⚙️ Ekub Hub - Backend

Ekub Hub Backend is the server-side component of the Ekub Hub application, designed to modernize the traditional Ethiopian Ekub system.

It handles:

• 🔐 User authentication via Firebase
• 📂 Management of Ekub groups stored in MongoDB
• 🌍 APIs for searching, creating, and joining Ekub groups
• 📍 Geolocation-based search & filtering with MongoDB's geospatial queries

This backend is built using Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, and Firebase Admin SDK.

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✨ Features

• 🔑 Firebase authentication integration
• 📝 CRUD operations for Ekub groups
• 📍 Geolocation-based search with MongoDB 2D sphere indexing
• 🔒 Secure API endpoints with token-based authentication
• ⚙️ Filtering by contribution amount & distance

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🛠️ Technologies Used

• ⚡ Node.js (v18+ recommended)
• 🚏 Express.js for API routing
• 🗄️ MongoDB for database
• 🧩 Mongoose for object modeling
• 🔑 Firebase Admin SDK for authentication
• 🛠️ dotenv for environment variable management
• 🌐 CORS for cross-origin requests

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📋 Prerequisites

Before running the backend, ensure you have:

• ✅ Node.js installed
• ✅ MongoDB running locally or via MongoDB Atlas
• ✅ Firebase project set up with Authentication enabled
• ✅ Firebase service account key JSON downloaded from Firebase console

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⚡ Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url> ekub-hub-backend
   cd ekub-hub-backend

Install dependencies

bash Copy code npm install Configure environment variables Create a .env file in the root directory:

env Copy code MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/ekubhub # Replace with your MongoDB connection string PORT=5000 # Optional: default port Add Firebase service account key Place the JSON file inside config/ as:

arduino Copy code config/serviceAccountKey.json ▶️ Usage Start MongoDB server (if local)

bash Copy code mongod Run the backend server

bash Copy code node server.js The server will start on: 👉 http://localhost:5000 (or the port specified in .env)

Test the APIs

Use Postman / cURL

All endpoints require a Firebase ID token in the header:

makefile Copy code Authorization: Bearer 📡 API Endpoints 🔑 Authentication All requests must include a Firebase ID token

👥 Ekub Groups Create Ekub Group POST /api/ekub/create Body:

json Copy code { "name": "My Ekub", "location": { "lat": 9.03, "lng": 38.74 }, "contributionAmount": 500, "maxMembers": 10 } Search Ekub Groups GET /api/ekub/search?lat=9.03&lng=38.74&maxDistance=5000&amount=500

Join an Ekub Group POST /api/ekub/join/:id

🗄️ Database Schema EkubGroup Model js Copy code { name: String, // required location: { // GeoJSON Point type: "Point", coordinates: [lng, lat] }, contributionAmount: Number, // required members: [String], // user IDs maxMembers: Number, // required createdAt: { type: Date, default: Date.now } } Geospatial 2dsphere indexing is enabled on location for efficient proximity searches.

🔒 Security ✅ All API routes protected with Firebase token verification

✅ Input validation recommended (e.g., joi, express-validator)

✅ Use HTTPS in production for secure data transfer

🧪 Testing Run automated tests with Jest or Mocha (add as needed)

Manual testing with Postman:

Authenticate via Firebase

Send ID token in headers

Call protected endpoints

🚀 Deployment Platforms: Heroku, Render, Vercel, AWS

Set environment variables in the hosting platform

Use MongoDB Atlas for production database

Keep Firebase key file secure (never commit to repo!)

🤝 Contributing Contributions are welcome! 🎉

Fork the repo 🍴

Create a feature branch 🌱

Submit a pull request 🚀

👨‍💻