Parley - Parent Teacher Chat Application

A modern web application built with Next.js that enables seamless communication between parents and teachers through chat, appointments, and notices.

Quick Start Demo

Try the app with pre-seeded demo data:

npm install
npx prisma migrate dev
npx prisma db seed
npm run dev

Demo Login Credentials:

• Teacher: john.smith@school.com / password123
• Parent: mike.brown@email.com / password123

See DEMO_ACCOUNTS.md for all demo accounts and CHAT_TEST.md for testing real-time chat.

Features

Core Features

• Real-time Chat: Socket.io powered instant messaging between parents and teachers
• Appointment Scheduling: Parents can request appointments, teachers can confirm or cancel
• Notices & Complaints: Teachers can send notices or complaints to parents about specific children
• Invite Code System: Teachers generate secure invite codes for parents to connect

Authentication

• Email/password authentication using NextAuth.js
• Role-based access control (Parent/Teacher)
• Protected routes with middleware

User Experience

• Role-specific dashboards for Parents and Teachers
• Responsive design that works on mobile and desktop
• Clean, modern UI built with shadcn/ui components

Tech Stack

• Framework: Next.js 15 (App Router)
• Database: SQLite with Prisma ORM
• Authentication: NextAuth.js
• Real-time: Socket.io
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• UI Components: shadcn/ui
• Language: TypeScript

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ installed
• npm or yarn package manager

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd PTCA

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Set up environment variables: Create a .env file in the root directory:

DATABASE_URL="file:./dev.db"
NEXTAUTH_SECRET="your-secret-key-change-this-in-production"
NEXTAUTH_URL="http://localhost:3000"
NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL="http://localhost:3000"

4. Initialize the database:

npx prisma migrate dev

5. (Optional) Seed the database with demo data:

npx prisma db seed

6. Run the development server:

npm run dev

7. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser

Usage

For Teachers

1. Sign up with your email and select "Teacher" as your role
2. Generate invite codes from the "Invite Codes" page
3. Share the codes with parents
4. Once connected, you can:
   • Chat with parents in real-time
   • Manage appointment requests
   • Send notices or complaints

For Parents

1. Sign up with your email and select "Parent" as your role
2. Get an invite code from your child's teacher
3. Enter the code and your child's name on the "Connect" page
4. Once connected, you can:
   • Chat with teachers
   • Request appointments
   • View notices and complaints

Project Structure

├── app/                      # Next.js App Router pages
│   ├── (auth)/              # Authentication pages
│   ├── api/                 # API routes
│   ├── appointments/        # Appointment scheduling
│   ├── chat/                # Real-time chat
│   ├── connect/             # Parent connection page
│   ├── dashboard/           # Main dashboard
│   ├── invite-codes/        # Teacher invite codes
│   └── notices/             # Notices & complaints
├── components/              # React components
│   ├── dashboard/           # Dashboard layouts
│   └── ui/                  # shadcn/ui components
├── lib/                     # Utility functions
│   ├── auth.ts             # NextAuth configuration
│   ├── prisma.ts           # Prisma client
│   ├── socket.ts           # Socket.io client hook
│   └── types.ts            # Type definitions
├── pages/api/socket/       # Socket.io server
├── prisma/                 # Database schema
└── types/                  # TypeScript type definitions

Database Schema

The application uses the following main models:

• User: Stores user accounts (parents and teachers)
• Connection: Links parents and teachers for a specific child
• InviteCode: Temporary codes for establishing connections
• Message: Chat messages between connected users
• Appointment: Scheduled meetings
• Notice: Notices and complaints from teachers to parents

Development

Build for production:

npm run build

Start production server:

npm start

Prisma commands:

# Generate Prisma Client
npx prisma generate

# Create a new migration
npx prisma migrate dev --name <migration-name>

# Open Prisma Studio (database GUI)
npx prisma studio

Seed demo data:

npx prisma db seed

This will create demo accounts for testing. See DEMO_ACCOUNTS.md for login credentials.

Security Features

• Passwords are hashed using bcryptjs
• JWT-based session management
• Protected API routes
• Input validation using Zod
• Role-based access control

License

MIT

Support

For issues or questions, please open an issue on the repository.