CST499 - Week 4

 

Week 4 Computer Science Capstone Project

The project is moving fast, and the team is really racing against time. Week four of the Capstone has ended, and the team started to see the results of the completed work. One of our team members handled the challenging Admin Dashboard, though there is still more to do to make admin functions fully complete. The site is now HTTPS (Render enforces it), with CSRF protection, separate database with admin verification, and admin privileges set up.

Next week, the plan is to finish adding content to all pages and create a database table to collect emails from the “Sign Up for Newsletter” section. I also want to improve the templates for verification emails and password reset notifications. On top of that, I need to figure out how to enable a password lockout policy in Auth0, make sure database external access is limited, and link the business social media accounts in the footer.

The biggest challenge so far is still the Admin Dashboard — turning it into a fully user-friendly portal which will take hours to finish.

CST499 - Week 3

 Week 3 Computer Science Capstone Project

This week, I focused on building the admin dashboard and connecting the database to several metrics and info cards. The portal structure is complete, but I ran into challenges with token refresh authentication from the Auth0 backend API. I spent most of the week working toward a solution; however, the issue is still under investigation, and another team member is now assisting with debugging.

In the meantime, I will move forward to build out the dashboard link functionality in the upcoming week.

I also finalized the About page and added a “404 – Page Not Found” page for Render, including a redirect back to the Home page. Additionally, I created a Contact Modal under Account Settings to give customers an easy way to access provider’s contact information.

My biggest challenge now is catching up on the remaining design and pushing toward a fully functional dashboard.

CST499 - Week 2

Week 2 Computer Science Capstone Project

This week, the project milestone was the completion of the authentication module. Integration with Render PostgreSQL was successfully completed to sync users by their auth0_id. A “Post Login” flow was configured to trigger an action from the library, sending the logged-in user information to the backend. One challenge during this integration was handling CORS to allow Auth0 to communicate with the backend during the Post Login process.

Additionally, I added a user account settings page where logged-in users can view their account information and the data provided during signup.

My plan for this week is to get the Admin Portal functioning, enabling an admin to manage users, subscriptions, and access to the educational hub. I will also upload the privacy policy and Terms & Conditions for the site. Furthermore, signup email verification, password reset, and email notifications will require custom html to reflect the correct custom domain.

Currently, there are no major challenges, as we received additional content from the client. Once this week’s goals are complete, I will report back on any further challenges.

CST499 - Week 1

Week 1 Computer Science Capstone Project

This is the first official week of the CST499 Capstone Project, and it’s been a very productive start. I’m pleased with the progress made so far.

This week, I finalized the research on building a low-cost, limited-scope HIPAA-compliant platform. After several team meetings and discussions with our project advisor, Dr. Lara, we decided on the final tech stack. My main contributions focused on setting up the backend (Node.js + Express), the frontend (React + Vite), and the database (PostgreSQL), all hosted on Render.

I created a Render account to deploy the frontend, backend, and initialize a blank database. Render allows for future HIPAA-compliant hosting, but the actual activation of full HIPAA compliance will be determined by the client.

To test visual connectivity between the frontend and backend, I built an initial "sudo" homepage. I also implemented authentication services by integrating Auth0 for identity and access management. This setup supports Google login, Apple ID (developer mode), and standard email/password sign-ins. Auth0 was a great choice since it offers strong branding options, a modern interface, and simplified authentication.

I also reached out to the client to define some UI/UX elements—specifically, the color palette and typography. This will help the rest of the team design additional pages consistently using a shared CSS module. Finally, I configured a custom domain for the client, ensuring less complication and early pre-staged production for services on Render, Google Cloud, and Auth0.

Next week, I plan to continue developing the Admin Portal, implement HIPAA security features, and sync the database between Render and Auth0 for post-login actions. I will also update the backend to expose admin endpoints and create a small Admin UI in React. This UI will be protected by Auth0 role checks and allow the admin to view users from PostgreSQL, change roles or flags, and manage accounts through the Auth0 Management API.

The main challenge right now (if any) is collecting complete content for the website. The team plans to meet with the client soon to help organize and gather shared documents, images, and any other materials needed for the site.