Errandy: A Student Errand Running App

Project Overview

Errandy is a mobile application designed to facilitate errand-running between students within a university setting. It streamlines the process of requesting and completing tasks for each other, promoting a collaborative and supportive community.

Features

• Landing Page: Provides a clear introduction to Errandy, explaining its purpose and benefits for students.
• Registration: Users can register with their details
• Seamless Login: Allows registered users to easily access the platform using their credentials. B
• Request Page:
  • View all posted errands: Users can browse requests from others within the university community.
  • View requests: Users can express interest in completing an errand by accepting a request. This could trigger a notification and/or chat message to the request originator.
  • Request Creation:* Users can easily post their own errands, specifying details like the task description and location.
• Integrated Chat: Enables seamless communication between users. Users can discuss errand details, negotiate terms, and coordinate completion.

Challenges

• Integrating the Chat:

Future Implementations

• Review System: Develop a rating system where users can leave feedback for each other, fostering a sense of accountability and reliability.
• Errand Categorization: Allow users to categorize errands (e.g., pick-up/delivery, library tasks, printing services) for easier searching and filtering.
• Advanced Search: Implement search functionalities based on location, time frame, task category, or keywords in errand descriptions.
• Push Notifications: Send real-time notifications to users for new requests, accepted tasks, or chat messages.
• Gamification Elements (Optional): Consider incorporating gamification elements like points or badges to incentivize active participation and a sense of accomplishment.
• Payment Integration (Optional): If users wish to offer compensation for errands, consider integrating secure payment options like mobile wallets or university-approved payment systems.
• Verification: Ensuring users are legitimate students within the university might require collaboration with the university administration.
• Location-Based Services: Implementing location-based features to find nearby errands or suggest suitable runners would require careful consideration of user privacy and data security.

How to Build

1. Prerequisites:

   • Ensure you have Python version 3 or later installed on your system. You can verify this by running python --version in your terminal. If you don't have Python, download and install it from the official Python website: https://www.python.org/downloads/

2. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/errandy.git

   Replace your-username with your actual GitHub username.

3. Create a Virtual Environment (Recommended): It's recommended to create a virtual environment to isolate project dependencies. You can use tools like venv or virtualenv for this:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # For Linux/macOS
   venv\Scripts\activate.bat  # For Windows

4. Install Dependencies: Activate the virtual environment (if you created one) and navigate to the project directory:

   cd errandy

   Install the project's dependencies using pip:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   Make sure the requirements.txt file includes Flask, Flask-SocketIO, and any other required libraries.

5. Configuration: Create a .env file in the project root directory. This file will store sensitive information like database credentials, API keys, and Flask secret key (for session management). You can use a service like Heroku or Netlify to manage environment variables securely. An example .env file might look like this:

   DATABASE_URL=your_database_url
   API_KEY=your_api_key
   SECRET_