Task Tracker CLI

Overview

Task Tracker CLI is an advanced command-line application meticulously designed for comprehensive task and user management. Constructed with Node.js, this project exemplifies the principles of backend development, encompassing file-based data persistence, asynchronous programming methodologies, modular code architecture, and user authentication augmented by role-based access control. It serves as a demonstration of the practical implementation of these concepts within a simulated real-world environment.

Features

Task Management

• Add Tasks: Introduce new tasks with distinctive descriptions.
• List Tasks: Generate a comprehensive list of all tasks, complete with their statuses and timestamps.
• Update Task Status: Transition tasks among todo, in-progress, and done statuses.
• Delete Tasks: Permanently remove tasks identified by unique IDs.

User Management

• Administrative Privileges:
  • Introduce new users, assigning specific roles (admin or user).
  • Remove existing users from the system.
• Authentication:
  • Secure login mechanism ensuring operations are restricted to authenticated users based on role hierarchy.

Data Persistence

• Task Storage: Task information is persistently stored in tasks.json to facilitate consistent data retrieval.
• User Storage: User credentials and roles are maintained within users.json.
• File initialization processes enforce proper setup and safeguard data integrity.

Learning Outcomes

This project facilitated the acquisition and application of key backend development competencies, including:

• Asynchronous File Handling: Proficient utilization of fs.promises for the manipulation of JSON data files.
• Command-line Tool Engineering: Development of a robust, flexible CLI application with comprehensive argument parsing.
• Data Validation and Error Management: Implementation of rigorous input validation and handling of edge cases.
• Authentication Techniques: Integration of secure password hashing using bcrypt and token-based session management via JSON Web Tokens (JWTs).
• Role-based Access Control (RBAC): Implementation of granular user permissions aligned with organizational roles.
• Modular Code Design: Development of a scalable and maintainable codebase through logical decomposition.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 16 or higher)

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/a4rmin/task-tracker-cli.git
   cd task-tracker-cli

2. Install required dependencies:

   npm install

3. Initialize application files:

   node app.js init

Usage

Execute the application using the syntax:

node app.js <command> <arguments>

Command Overview

Task Management

• Add a Task:

  node app.js add "<task_description>"

  Example:

  node app.js add "Complete thesis draft"

• List All Tasks:

  node app.js list

• Update Task Status:
  • Mark as Done:

    node app.js mark-done <task_id>

  • Mark as In Progress:

    node app.js mark-in-progress <task_id>

  • Reset to Todo:

    node app.js mark-undone <task_id>

• Delete a Task:

  node app.js delete <task_id>

User Management (Administrative Functions)

• Add a User:

  node app.js add-user <username> <password> <role> <admin_username> <admin_password>

  Example:

  node app.js add-user research123 pass123 user admin admin123

• Remove a User:

  node app.js remove-user <username> <admin_username> <admin_password>

Authentication

• Login to the System:

  node app.js login <username> <password>

Help Command

List all available commands:

node app.js help

Project Structure

.
├── app.js          # Core application logic
├── tasks.json      # Persistent storage for tasks
├── users.json      # Persistent storage for user data
├── README.md       # Project documentation

Prospective Enhancements

• Database Integration: Replace JSON storage with a relational (e.g., PostgreSQL) or NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB) database for enhanced scalability and performance.
• Interactive CLI: Employ libraries like inquirer to create an interactive, user-friendly command-line interface.
• Advanced Session Management: Include token revocation mechanisms and improve security for session persistence.
• UUID-based Task Identifiers: Utilize universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) to avoid ID conflicts in multi-user environments.
• RESTful API Development: Transition the application to a web-accessible API, broadening its applicability and integration potential.

Licensing

This application is distributed under the MIT License, allowing free and open-source use, modification, and distribution.

Acknowledgments

This project was undertaken as an academic endeavor to consolidate backend development skills, including data persistence and access control. Gratitude is extended to the open-source community for providing invaluable resources and inspiration.