user accounts
Configure system settings
View analytics and reports
Perform system maintenance

🔒 Security Features

JWT Authentication - Secure token-based auth
Role-Based Access Control - Granular permissions
Password Hashing - bcrypt with configurable rounds
Rate Limiting - Prevent abuse and DoS attacks
Input Validation - Comprehensive data sanitization
CSRF Protection - Cross-site request forgery prevention
XSS Protection - Cross-site scripting mitigation
Security Headers - Helmet.js security middleware

📈 Performance Features

Caching System - Settings and frequent data caching
Compression - Gzip compression for responses
Connection Pooling - Efficient database connections
Static File Serving - Optimized asset delivery
Responsive Design - Mobile-first approach

🛠️ Development Features

Hot Reload - Nodemon for development
Testing Suite - Jest testing framework
Database Migrations - Version-controlled schema changes
Seed Data - Sample data for development
Backup System - Automated database backups
Logging - Comprehensive application logging

📋 Project Status

Current Version: 1.0.0

Completed Features:

✅ User authentication and authorization
✅ Project submission and approval workflow
✅ Student interest expression system
✅ Admin dashboard and user management
✅ Settings configuration system
✅ Gallery and portfolio features
✅ Responsive design
✅ Security implementation

Upcoming Features:

🔄 Email notification system
🔄 Advanced analytics dashboard
🔄 API rate limiting enhancements
🔄 Mobile app integration
🔄 Real-time messaging system

📞 Support

Documentation: Full documentation site
Issues: GitHub Issues
Email: support@curtin.edu.au

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.

Ready to get started? Check out our installation guide or dive into the user workflows for your role!