SETUP.md

Prerequisites

• Git
• Node.js
• MariaDB

Setup Instructions

1. Cloning the Repository

First, fork this repository and then clone it to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/Miya-JW/blog_website.git
cd blog_website

2. Install Dependencies:

Navigate to the project directory and run:

npm install

3. Database Configuration

This project uses MariaDB for the database. Follow these steps to set up the database:

1. Install MariaDB: Ensure that MariaDB is installed on your machine. You can download it from MariaDB's official website.

2. Create Database: Open your MariaDB command line client and execute the following commands:

   CREATE DATABASE blog_db;
   USE blog_db;

3. Initialize Database: Import the SQL schema provided in the db-init.sql file:

    mysql -u username -p blog_db < path/to/db-init.sql
   

4. Configure Environment: Rename the .env.sample file to .env and update the database connection details:

  DB_HOST=localhost
  DB_USER=your_username
  DB_PASS=your_password
  DB_NAME=blog_db

Running the Application

To run the application, execute:

node app.js

Testing the Application

To test the application with pre-configured test user accounts, use the following credentials:

•	Username: batman
•	Password: 12345
•	Username: iron_man
•	Password: 12345
•	Username: captain_america
•	Password: 12345