Quick Status Board

A real-time mobile application for sharing short status updates with your partner(s). Built with React Native (Expo) and Firebase.

Features

• User Authentication: Sign up and login with email/password
• Real-time Status Feed: Post and view status updates in real-time
• Clean UI: Modern, intuitive interface for easy status sharing
• Character Limit: 280-character limit to keep statuses concise
• Responsive Design: Works on both Android and iOS devices

Prerequisites

Before running this application, you need to set up:

1. Node.js (v16 or higher)
2. Expo CLI: npm install -g @expo/cli
3. Firebase Project: Create a project at Firebase Console

Firebase Setup

1. Create a new Firebase project at Firebase Console
2. Enable Authentication:
   • Go to Authentication > Sign-in method
   • Enable Email/Password authentication
3. Enable Firestore Database:
   • Go to Firestore Database
   • Create database in test mode (for development)
4. Get your Firebase configuration:
   • Go to Project Settings > General
   • Scroll down to "Your apps" section
   • Click "Add app" and select Web app
   • Copy the configuration object

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd QuickStatusBoard

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Configure Firebase:

   • Open config/firebase.js
   • Replace the placeholder values with your actual Firebase configuration:

   const firebaseConfig = {
     apiKey: "your-actual-api-key",
     authDomain: "your-project-id.firebaseapp.com",
     projectId: "your-actual-project-id",
     storageBucket: "your-project-id.appspot.com",
     messagingSenderId: "your-actual-sender-id",
     appId: "your-actual-app-id",
   };

Running the App

Development

1. Start the Expo development server:

   npm start

2. Install Expo Go app on your Android/iOS device

3. Scan the QR code with:

   • Android: Expo Go app
   • iOS: Camera app (will redirect to Expo Go)

Testing on Emulator

1. Android:

   • Install Android Studio
   • Set up an Android Virtual Device (AVD)
   • Run: npm run android

2. iOS (macOS only):

   • Install Xcode
   • Run: npm run ios

Project Structure

QuickStatusBoard/
├── App.js                 # Main application component
├── config/
│   ├── firebase.js       # Firebase configuration
│   ├── auth.js           # Authentication functions
│   └── firestore.js      # Firestore database functions
├── screens/
│   ├── AuthScreen.js     # Login/Signup screen
│   └── FeedScreen.js     # Main feed screen
├── components/           # Reusable UI components (future)
└── assets/              # Images and other assets

Data Model

Firestore Collections

users Collection

• Document ID: Firebase Auth User ID (uid)
• Fields:
  • email: User's email address
  • createdAt: Account creation timestamp

statuses Collection

• Document ID: Auto-generated
• Fields:
  • content: Status message text
  • authorId: User ID who posted the status
  • authorEmail: User's email (denormalized for easy display)
  • createdAt: Server timestamp

Security Rules

For development, use these Firestore security rules:

rules_version = '2';
service cloud.firestore {
  match /databases/{database}/documents {
    // Users can read/write their own user document
    match /users/{userId} {
      allow read, write: if request.auth != null && request.auth.uid == userId;
    }

    // Authenticated users can read all statuses and create new ones
    match /statuses/{statusId} {
      allow read: if request.auth != null;
      allow create: if request.auth != null &&
        request.auth.uid == resource.data.authorId;
    }
  }
}

Assignment Compliance

This project fulfills all required assignment criteria:

✅ Development Environment: React Native with Expo
✅ Sample App on Device: Deployable via Expo Go
✅ Git Repository: This repository with documentation
✅ Partner Collaboration: Shared codebase for collaborative development
✅ Web Service Backend: Firebase Firestore for data storage
✅ Exceptional Features: Ready for weather API, location, and push notifications

Future Enhancements (Exceptional Features)

• Weather Integration: Tag statuses with current weather
• Location Services: Add location information to posts
• Push Notifications: Notify partners of new status updates
• User Profiles: Enhanced user information and avatars
• Status Reactions: Like/react to status updates

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Firebase Connection Error: Verify your Firebase configuration in config/firebase.js
2. Authentication Issues: Ensure Email/Password is enabled in Firebase Console
3. Build Errors: Clear cache with expo start -c
4. Device Connection: Ensure your device and computer are on the same network

Getting Help

• Check the Expo Documentation
• Review Firebase Documentation
• Check the Issues tab in this repository

License

This project is created for educational purposes as part of a mobile application development course.