Project Documentation

1. Requirements

RecipeHub was built with HTML for front-end, CSS for UI styling, PHP and JS for back-end, and uses a MySQL database.
To build and host RecipeHub, you would need:

• PHP 8.0 or higher
• MySQL / MariaDB
• XAMPP, MAMP, or live server
• Internet access (for Spoonacular API)

2. Installation Steps

1. Start Apache and MySQL.
2. Clone or download the project into your `htdocs/` folder (XAMPP) or your web host's public directory.
3. Create your RecipeHub database in phpMyAdmin.
4. Open your browser and run the PHP script: /config/db_setup.php to create the necessary tables.
5. Update DB credentials in /config/db_config.php.
6. Edit /config/constants.php to match your server's URL and folder paths.
7. Include your Spoonacular API key in the PHP script: /assets/scripts/php/fetch_api_recipes.php.
8. Open your browser and open /assets/scripts/php/fetch_api_recipes.php to populate the resipes table with Spoonacular recipes.
9. Access http://localhost/your-folder/public/index.php in your browser.

3. Folder Structure

The RecipeHub folder structure is organized for modularity, scalability, and ease of development. Assets, configurations, and public-facing scripts are clearly separated to support team collaboration, maintain clean code practices, and simplify deployment.

/root
│
├── /assets                      → Static files (media, scripts, styles)
│   ├── /img                     → Image assets
│   │   ├── /profiles            → User profile pictures
│   │   ├── /thumbnails          → Recipe thumbnails
│   │   └── /wiki                → Wiki-related images
│   ├── /includes                → PHP snippet files (navbar, footer, etc.)
│   ├── /scripts
│   │   ├── /js                  → JavaScript script
│   │   └── /php                 → Reusable backend PHP scripts
│   └── /styles
│       ├── /templates           → Shared CSS templates (e.g., header, sidebar)
│       └── /themes              → Theme-specific stylesheets
│
├── /config                      → Site and database configuration
│   ├── constants.php            → URL paths and global constants
│   ├── db_config.php            → Database connection settings
│   └── db_setup.php             → Auto-create database schema
│
├── /docs                        → Project documentation
│   └── /wiki                    → All wiki/help pages
│
├── /public                      → Public-facing entry points
│   ├── /admin                   → Admin-only tools and dashboard
│   ├── /recipe                  → Add/view/edit recipes
│   ├── /user                    → Profile, settings, and user pages
│   ├── about.php                → About the website
│   ├── contact.php              → Contact website creator
│   ├── index.php                → Homepage
│   ├── login.php                → Login form
│   └── register.php             → Registration form
└── 

4. Database Schema (Simplified)

Table: users
Stores all user account information including login credentials, profile details, and admin status.

• id (INT, PK, AUTO_INCREMENT)
• first_name, last_name (VARCHAR)
• username (UNIQUE), email (UNIQUE)
• password (hashed), profile_pic (image path)
• about_me (TEXT), is_admin (BOOLEAN)
• created_at (TIMESTAMP)

Table: recipes
Contains all user-submitted and API-sourced recipes, including dietary filters, metadata, and ownership.

• id (INT, PK, AUTO_INCREMENT)
• created_by (FK → users.id)
• title, image_url, cuisine_type, difficulty
• vegetarian, gluten_free, dairy_free
• meal_type (ENUM), servings, ready_in_minutes
• preparation_time, cooking_time
• ingredients, instructions (TEXT)
• is_api (BOOLEAN), is_admin (BOOLEAN)
• favourite_count (INT), created_at (TIMESTAMP)

Table: favourites
Tracks which users have favorited which recipes to enable personalized recipe collections.

• id (INT, PK, AUTO_INCREMENT)
• user_id (FK → users.id)
• recipe_id (FK → recipes.id)
• favourited_at (TIMESTAMP)
• UNIQUE constraint on (user_id, recipe_id)

Table: comments
Stores user comments on recipes to support community feedback and discussion.

• id (INT, PK, AUTO_INCREMENT)
• user_id (FK → users.id)
• recipe_id (FK → recipes.id)
• comment (TEXT), created_at (TIMESTAMP)

5. User Features

• Create an account and log in to access your dashboard
• Post your own recipes with ingredients, instructions, and thumbnail image
• Browse and search recipes submitted by other users or pulled from the Spoonacular API
• Favorite recipes you like and view them on your profile
• Comment on other users' recipes to give feedback or ask questions
• Edit your profile, update your “About Me”, and upload a profile picture
• Switch between visual themes (e.g., pink, blue, green) for a customized experience
• Delete your account permanently through the Settings page

6. Admin Features

• Manage users: search, view, delete
• Manage recipes: search, view, and edit/delete inappropriate content
• View site health and service statuses on the Monitor page
• Track user and recipe activity via the monitor page graph
• Delete user comments on recipes

7. API Integration

This app uses the Spoonacular API to fetch recipes for the Explore page.

Your API key should be saved in your fetch_api_recipes.php script and referenced when needed. Avoid exposing it in public repositories.

8. Customization

• Change themes in /public/user/user-settings.php
• Edit navigation or sidebar menu structure via assets/includes/navbar.php and assets/includes/sidebar.php
• Enable email/OAuth by customizing login and register forms
• Update constants like URLs and asset paths in constants.php