Loquat: Fruit Tree Map of Los Angeles

Overview

Loquat is a web application for tracking the location of fruit trees across Los Angeles. Users can view a map, add new tree locations, and save their favorite spots. The project uses Node.js, Express, React, and AWS DynamoDB for data persistence.

Features

• Interactive map of fruit trees in Los Angeles
• Add and save tree locations
• User authentication (planned)
• Data persistence with AWS DynamoDB
• Responsive UI with React

Project Structure

├── server.js                # Express server entry point
├── package.json             # Project dependencies and scripts
├── client/                  # Frontend code
│   ├── index.html           # Main HTML file
│   ├── index.js             # Entry JS for React
│   ├── main.js              # Main logic
│   ├── map-index.html       # Map page HTML
│   ├── map.js / map.jsx     # Map logic/components
│   ├── sidebar.jsx          # Sidebar React component
│   └── stylesheets/         # CSS files
├── server/
│   ├── controllers/         # Express route controllers
│   └── schemas/             # DynamoDB integration

Installation & Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/strangesongs/solo-project.git
   cd solo-project

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up AWS credentials:
   • For local development, configure credentials via AWS CLI (aws configure) or ~/.aws/credentials.
   • For AWS hosting, use IAM roles or environment variables.
4. Set environment variables:
   • Create a .env file or set in your deployment config:

     AWS_REGION=us-west-2
     DYNAMODB_TABLE=LoquatUsers
     

5. Start the server:

   npm start

   The server will run on http://localhost:3000.

Data Persistence

• User and pin data are stored in AWS DynamoDB (LoquatUsers table).
• Requires AWS credentials and region configuration.
• Data is persistent and scalable for cloud hosting.

Usage

• Visit http://localhost:3000 to access the main page.
• Log in with any username (no password required).
• Use the map to view and add fruit tree locations.
• Save pins; your pins are stored per username in DynamoDB.

Development Notes

• Backend uses AWS DynamoDB for user and pin data (see server/schemas/schemas.js).
• No authentication or password required; login is username-only.
• MongoDB and Mongoose are no longer required.
• Frontend uses React (Leaflet/Mapbox integration planned for future).

DynamoDB Setup

1. Create a DynamoDB table named LoquatUsers:
   • Partition key: userName (type: String)
   • No sort key required
2. Set environment variables:
   • In .env or your deployment config:

     AWS_REGION=us-west-2
     DYNAMODB_TABLE=LoquatUsers
     

3. Configure AWS credentials:
   • For local dev: use AWS CLI (aws configure) or ~/.aws/credentials
   • For AWS hosting: use IAM roles or environment variables
4. Troubleshooting:
   • Ensure your IAM user/role has DynamoDB read/write permissions
   • Check region and table name match your setup
   • Use AWS Console or CLI to verify table exists and is accessible

Contributing

Pull requests and suggestions are welcome! Please open issues for bugs or feature requests.

License

ISC