Calgary Connect

Calgary Connect is a web-based solution designed to help individuals who are new to Calgary (or new to living independently) by offering a community forum, real-time/private messaging, and personal finance tracking—all in one place. We aim to provide practical tools and local guidance to ease the transition to independent living in Calgary.

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Table of Contents

1. Features
2. Tech Stack
3. Setup & Installation
4. Usage
5. Key Highlights
6. Future Enhancements
7. Contributing
8. License

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Features

1. Community Forum

   • Browse, create, and comment on posts about budgeting tips, grocery deals, household advice, etc.
   • Attach images to illustrate local store flyers or share photos of recommended items.
   • Filter posts by category (e.g., FinancialAdvice, MealPreps, HouseholdTips).

2. Direct Messaging

   • One-on-one chats for personalized support or to build friendships with other new Calgarians.
   • In the future it will use WebSockets (via Django Channels) for real-time messaging but for now it's a JavaScript polling fallback.

3. Finance Manager

   • Track income and expenses directly on the site—no external spreadsheet required.
   • View total income, total expenses, and your balance at a glance.
   • Ideal for those new to managing rent, groceries, and other bills in Calgary.

4. User Profiles

   • Each user has a profile with optional bio and profile picture upload.
   • Follow/unfollow other users and “like” their posts.
   • Start a private chat directly from someone’s profile.

5. Search & Filtering

   • Easily filter forum posts by category.
   • Search for specific keywords or tags (planned enhancement).

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Tech Stack

• Backend: Django (Python)
• Database: MySQL
• Real-Time: JavaScript Polling using setInterval to update messages every second
• Frontend: Bootstrap 5 along with custom CSS
• Authentication: Django’s built-in user model and session management

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Setup & Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/YourUsername/CalgaryConnect.git
   cd CalgaryConnect

2. Create and Activate a Virtual Environment (optional but recommended)

    python -m venv venv
    source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install Dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure the Database

Update the DATABASES configuration in app/settings.py with your MySQL credentials.

5. Run Migrations

    python manage.py makemigrations
    python manage.py migrate

6. Create a Superuser (optional, for Django admin)

    python manage.py createsuperuser

7. Run the Development Server

    python manage.py runserver
   
   

Usage

• Sign Up / Log In:
  Create an account or log in using your credentials.

• Community Forum:

  • Post content with optional image attachments.
  • Comment on posts and like/unlike posts.

• Direct Messaging:

  • Start a one-on-one chat from the messages page or directly from a user’s profile.

• Finance Manager:

  • Enter your income and expense entries.
  • View a summary including total income, total expenses, and your balance.

• User Profiles:

  • Edit your bio and update your profile picture.
  • Follow or unfollow other users.
  • Start a direct message from any user’s profile.

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Key Highlights

• Local-Focused Guidance:
  Tailored financial advice and community tips specifically for Calgary residents.

• All-in-One Platform:
  Integrates community support, finance management, and direct messaging.

• User-Friendly:
  A straightforward interface that simplifies independent living and financial tracking.

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Future Enhancements

• Advanced Budget Visualizations:
  Graphs and charts to visualize spending patterns.

• Enhanced Real-Time Messaging:
  Transition from JavaScript polling to full WebSocket integration.

• Group Chats:
  Enable group discussions for broader community support.

• Personalized Financial Tips:
  Automated suggestions based on user spending habits and local deals.

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Contributing

We welcome contributions! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository and clone it locally.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or fix.
3. Commit your changes with descriptive commit messages.
4. Open a pull request with a summary of your changes.

Please follow our coding guidelines and ensure all tests pass before submitting a PR.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Feel free to use, modify, and distribute the software while giving proper credit to the original contributors.

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About the Project

We developed Calgary Connect to address the challenges faced by newcomers to Calgary. Many individuals moving to a new city struggle to find reliable financial advice, local shopping recommendations, and community support. Inspired by our own experiences and extensive research, we built a platform that combines a community forum, direct messaging, and a finance manager into a single, user-friendly site.

What We Learned

• Collaborative Development:
  Working as a team allowed us to blend diverse ideas into a cohesive solution.

• Local Insights:
  We leveraged local data to provide relevant financial tips and community advice.

• Technical Growth:
  Integrating Django, MySQL, and real-time messaging challenged us to learn and adapt quickly.

• User Experience Focus:
  Balancing functionality with simplicity was key to making the platform accessible to all users.

Challenges Faced

• Database Integration:
  Configuring MySQL and managing migrations required careful attention.

• Real-Time Messaging:
  Implementing a real-time chat system with fallback mechanisms was a complex task.

• Responsive Design:
  Ensuring the interface worked well on both desktop and mobile devices was a priority.

• Feature Integration:
  Combining financial management, community interaction, and messaging into a single platform was challenging but ultimately rewarding.

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Thank you for checking out Calgary Connect!
We’re excited to continue evolving the platform to better serve the Calgary community.