E-Commerce Application

A modern e-commerce platform built with Laravel and Vue.js, featuring a shopping cart system, product categories, and admin management.

Prerequisites

• PHP 8.1 or higher
• Composer
• Node.js (v16+) and npm
• SQLite
• Git

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd <project-directory>

2. Install Dependencies

# Install PHP dependencies
composer install

# Install JavaScript dependencies
npm install

3. Environment Setup

# Copy the environment file
cp .env.example .env

# Generate application key
php artisan key:generate

4. Database Setup

For SQLite:

# Create SQLite database
touch database/database.sqlite


### 5. Run Migrations and Seeders

```bash
php artisan migrate:fresh --seed

6. Build Assets

npm run dev # for development
# or
npm run build # for production

7. Start the Server

php artisan serve

Visit http://localhost:8000 to view the application.

Architecture Overview

Backend Components

Services Layer

• DiscountService: Handles product discount calculations and promotions
• Implements business logic separation for better maintainability

Models

• Product: Product entity with relationships to categories and cart items
• Implements cart functionality and product management

Controllers

• CategoryController: Handles product categorization
• Admin-specific controllers in the Admin namespace for backend management

Middleware

• HandleInertiaRequests: Manages Inertia.js requests and shared data

Frontend Components

Vue.js Pages

• Welcome.vue: Main landing page
• Products/Show.vue: Product detail page with cart integration

State Management

• Uses Pinia store (useCartStore.js) for cart state management
• Implements persistent cart functionality

Event Listeners

• MergeGuestCart: Handles cart merging when guest users authenticate

Design Decisions

1. Cart Implementation

   • Separate guest and authenticated user carts
   • Cart merging on user authentication
   • Persistent storage using local storage and database

2. State Management

   • Pinia chosen over Vuex for better TypeScript support and composition API compatibility
   • Centralized cart state management for consistent shopping experience

3. Admin Interface

   • Separate admin namespace for better organization
   • Dedicated controllers and views for admin functionality

4. Service Layer

   • Business logic abstraction in services
   • Improved maintainability and testability

Future Improvements

1. Performance Optimization

   • Implement caching for product catalog
   • Add image optimization and lazy loading
   • Consider Redis for session storage

2. Feature Additions

   • User wishlist functionality
   • Advanced search with filters
   • Product reviews and ratings
   • Order tracking system

3. Technical Improvements

   • Add comprehensive test coverage
   • Implement API documentation
   • Set up CI/CD pipeline
   • Docker containerization

4. Security Enhancements

   • Two-factor authentication
   • Rate limiting for API endpoints
   • Enhanced admin access controls

5. User Experience

   • Real-time stock updates
   • Enhanced mobile responsiveness
   • Email notification system
   • Social media integration