SET-B prototype — run & restart instructions (Windows PowerShell)

This README explains how to open, run, and restart the Flask application, how to start ngrok for public access, and where uploaded images are stored.

Prerequisites

• Windows (PowerShell)
• Python 3.8+ installed and on PATH
• (Optional) ngrok.exe placed in the project folder or installed globally

Project location (example) C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Website Set-b prototype-20251104T071513Z-1-001\Website Set-b prototype

Quick start (first time)

1. Open PowerShell and change to the project folder:

cd "C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Website Set-b prototype-20251104T071513Z-1-001\Website Set-b prototype"

2. Create a virtual environment (if you don't already have one):

python -m venv .venv

3. Activate the virtual environment:

.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

4. Install dependencies (if present). If the repository contains a requirements.txt, run:

pip install -r requirements.txt

If there is no requirements.txt, install the minimal packages:

pip install flask
# optional (recommended) for server-side image validation and ngrok usage:
pip install pillow pyngrok

Run the server

1. From the activated venv, start the Flask app:

python main.py

2. The server binds to port 5000. You should see messages like:

• Running on http://127.0.0.1:5000

3. Open http://127.0.0.1:5000 (or http://localhost:5000) in your browser.

Start ngrok (optional — expose site publicly)

1. If you have ngrok.exe in the project folder, run:

ngrok http 5000

(or provide full path: . grok.exe http 5000).

2. The ngrok terminal will print one or two "Forwarding" URLs (http and https). Copy the https URL and open it in a browser to access the site remotely.

3. To add your authtoken (only once):

ngrok config add-authtoken <YOUR_AUTHTOKEN>

Stopping and restarting the server

• Stop the server that was started with python main.py by pressing Ctrl+C in that terminal.
• To start it again, re-run python main.py in the project folder with the venv activated.

If the server was started elsewhere or you need to kill a stray process:

1. Find the Python process (shows command line):

Get-CimInstance Win32_Process -Filter "Name='python.exe'" | Select-Object ProcessId,CommandLine

2. Kill a specific PID (replace ):

Stop-Process -Id <pid>

Notes on uploaded images

• Uploaded pictures are saved to: static/uploads (project root). Example absolute path:

  C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Website Set-b prototype-20251104T071513Z-1-001\Website Set-b prototype\static\uploads<filename>

• The database stores the filename (or in some older records, an explicit static path). Templates generate URLs like /static/uploads/<filename> so uploaded pictures show in the student list and profile.

• If you add an image using the web form, check the static/uploads directory for the file and then refresh the home/profile page.

Troubleshooting

• Images not visible:

  • Make sure the Flask server was restarted after recent code changes.
  • Confirm the uploaded file exists in static/uploads.
  • Check the browser devtools Network tab for the image request and its HTTP status (404 means file missing).

• Search box not preserving value:

  • Use the search form at /home. Enter a term and submit; the input will show the query after the page reload.

• ngrok URL not reachable:

  • Make sure ngrok is running in a terminal and your Flask server is running on port 5000.
  • Copy the exact forwarding URL shown in the ngrok terminal (long names can wrap in the terminal; copy the full URL).

Security notes

• Uploaded files are accepted if the browser reports an image MIME type. For greater safety consider:
  • Adding server-side validation (e.g., using Pillow to open & re-save images),
  • Normalizing filenames (prefix with UUIDs to avoid collisions),
  • Sanitizing or restricting SVG uploads.

If you want, I can add a small script to normalize/validate existing images and a command to run it.

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Generated on: 2025-11-06