Flask Blog Application

This Flask application is a simple blogging platform with functionalities such as viewing, adding, editing, and deleting posts, as well as handling user authentication and file uploads. It also includes a contact form and supports email notifications (optional).

Features

• Homepage: Displays a paginated list of blog posts.
• About Page: Provides information about the blog.
• Dashboard: Admin interface for managing posts (CRUD operations) and file uploads.
• Contact Form: Allows users to send messages through the website.
• User Authentication: Admin login to access the dashboard.
• File Uploads: Allows administrators to upload files.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip (Python package installer)
• PostgreSQL database server
• A Gmail account for sending emails (optional)

Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone <repository_url>
   cd <repository_directory>

2. Install Dependencies:

Create a virtual environment and install the required packages:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use `venv\Scripts\activate`
pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Configure PostgreSQL:

Create a PostgreSQL database for the application.

Update the configure.json file with your PostgreSQL connection details:

{
    "params": {
        "gmail": "your_email@gmail.com",
        "gp": "your_email_password",
        "local_server": "postgresql://username:password@localhost/dbname",
        "upload_path": "uploads",
        "no_of_posts": 5,
        "admin_user": "admin",
        "admin_password": "password"
    }
}

Replace username, password, localhost, and dbname with your PostgreSQL credentials and database name. Replace "your_email@gmail.com" and "your_email_password" with your Gmail credentials. Update "upload_path", "no_of_posts", "admin_user", and "admin_password" according to your preferences.

4. Create the Database Tables:

Run the following command to create the necessary database tables:

 python main.py

Exit the Python shell after the tables are created. the db.create_all() in the main.py will create all the database tables.

5. Usage Run the Application:

 python main.py

The application will start on (http://127.0.0.1:5000).

6. Access the Dashboard:

Navigate to /dashboard to log in with the admin credentials specified in configure.json. Use the dashboard to manage posts and upload files. Contact Form:

Navigate to /contact to send a message. Optionally configure email sending in the contact route by uncommenting and configuring the mail.send_message line.

7. File Structure

main.py: Main application file. configure.json: Configuration file for the application. requirements.txt: List of Python dependencies. templates/: Directory containing HTML templates. static/: Directory for static files (CSS, JavaScript, images).

8. Contributing

Feel free to fork the repository and submit pull requests. Contributions are welcome!

9. License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.