Distributeur Automatique - Documentation

Backend Technologies

The backend of the vending machine simulation is built using the following technologies:

• Node.js: A JavaScript runtime environment used to build the backend server. It provides an efficient and scalable platform for handling API requests and managing application logic.
• Express: A lightweight web application framework for Node.js, used to define API routes, handle HTTP requests, and manage middleware for the application.

These technologies ensure a fast and reliable backend capable of handling vending machine operations like product selection, payment processing, and transaction management.

API Testing Tools

To test the API routes and ensure proper functionality, the following tool is used:

• Postman: A popular API testing tool used to send requests to the backend routes and verify their responses. It allows developers to test endpoints like inserting coins, selecting products, and confirming transactions efficiently.

Postman simplifies the process of debugging and validating the backend logic during development.

Frontend Technologies

The frontend of the vending machine simulation is built using modern web technologies to create an interactive and visually appealing user interface:

• React.js: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It is used to create the dynamic components of the vending machine, such as the 3D interface and product selection panel.
• A-Frame: A web framework for building 3D and VR experiences. It is used to render the vending machine and products in a realistic 3D environment.
• Bootstrap: A CSS framework for styling the application and ensuring responsiveness across devices. It provides pre-designed components for a clean and professional look.
• SASS: A CSS preprocessor used to write modular and maintainable styles for the application. It simplifies the process of managing complex stylesheets.

These frontend technologies work together to deliver a seamless and engaging user experience for interacting with the vending machine simulation.

Development & Deployment Tools

The project utilizes these essential tools for development, testing, and deployment:

• Visual Studio Code: A lightweight but powerful source code editor used for developing both frontend and backend components. Its extensive ecosystem of extensions provides support for JavaScript, React, and Node.js development, making it ideal for this project.
• Docker: A platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers. Docker ensures consistent environments across development and production, simplifying deployment and eliminating "it works on my machine" problems.

These tools enhance the development workflow by providing a consistent environment and powerful editing capabilities, ensuring code quality and deployment reliability throughout the project lifecycle.

List of Products: This route retrieves all available products in the vending machine. It ensures the frontend displays accurate product information, including names, prices, positions, and scales.

• Method: GET
• Endpoint: /api/products
• Expected Response: JSON array of products with fields like:
  • id: Unique identifier for the product.
  • name: Name of the product.
  • price: Price of the product.
  • position: Specifies the 3D coordinates (x, y, z) to correctly position the product in the vending machine interface.
  • scale: Defines the size of the product in the 3D environment to ensure it appears proportionate and realistic.

Insert Coin: This route handles coin insertion by the user. It updates the backend with the amount inserted and ensures the frontend reflects the updated balance.

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/insert-coin
• Request Body: { "amount": 5 }
• Expected Response: Updated balance in JSON format, e.g., { "balance": 5 }.

Select a Product: This route allows the user to select a product. It verifies if the user has sufficient balance and updates the backend accordingly.

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/select-product
• Request Body: { "productId": "123" }
• Expected Response: Confirmation of product selection or an error message if the balance is insufficient.

Confirm Transaction: This route finalizes the purchase. It deducts the product price from the balance, updates the stock, and calculates the change to be dispensed.

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/confirm-transaction
• Expected Response: JSON object with fields like dispensedProducts ,change and balance.

Cancel: This route cancels the current transaction and refunds the inserted coins. It ensures the backend resets the balance and the frontend reflects the cancellation.

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/cancel
• Description: Cancels the current transaction, empties the cart, and returns all inserted coins as change.
• Expected Response: JSON object with the refunded amount as change, e.g., { "change": {"10": 1, "1": 2}, "balance": 0 }.

Reset: This route completely resets the vending machine to its initial state. It clears the cart, resets the balance to zero, and empties any pending transactions without returning change.

• Method: POST
• Endpoint: /api/reset
• Description: Performs a complete system reset, returning the machine to its initial state without processing refunds.
• Expected Response: JSON object with the following structure:

  {
      "success": true,
      "message": "Machine reset successfully",
      "balance": 0,
      "cart": [],
      "change": {}
  }

• Usage: This endpoint is typically used for administrative purposes or when needing to clear all pending transactions and start fresh. Unlike the cancel endpoint, it does not return inserted coins as change.