Library Tracking System

Table of Contents

• Description
• Technologies Used
• Features
• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Running the Project
• Accessing the Application
  • Django Admin Interface
  • API Endpoints
• Project Structure
• Additional Resources

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Description

Welcome to the Library Tracking System! This project is a comprehensive application built with Python, Django, Django REST Framework (DRF), and Celery. It manages authors, books, members, and loans within a library context. The application is fully containerized using Docker, allowing for easy setup and deployment. Whether you're a developer looking to explore the project or setting it up for development purposes, this README will guide you through the necessary steps.

Technologies Used

• Python 3.9
• Django 4.2
• Django REST Framework
• Celery 5.3
• Redis 6
• PostgreSQL 13
• Docker & Docker Compose

Features

• Author Management: Create, read, update, and delete authors.
• Book Management: Manage books with genres, ISBNs, and availability status.
• Member Management: Handle library members linked to Django user accounts.
• Loan Management: Track book loans and returns.
• API Endpoints: CRUD operations for all models using Django REST Framework.
• Asynchronous Tasks: Celery tasks for sending loan notifications and overdue reminders.
• Admin Interface: Django admin panel for data management.
• Docker-Ready: Easy setup and deployment using Docker and Docker Compose.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your machine:

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• Git

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://gitlab.com/search-atlas-interviews/django-library-tracking-system
   cd django-library-tracking-system  
   
   # If you dont have a prefered version control, we recommend https://github.com/new (free)
   git remote rename origin upstream
   git remote add origin [URL of your newly created repo: https://github.com/...]
   git push -u origin main

2. Create a .env File

   In the root directory, create a .env file to store environment variables.

   touch .env

   Content of .env:

   # .env
   DEBUG=1
   DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost 127.0.0.1 [::1]
   DATABASE_URL=postgres://library_user:library_password@db:5432/library_db
   CELERY_BROKER_URL=redis://redis:6379/0
   CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND=redis://redis:6379/0
   SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key
   DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL=[email protected]

   Note: Replace your-secret-key with a secure key. Ensure that .env is included in .gitignore to prevent committing sensitive information.

3. Build and Run Docker Containers

   docker-compose build
   docker-compose up

   This command will:

   • Start PostgreSQL (db) and Redis (redis) services.
   • Build and run the Django application (web).
   • Run the Celery worker (celery).

4. Initialize the Django Project

   In a separate terminal, apply migrations and create a superuser.

   docker-compose run web python manage.py makemigrations
   docker-compose run web python manage.py migrate
   docker-compose run web python manage.py createsuperuser

   Follow the prompts to create a superuser account.

Running the Project

Start all services with Docker Compose:

docker-compose up

Stopping the Services:

To stop the running containers, press CTRL+C in the terminal where docker-compose up is running, then execute:

docker-compose down

Accessing the Application

Django Admin Interface

• URL: http://localhost:8000/admin/
• Login: Use the superuser credentials you created during setup.
• Functionality: Manage authors, books, members, and loans through the admin panel.

API Endpoints

• Base URL: http://localhost:8000/api/
• Endpoints:
  • /api/authors/: CRUD operations for authors.
  • /api/books/: CRUD operations for books.
  • /api/members/: CRUD operations for members.
  • /api/loans/: CRUD operations for loans.
• Access: Use tools like Postman, cURL, or the DRF browsable API to interact with the endpoints.

Project Structure

After following all the setup steps, your project directory (library-tracking-system/) should look like this:

library-tracking-system/
├── docker-compose.yml
├── Dockerfile
├── requirements.txt
├── .env
├── .gitignore
├── manage.py
├── library_system/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── asgi.py
│   ├── celery.py
│   ├── settings.py
│   ├── urls.py
│   └── wsgi.py
└── library/
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── admin.py
    ├── apps.py
    ├── models.py
    ├── serializers.py
    ├── tasks.py
    ├── tests.py
    └── views.py

Additional Resources

• Django Documentation: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/
• Django REST Framework Documentation: https://www.django-rest-framework.org/
• Celery Documentation: https://docs.celeryproject.org/en/stable/
• Docker Documentation: https://docs.docker.com/
• PostgreSQL Documentation: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/

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Troubleshooting

• Docker Issues:

  • Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed correctly.
  • Check if ports 8000, 5432, and 6379 are free or adjust them in docker-compose.yml.

• Environment Variables:

  • Double-check the .env file for correct configurations.
  • Ensure sensitive information like SECRET_KEY is set properly.

• Migrations:

  • If you encounter migration issues, try resetting the database volumes:

    docker-compose down -v
    docker-compose up --build

• Celery Worker Not Running:

  • Ensure the Celery service is defined correctly in docker-compose.yml.
  • Check logs for any errors related to Celery.

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Contributing

If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvements, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Thank you for setting up the Library Tracking System! If you have any questions or need further assistance, please reach out to the project maintainer.