ElectroDepot is a inventory management application for electronic components. It helps to keep track of integrated circuits (ICs) and other parts, solving the common problem of losing track of components or making unnecessary purchases. The application leverages a client-server architecture to maintain a digital inventory. Users can update their inventory when new parts are ordered or delivered.

Sections

1. Purpose
2. Features
3. Current State of Development
4. Future Improvements / Goals
5. Architecture and Technologies Information
6. Installation Guide

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🎯 Purpose

ElectroDepot was created to solve the problem of disorganized component storage. As an embedded systems enthusiast, I often struggled to keep track of which components I used in certain projects or determine whether I already had parts in storage before purchasing duplicates. Many users face similar challenges. Often, components get forgotten in boxes or drawers, making it difficult to plan projects due to uncertainty about component availability.

ElectroDepot addresses these issues by:

• Maintaining a clear digital record of components.
• Organizing purchased components into categorized purchases.
• Tracking component usage across projects.

It is important to note that the application itself was a result of the learning process for the AvaloniaUI framework. I am aware of the bugs present in the code, and some parts may not follow best coding practices. However, considering that one of the main goals of writing this app was to learn a new framework, these inconveniences can be overlooked.

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🚀 Key Features

ElectroDepot offers a solution for electronics enthusiasts and professionals by providing:

• Digital Inventory Management: Always know what components are on hand.
• Project Organization: Link parts to specific projects for better tracking.
• Integration with Popular Sellers: Connect with DigiKey, Mouser, and other suppliers to update inventory seamlessly when ordering new parts.
• Searchable Interface: Quickly find components and check their availability.
• Interface: Provides an intuitive interface to organize components into projects.
• Components: Simplifies access to sellers for specific parts.

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📊 Current State of Development

Desktop Client Application

For now top priority is to write usable desktop application. Next steps will involve porting this app to other platforms.

Home

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Components

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Projects

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Purchases

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✔ Future improvements and goals

• Port ElectroDepot to Android, iOS, and Web platforms.
• Bug Fixes
• Visual Improvements
• Develop 'Purchase Tracking Service'
  • Enable users to link purchases from DigiKey, Mouser, and other component suppliers into a unified platform like ElectroDepot.

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🌐 Architecture and Technologies Information

The choice of technologies for ElectroDepot was driven by my desire to develop skills in areas that interest me. I selected C# and ASP.NET Core for the server-side development, as I aim to deepen my expertise in modern backend technologies. Entity Framework and MS SQL were natural choices to complement this stack. On the client side, I opted for AvaloniaUI, as I wanted to learn a cross-platform UI framework that allows building desktop applications with a modern approach. Additionally, I used Docker for containerization, as I wanted to gain hands-on experience with concepts related to containerized deployments and infrastructure management. This allowed me to explore best practices in software deployment while improving my overall understanding of DevOps workflows. For testing, I chose XUnit to ensure code reliability and maintainability.

🌐 Server

• Language: C#
• Framework: ASP.NET Core 8
• ORM: Entity Framework
• Database: MS SQL

💻 Client

• Language: C#
• Framework: .NET 9
• UI Library: AvaloniaUI 11.0.7

🧪 Testing

• Framework: XUnit

🐳 Containerization

• Docker

📦 Visual Studio Solution Overview

The ElectroDepot solution is structured into multiple projects, each serving a distinct purpose. Below is an overview of the key components within the solution:

1. 🌐 Server

• Manages backend architecture, including API endpoints and image upload/storage procedures.

2. 💻 Desktop Client

• A cross-platform desktop application built with C# and the AvaloniaUI framework.

3. 💻 Desktop Client Installer

• Generates .msi installers and setup files for Windows, and setup file for other platforms sucha as: macOS or Linux.

4. 🐳 Docker-Compose

• Defines containerized environments for seamless deployment using Docker Compose.

5. 🔗 ElectroDepotClassLibrary

• A shared library facilitating data exchange between the server and client.
• Provides essential functionalities and reusable client-side logic.

6. 🧪 ElectroDepotClassLibraryTests

• Contains automated tests for server endpoints and client-side logic using XUnit.

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🛠️ Installation guide

Client Desktop

1️⃣ Install ElectroDepot

• Run the ElectroDepot.msi setup file on your machine.
• If you're using Linux or macOS, install the appropriate version from the published installation files.

2️⃣ Application Requirements

• ElectroDepot is a self-contained application—no additional dependencies or external applications are required.
• The installer handles everything automatically.

3️⃣ Launch ElectroDepot

• After installation, run ElectroDepot.exe.

4️⃣ Troubleshooting Server Connection Issues

If you experience issues logging into the server, it may indicate an invalid server configuration. Follow these steps to resolve it:

1. Close ElectroDepot.
2. Navigate to %appdata% on your Windows machine.
3. Locate and open the following file:

AppData\Roaming\ElectroDepot\server.json

4. The file should look like this:

{
  "IP": "localhost",
  "Port": "8081"
}

5. Update the IP and Port to match the server you are trying to connect to.

• You can find the correct server details in the Docker container.
• By default, the file is configured as shown above.

5️⃣ Restart ElectroDepot

Run ElectroDepot again. If you had any connection issues, they should be resolved.

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Server

1️⃣ Install Docker

• Ensure Docker is installed on your machine.
• You can find my Docker registry here: DockerRegistry.

2️⃣ Run Docker Container

• If using VisualStudio, then you can use docker-compose.yml located here.
• If not using Visual studio then create your own docker-compose.yml file with this content. It will download latest image from my dockerhub register. File content:

  services:
  server:
      image: darekkrawczyk/electrodepot-apiserver:latest
      container_name: "electrodepot-apiserver"
      ports:
      - "8080:8080"
      - "8081:8081"
      depends_on:
      - mssqlserver
      environment:
      - ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Development
      volumes:
      - apivolume:/home/app/Services
      networks:
      - productnetwork
      restart: on-failure
  
  mssqlserver:
      image: mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2022-latest
      container_name: "mssqlserver"
      environment:
      ACCEPT_EULA: "Y"
      MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD: "Password123"
      ports:
      - "1433:1433" 
      volumes:
      - sqlvolume:/var/opt/mssql
      networks:
      - productnetwork
      
  networks:
  productnetwork:
  volumes:
  sqlvolume:
  apivolume:  

3️⃣ Start the Server

• Open PowerShell in the directory where docker-compose.yml is located.
• Run docker-compose -p electro-depot-server up --build command.