Crossed

A social networking mobile application that enables users to discover and connect with nearby peers using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. The app facilitates real-time messaging and peer management through a hybrid mobile app built with Cordova and a PHP backend for authentication and data storage.

Project Structure

This repository contains two main components:

• cloud.crossed/: Cordova-based mobile application for iOS, Android, and browser platforms
• www.crossed.cloud/: PHP web application handling Google OAuth authentication and user profile management

Features

• Bluetooth Peer Discovery: Uses BLE to detect and connect with nearby devices
• Real-time Messaging: Send and receive messages between connected peers
• Google OAuth Integration: Secure user authentication via Google accounts
• Profile Management: Store and retrieve user profiles with images
• Cross-platform Support: Runs on iOS, Android, and web browsers

Architecture

Mobile App (Cordova)

The mobile app is built using:

• Framework: Apache Cordova with Onsen UI for the interface
• Plugins:
  • cordova-plugin-bluetoothle: BLE communication
  • cordova-plugin-background-mode-bluetooth-*: Background BLE operations
  • cordova-plugin-camera: Photo capture
  • cordova-plugin-uniquedeviceid: Unique device identification
• BLE Service: Custom service UUID 76202B97-51E8-40BC-B6F7-B7D440935FFE with characteristic 51001225-1CF0-475F-93DB-D61B38200898

Web Backend (PHP)

The web component handles:

• Authentication: Google OAuth 2.0 flow
• Profile Storage: JSON files stored in core/prof/ directory
• API: RESTful endpoints for peer and message management

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm
• Cordova CLI: npm install -g cordova
• PHP 7+ with Composer
• MySQL database
• Google Cloud Console project with OAuth credentials

Mobile App Setup

1. Clone and navigate:

   cd cloud.crossed

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Add platforms:

   cordova platform add ios
   cordova platform add android

4. Configure API server: Update the server variable in www/js/index.js to point to your API endpoint.

5. Build the app:

   cordova build ios
   cordova build android

6. Run on device/emulator:

   cordova run ios
   cordova run android

Web App Setup

1. Navigate to web directory:

   cd www.crossed.cloud

2. Install PHP dependencies:

   composer install

3. Configure Google OAuth:

   • Create a project in Google Cloud Console
   • Enable Google+ API
   • Create OAuth 2.0 credentials
   • Download client_secrets.json and place in the root directory
   • Update redirect URIs to match your domain

4. Set up database:

   • Create MySQL database named apidb
   • Import the schema from cloud.crossed/api/api.sql
   • Update database credentials in api/api.php

5. Deploy to web server:

   • Ensure PHP sessions are enabled
   • Configure CORS headers if needed
   • Set up SSL for production

API Documentation

The mobile app communicates with the PHP backend via HTTP POST requests.

Endpoints

All endpoints accept POST parameters and return JSON responses.

Get Peer Image

• Endpoint: api.php
• Parameter: getpeer=1, id=<user_id>
• Response: {"image": "<image_url>"}

Get User Status

• Endpoint: api.php
• Parameter: getstatus=1, id=<user_id>
• Response: {"peers": [<peer_ids>], "msgs": [<messages>]}

Add Peer Connection

• Endpoint: api.php
• Parameters: mkpeer=1, fromid=<user_id>, toid=<peer_id>
• Response: Updates peer lists for both users

Remove Peer Connection

• Endpoint: api.php
• Parameters: rmpeer=1, fromid=<user_id>, toid=<peer_id>
• Response: Removes peer connections and associated messages

Send Message

• Endpoint: api.php
• Parameters: sendmsg=1, fromid=<user_id>, toid=<peer_id>, msg=<message_text>
• Response: Adds message to recipient's message queue

Get Messages

• Endpoint: api.php
• Parameters: getmsg=1, id=<user_id>
• Response: {"msgs": [<message_objects>]}

Database Schema

users table

• id (VARCHAR): Unique user identifier
• image (TEXT): Profile image URL
• peers (TEXT): JSON array of connected peer IDs
• msgs (TEXT): JSON array of pending messages

Development

Code Style

• JavaScript: Follow standard ES5 practices
• PHP: Use procedural style with mysqli
• HTML/CSS: Onsen UI components

Testing

• Test BLE functionality on physical devices
• Verify OAuth flow in web browser
• Check API responses with tools like Postman

Deployment

• Mobile: Submit to App Store and Google Play
• Web: Deploy to hosting service with PHP support

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make changes and test thoroughly
4. Submit a pull request

License

[Specify license if applicable]

Support

For issues and questions, please create an issue in this repository. /Users/ntilau/Repos/Crossed/README.md