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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CvoqH_p84jSwCTQ2__f6gZt2DyL88udK/view?usp=sharing
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**System Architecture Discussion**
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The Smart Grocery Management Mobile App adopts a modular and scalable architecture consisting of four main layers: **Client Devices, Backend Server, Database, and External Services**. This structure ensures a clear separation of concerns, high maintainability, and strong support for collaborative and intelligent grocery management features.
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**Client Devices (Mobile App)**
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The client is built using React Native and runs on both Android and iOS platforms via Expo Go. It allows users to:
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- Log in and register securely
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- Manage grocery inventory
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- Share data with group members
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- View reminders, expense charts, and calorie tracking
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- Receive AI generated recipe suggestions
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The app communicates with the backend using HTTPS and JSON via REST API, ensuring secure and standardized data exchange.
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**Backend Server (Node.js/Express)**
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The backend uses Node.js with Express to expose REST API endpoints for:
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- /users: Handles login, registration, and password reset
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**System Architecture Discussion**
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The Smart Grocery Management Mobile App is built on a modular, scalable architecture comprising four key layers:** Presentation (Client Devices), Application (Backend Server), Data (Database), and External Services**. This layered structure ensures a clear separation of concerns, facilitates maintainability, and provides robust support for collaborative, intelligent grocery management functionalities.
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Presentation Layer (Client Devices – Mobile App)
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The client side application is developed using React Native, enabling cross-platform deployment on both Android and iOS through Expo Go. Core functionalities offered to users include:
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- Secure user login and registration
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- Grocery inventory management
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- Group based data sharing and collaboration
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- Real time reminders, expense visualization, and calorie tracking
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- AI powered recipe suggestions based on available inventory
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The mobile app communicates with the backend over HTTPS, using JSON formatted data via RESTful API calls to ensure secure and standardized information exchange
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Application Layer (Backend Server – Node.js/Express)
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The backend is built with Node.js and Express, exposing a set of REST API endpoints for core functionalities:
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- /users: Handles user registration, login, and password reset
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- /group: Manages group creation, joining, leaving, and ownership transfer
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- /items: Manages grocery inventory actions (add, update, delete)
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These endpoints are organized under a RESTful architecture, simplifying integration and promoting modularity. The backend also includes business logic for:
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- /items: Supports adding, updating, and deleting inventory items
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These endpoints follow RESTful principles to ensure modularity and ease of integration. Beyond routing, the backend also implements essential business logic such as:
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- Email based password verification using Nodemailer
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- AI recipe querying
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- Calorie and BMI analysis
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**Database (MongoDB via Mongoose)**
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All data is persistently stored in a MongoDB database with the help of Mongoose for schema validation and object modeling. Collections include:
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- users: Account data, BMI, preferences
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- groups: Group metadata and member mapping
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- items: Inventory items with expiry, price, calories
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- logs: Food consumption and financial records
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This design allows flexible schema evolution and efficient querying, supporting features like group synchronization and historical analytics
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- Intelligent recipe requests to an external AI service
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- Calorie and BMI computations for personalized health tracking
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Data Layer (Database – MongoDB via Mongoose)
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Persistent data storage is handled by MongoDB, with Mongoose used for schema validation and object modeling.
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The database structure supports the following collections:
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- Users: Stores account credentials, BMI data, and user preferences
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- Groups: Records group metadata and member associations
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- Items: Contains inventory items with attributes like expiry, price, and calorie value
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- Logs: Tracks food consumption history and financial records
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This flexible schema supports efficient querying and easy schema evolution, enabling real time group synchronization and historical data analytics.
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External Services
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To extend core functionality, the system integrates with two external services:
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- Gmail SMTP (via Nodemailer): Used for sending 6 digit verification codes during password reset workflows, enhancing account security
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- Spoonacular API: Provides personalized recipe suggestions by analyzing the user’s inventory and dietary preferences
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**External Services**
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Two external APIs enhance app intelligence and communication:
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- Gmail SMTP (via Nodemailer): Used to send 6 digit verification codes for password reset. This ensures secure identity validation
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- Spoonacular API: Allows the backend to generate intelligent meal suggestions based on real time inventory and nutritional goals
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| Attribute | Architectural Support |
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| ------ | ------ |
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| Secure authentication | HTTPS, JWT tokens, and email verification via SMTP |
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| Group collaboration | Shared MongoDB model with role based logic and API synchronization |
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| Expiry and usage notifications | REST API tracks expiry dates; frontend highlights them dynamically |
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| Expense tracking | MongoDB logs combined with frontend charting |
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| AI powered recipes | API connection to Spoonacular via backend HTTP requests |
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| Cross platform compatibility | React Native enables iOS and Android support |
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| Scalability | RESTful, modular backend + NoSQL flexibility |
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| Maintainability and Testability | Clear separation of API logic, database schema, and external modules | |
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| Group collaboration | Shared MongoDB group model with role based access and synchronized REST API endpoints |
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| Expiry and usage alerts | | Backend tracks expiry dates; frontend displays dynamic notifications |
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| Expense tracking | MongoDB logging combined with client side charting features |
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| AI powered recipes | Backend connects to Spoonacular API to generate intelligent suggestions |
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| Cross platform compatibility | React Native ensures compatibility with both iOS and Android devices |
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| Scalability | Modular backend and flexible NoSQL schema enable easy feature expansion |
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| Maintainability and Testability | Clear separation of logic, database schemas, and service integrations | |
