App Architecture Overview
1. Client-Side (Front-End)
Technology: Flutter (through FlutterFlow)
Components:
- UI Layer: Handles user interactions, designed for responsiveness across devices.
- State Management: Tools like Provider or Riverpod to manage app state (e.g., user logged-
in status).
- Routing & Navigation: Manages screen transitions using Flutter navigator or routing
libraries.
2. API Layer (Backend Integration)
Technology: RESTful APIs or GraphQL
Components:
- API Gateway: Routes requests from the client to backend services.
- Authentication & Authorization: Managed via Firebase Authentication.
- Business Logic: Processes hostel bookings, e-commerce transactions, etc.
- Communication Protocol: JSON (for RESTful) or GraphQL.
3. Backend (Server-Side)
Technology: Node.js, Express.js, Firebase Cloud Functions
Components:
- Hostel Management System: Handles room availability, bookings, and admin interactions.
- E-Commerce Platform: Manages student stores, product listings, orders, and reviews.
- Database Interaction: Firebase Firestore or Realtime Database for user, booking, and
product data.
- Notification Service: Firebase Cloud Messaging for booking confirmations, payment alerts.
4. Database Layer
Technology: Firebase Firestore or a combination with MySQL
Components:
- User Data: Profiles, roles (students, business owners, admins).
- Booking Data: Room information, availability, and history.
- Product Data: Product listings, inventory, sales records.
- Payment Records: Transactions, invoices, and payment statuses.
5. Third-Party Integrations
Components:
- Payment Gateway: Stripe or PayPal for handling transactions.
- SMS/Email Notifications: Twilio or Firebase for sending alerts.
- Analytics: Google Analytics or Firebase Analytics for tracking user behavior.
6. Security & Compliance
Components:
- Authentication: Secure login via Firebase Authentication.
- Data Encryption: SSL/TLS encryption for sensitive data.
- User Permissions: Role-based access control for students, admins, and business owners.
- Privacy Compliance: GDPR and other privacy regulations.
7. DevOps & Hosting
Technology: Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Firebase Hosting
Components:
- CI/CD Pipeline: Automated deployment through GitHub Actions or Firebase CI tools.
- Serverless Hosting: Firebase for static content and server-side logic.
- Auto-Scaling: Ensure automatic scaling using Firebase Functions.
8. Monitoring & Logging
Components:
- Tools: Firebase Performance Monitoring, Google Cloud Monitoring.
- Performance Metrics: Track app performance, request response times, and errors.
- Logs: User actions, transactions, and system errors for debugging.
Component Interconnection Overview
This section describes how the individual parts of the architecture are interconnected:
1. The client-side (Flutter app) interacts with the backend through the API Layer.
2. The API Layer communicates with the Backend, which manages business logic and
database interactions.
3. The Backend processes data and interacts with Firebase Firestore to store or retrieve
booking, user, and product information.
4. The Backend also integrates with third-party services for payments (Stripe/PayPal) and
notifications (Twilio/Firebase).
5. Firebase Authentication ensures secure login and access control at the API Layer.
6. Monitoring and logging are enabled across all layers to track performance and identify
issues.
7. Real-time updates are provided through Firebase for automatic syncing of data between
the Backend and Front-End.
