RareVault E-Commerce Platform

A full-stack e-commerce platform for vintage and rare items, built with Vue.js 3 and Flask.

📋 Table of Contents

• System Requirements
• Quick Start
• Detailed Setup Instructions
• Project Structure
• Running the Application
• Troubleshooting

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🖥️ System Requirements

Required Software

1. Python 3.10 or higher

   • Download: https://www.python.org/downloads/
   • During installation, CHECK "Add Python to PATH"

2. Node.js 16.x or higher

   • Download: https://nodejs.org/ (LTS version recommended)
   • Includes npm (Node Package Manager)

3. MySQL 8.0 or higher

   • Download: https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/
   • OR use XAMPP: https://www.apachefriends.org/
   • OR use WAMP: https://www.wampserver.com/

4. Git (optional, for version control)

   • Download: https://git-scm.com/downloads

Operating System

• Windows 10/11
• macOS 10.15+
• Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+)

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🚀 Quick Start

For First-Time Setup (Choose One Method)

Method 1: Automated Setup (Recommended)

# Navigate to project folder
cd rarevault

# Run the setup script
# On Windows PowerShell:
.\SETUP.ps1

# On Windows CMD or Git Bash:
bash SETUP.sh

# On macOS/Linux:
bash SETUP.sh

Method 2: Manual Setup

Follow the Detailed Setup Instructions below.

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📚 Detailed Setup Instructions

Step 1: Extract the Project

1. Extract the rarevault folder from Google Drive to your desired location
2. Example: C:\Projects\rarevault or D:\Development\rarevault

Step 2: Install MySQL and Create Database

Option A: Using MySQL Server

1. Install MySQL Server from https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/
2. During installation:
   • Remember your root password
   • Note the port (default: 3306)
3. Open MySQL Workbench or MySQL Command Line
4. Run the following command:

   CREATE DATABASE rarevault_db;

5. Import the database schema:

   mysql -u root -p rarevault_db < rarevault_db.sql

   OR in MySQL Workbench:
   • File → Run SQL Script
   • Select rarevault_db.sql
   • Execute

Option B: Using XAMPP

1. Install XAMPP from https://www.apachefriends.org/
2. Start the XAMPP Control Panel
3. Start Apache and MySQL services
4. Click Admin button next to MySQL (opens phpMyAdmin)
5. Create a new database named rarevault_db
6. Import rarevault_db.sql:
   • Click on rarevault_db database
   • Go to "Import" tab
   • Choose file: rarevault_db.sql
   • Click "Go"

Step 3: Backend Setup (Flask/Python)

1. Open Terminal/Command Prompt and navigate to backend folder:

   cd rarevault/backend

2. Create Python Virtual Environment:

   # On Windows:
   python -m venv venv
   
   # On macOS/Linux:
   python3 -m venv venv

3. Activate Virtual Environment:

   # On Windows PowerShell:
   .\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
   
   # On Windows CMD:
   venv\Scripts\activate.bat
   
   # On macOS/Linux:
   source venv/bin/activate

   You should see (venv) at the start of your command prompt.

4. Install Python Dependencies:

   pip install --upgrade pip
   pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Configure Environment Variables:

   • Open the file backend\.env in a text editor
   • Update the following values:

   SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here-change-in-production
   DATABASE_URL=mysql+pymysql://root:YOUR_MYSQL_PASSWORD@localhost/rarevault_db
   JWT_SECRET_KEY=jwt-secret-string-change-in-production

   Important: Replace YOUR_MYSQL_PASSWORD with your actual MySQL root password

   Example:

   DATABASE_URL=mysql+pymysql://root:mypassword123@localhost/rarevault_db

6. Test Database Connection:

   python check_database.py

   This should show all database tables and confirm the connection works.

Step 4: Frontend Setup (Vue.js)

1. Open a NEW Terminal/Command Prompt and navigate to frontend folder:

   cd rarevault/frontend

2. Install Node.js Dependencies:

   npm install

   This may take 2-5 minutes. You should see a node_modules folder created.

3. Verify Installation:

   npm list vue

   Should show Vue 3.4.0 or similar.

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▶️ Running the Application

You need to run BOTH backend and frontend servers.

