Distributed Online Marketplace System

This project is a distributed online marketplace platform built using Django and PostgreSQL, designed to provide essential e-commerce functionalities through a scalable and modular architecture. It supports user account management, item listing, purchases, and secure financial transactions. The system also includes RESTful APIs and a distributed database model.

Technology Stack

• Backend: Django (Python)
• Database: PostgreSQL (partitioned)
• API Framework: Django REST Framework (DRF)
• Authentication: Django built-in auth system
• Architecture: RESTful, modular, distributed schema design

How to Use the System

• Visit → SALES Square
• Register/Login → Create a new account and access marketplace features
• Edit Profile → Update name, email, and other personal details
• Deposit Funds → Add money to your account wallet to enable purchases
• Manage Inventory → Sellers can add, edit, and delete their own products
• Buy Products → Browse listings, add items to cart, and checkout securely
• Leave Reviews → Rate purchased products and sellers
• Generate Reports → View transaction and deposit history
• Explore Profiles → View your own profile or other users' product listings and ratings
• Provides a REST API interface that allows third-party stores to seamlessly integrate and list products from our platform onto theirs

Implemented REST APIs

Three main functionalities are implemented using RESTful web services:

• User registration and login
• Product Listing via External API
• Deposit

These APIs follow standard REST conventions and can be tested through tools like Postman or cURL.

API Documentation

The API documentation is available at SALES_Square/API

Integration with External Stores

Third-party stores can integrate with our marketplace by:

1. Registering as an external partner by contacting us
2. Using our Product Listing API to sync inventory

Screenshots

Below are sample screenshots of the system in use:

Getting Started

Initial Deployment

1. Connect your GitHub repository to Railway
2. Configure all required environment variables
3. Set up persistent volumes
4. Trigger initial deployment

Post-Deployment Setup

After successful deployment:

# Apply database migrations
railway run python manage.py migrate

# Create superuser (for admin access)
railway run python manage.py createsuperuser

# Load initial data (optional)
railway run python manage.py loaddata initial_data.json

Local Development

To mirror the Railway environment locally:

# Clone the repository
git clone <https://github.com/MoustafaHashem/Marketplace.git>
cd SALES_square

# Set up a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv/Scripts/activate

# Create a superuser (optional)
python manage.py createsuperuser

# Run the development server
python manage.py runserver

Distributed Database Design

The system uses PostgreSQL with a distributed partitioning model to improve scalability and performance:

• Logical partitioning of tables (e.g., by user or category)
• Optimized for high-volume reads/writes
• Schema supports horizontal scalability and data isolation

Support and Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

1. Database Connection Issues

   • Verify DATABASE_URL format
   • Check connection limits in PostgreSQL settings

2. Media Upload Problems

   • Confirm persistent volume is mounted
   • Verify file permissions

3. Performance Optimization

   • Enable Redis caching
   • Review query optimization
   • Consider adding more replicas

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository and submit a pull request with your changes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

For questions or support, please contact us or open an issue in the repository.