Design System Architecture

[FullStackGI]

The system architecture for the TimeLens app needs to be designed. This includes defining how the different components of our MERN stack will interact and how data will flow through the application.

[FullStackGI]

TimeLens System Architecture

1. Frontend (React + TypeScript)

• User Interface (React Components): Components to render UI elements: media upload, search bar, results, maps.
• State Management (MobX):
  • Define observables for data properties.
  • Use actions to modify observables.
  • Leverage computed values for derived state.
  • Implement MobX reactions for side effects.
• HTTP Client: Use Axios for communication with the backend. Handle errors gracefully.
• Routing: Client-side routing with React-Router.

2. Backend (Express + Node.js + TypeScript)

• API Routes: Endpoints for user registration, login, media upload, tagging, searching.
• Authentication Middleware: JWT-based authentication for secured endpoints.
• Controllers: Business logic for each API route.
• Models: Structure of data entities (e.g., User, Media, Tag).
• Data Access Layer: Use an ORM like Mongoose.

3. Database (MongoDB)

• User Collection: User data: username, hashed password, email.
• Media Collection: Media metadata: file paths, tags, uploader info.
• Tag Collection: Individual tags, their popularity, or related media.

4. Storage

• File System/Cloud Storage (e.g., AWS S3): Store uploaded images, videos, documents.

5. Data Flow

• User interacts with React frontend -> API requests to Express backend.
• Backend processes requests, interacts with MongoDB, and handles storage.
• Backend sends response -> frontend updates UI using MobX.

6. Additional Considerations

• Security: HTTPS, input sanitization, CORS handling, secure JWTs.
• Performance: Caching (e.g., Redis) for frequently accessed data.
• Error Handling: Robust error-handling on both frontend and backend.
• Deployment: Consider Docker for deployment and scalability.