Terminal 1: Start Backend Server

# Navigate to backend folder
cd rarevault/backend

# Activate virtual environment (if not already activated)
# Windows PowerShell:
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Run the Flask server
python run.py

Expected Output:

 * Running on http://0.0.0.0:5000
 * Running on http://127.0.0.1:5000
 * Running on http://YOUR_LOCAL_IP:5000

Keep this terminal OPEN. The backend is now running on http://localhost:5000

Terminal 2: Start Frontend Server

# Navigate to frontend folder
cd rarevault/frontend

# Run the development server
npm run dev

Expected Output:

  VITE v5.0.0  ready in 500 ms

  ➜  Local:   http://localhost:3001/
  ➜  Network: http://192.168.x.x:3001/

Keep this terminal OPEN. The frontend is now running on http://localhost:3001

Access the Application

Open your web browser and go to:

http://localhost:3001

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📁 Project Structure

rarevault/
├── backend/              # Flask Backend API
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── models/      # Database models
│   │   ├── routes/      # API endpoints
│   │   ├── admin/       # Admin routes
│   │   ├── seller/      # Seller routes
│   │   └── user/        # User routes
│   ├── uploads/         # Uploaded images
│   ├── venv/           # Python virtual environment (created during setup)
│   ├── .env            # Environment variables (CONFIGURE THIS)
│   ├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
│   └── run.py          # Backend entry point
│
├── frontend/           # Vue.js Frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── views/     # Page components
│   │   ├── components/# Reusable components
│   │   ├── router/    # Vue Router config
│   │   └── assets/    # Static assets
│   ├── node_modules/  # Node dependencies (created during setup)
│   ├── package.json   # Frontend dependencies
│   └── vite.config.js # Vite configuration
│
├── rarevault_db.sql   # Database schema and seed data
├── README.md          # This file
└── SETUP_GUIDE.md     # Detailed setup instructions

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🔧 Troubleshooting

Backend Issues

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'flask'"

Solution: Make sure the virtual environment is activated and dependencies are installed:

cd backend
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1  # Windows
pip install -r requirements.txt

"Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost'"

Solution: Update your backend\.env file with the correct MySQL password:

DATABASE_URL=mysql+pymysql://root:YOUR_CORRECT_PASSWORD@localhost/rarevault_db

"Can't connect to MySQL server"

Solution:

• Make sure MySQL service is running
• On Windows: Open Services (services.msc) and start "MySQL80" service
• With XAMPP: Open XAMPP Control Panel and start MySQL

"Port 5000 is already in use"

Solution:

• Close any application using port 5000
• OR change the port in backend/run.py:

  app.run(debug=True, host='0.0.0.0', port=5001)  # Changed to 5001

Frontend Issues

"npm: command not found" or "'npm' is not recognized"

Solution:

• Install Node.js from https://nodejs.org/
• Restart your terminal after installation
• Verify: node --version and npm --version

"ENOENT: no such file or directory"

Solution: Make sure you're in the correct directory:

cd rarevault/frontend
npm install

"Module not found" errors when running

Solution: Delete node_modules and reinstall:

rm -rf node_modules
npm install

Port 3001 is already in use

Solution: Kill the process or change the port in frontend/vite.config.js:

server: {
  port: 3002,  // Changed to 3002
  // ... rest of config
}

Database Issues

Cannot import SQL file

Solution:

1. Make sure the database exists: CREATE DATABASE rarevault_db;
2. Use the correct command:

   # From project root
   mysql -u root -p rarevault_db < rarevault_db.sql

3. Or use MySQL Workbench GUI: File → Run SQL Script

"Table doesn't exist" errors

Solution: Re-import the database:

mysql -u root -p
DROP DATABASE rarevault_db;
CREATE DATABASE rarevault_db;
exit

mysql -u root -p rarevault_db < rarevault_db.sql

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🔐 Default Accounts

After importing the database, you may have default test accounts. Check the SQL file or create new accounts through the registration page.

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📞 Support

For issues or questions:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section
2. Review error messages carefully
3. Check that all prerequisites are installed correctly
4. Verify MySQL is running and credentials are correct

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🌟 Features

• User Management: Registration, login, profile management
• Seller Dashboard: List items, manage inventory, view analytics
• Admin Panel: User management, item moderation, system monitoring
• Marketplace: Browse items, search, filter, favorites
• Messaging System: Buyer-seller communication
• Order Management: Purchase flow, order tracking
• Image Uploads: Multiple images per item
• Notifications: Real-time updates for users and sellers

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📝 License

Proprietary - All rights reserved