ClaimIT - Lost and Found Campus App

A comprehensive mobile application for reporting, searching, and claiming lost-and-found items on campus. Built with React Native frontend and Node.js backend, featuring role-based authentication and admin management.

🎯 Features

Core Functionality

• Authentication & Roles: University email login with Student, Staff, Teacher, and Admin roles
• Item Reporting: Report lost/found items with photos, descriptions, and location details
• Search & Filter: Advanced search by name, description, location, category, and date
• Main Dashboard: Organized tabs for Lost, Found, and All items with floating action button
• Item Details: Comprehensive item information with QR codes and claim functionality
• Claim Process: Submit claims with proof, reviewed by Security Intelligence Division (SID)
• Messaging System: In-app chat between users and admins
• User Profiles: Personal statistics, points system, and profile management
• Admin Dashboard: Complete management interface for SID administrators

Admin Features (SID)

• Approve/deny claims with admin notes
• Edit, archive, or delete items
• Manage user roles and permissions
• Analytics dashboard with statistics
• Category breakdown and user activity monitoring

🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend

• React Native with Expo
• TypeScript for type safety
• React Navigation for navigation
• React Native Paper for UI components
• React Hook Form for form management
• Axios for API communication

Backend

• Node.js with Express
• TypeScript for server-side code
• Supabase for database and authentication
• JWT for token-based authentication
• Multer for file uploads
• QRCode for QR code generation

Database

• Supabase PostgreSQL with Row Level Security (RLS)
• Comprehensive schema with users, items, claims, messages, and notifications

Cloud Services

• Backblaze B2 for image storage (configured but not implemented)
• Vercel for serverless deployment
• Supabase Realtime for live updates

📱 Screenshots

The app includes screens that match the provided mockups:

• Login screen with role selection
• Main dashboard with Lost/Found/All tabs
• Item detail page with claim and message buttons
• Report item form with image upload
• Claim process with proof submission
• Admin dashboard with statistics

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• Expo CLI
• Supabase account
• Backblaze B2 account (for image storage)

Backend Setup

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd ClaimIT/backend

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Environment Configuration

   cp env.example .env

   Update the .env file with your credentials:

   SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
   SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_supabase_anon_key
   SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your_supabase_service_role_key
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   B2_KEY_ID=your_backblaze_key_id
   B2_APPLICATION_KEY=your_backblaze_application_key
   B2_BUCKET_NAME=claimit-images
   

4. Database Setup

   • Create a new Supabase project
   • Run the SQL schema from database/schema.sql
   • Enable Row Level Security policies

5. Start the server

   npm run dev

Mobile App Setup

1. Navigate to mobile directory

   cd ../mobile

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Update API configuration Edit src/services/api.ts and update the BASE_URL for your backend.

4. Start the development server

   npm start

5. Run on device/simulator

   # iOS
   npm run ios
   
   # Android
   npm run android

📊 Database Schema

The database includes the following main tables:

• users - User profiles and authentication
• items - Lost/found items with metadata
• claims - Item claim requests and status
• messages - User-to-user and admin messaging
• notifications - System notifications
• categories - Item categorization

🔐 Authentication

The app uses university email validation with the following domains:

• .edu - Standard educational institutions
• .ac. - Academic institutions
• university. - University domains
• college. - College domains

🎨 UI/UX Features

• Material Design 3 with custom ClaimIT branding
• Dark red/maroon primary color scheme matching mockups
• Responsive design for various screen sizes
• Intuitive navigation with drawer and tab navigation
• Real-time updates for messages and notifications
• QR code generation for item verification
• Image upload with camera and gallery support

📈 Admin Dashboard

The admin interface provides:

• Statistics Overview: Items, claims, and user metrics
• Item Management: View, edit, archive, or delete items
• Claim Review: Approve/reject claims with admin notes
• User Management: View users and modify roles
• Category Analytics: Breakdown of items by category
• Recent Activity: Latest items and user actions

🔧 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user profile

Items

• GET /api/items - List items with filters
• POST /api/items - Create new item
• GET /api/items/:id - Get item details
• PUT /api/items/:id - Update item
• DELETE /api/items/:id - Delete item

Claims

• GET /api/claims - List claims
• POST /api/claims - Submit claim
• PUT /api/claims/:id/status - Update claim status (admin)

Messages

• GET /api/messages/conversations - List conversations
• POST /api/messages - Send message
• GET /api/messages/conversation/:id - Get conversation messages

Admin

• GET /api/admin/dashboard - Admin dashboard statistics
• GET /api/admin/items - Admin item management
• GET /api/admin/users - User management
• PUT /api/admin/users/:id/role - Update user role

🚀 Deployment

Backend Deployment (Vercel)

1. Connect your GitHub repository to Vercel
2. Configure environment variables in Vercel dashboard
3. Deploy automatically on push to main branch

Mobile App Deployment

1. Android: Use Expo Application Services (EAS) or build locally
2. iOS: Use EAS or Xcode for App Store submission

# Build for production
eas build --platform android
eas build --platform ios

# Submit to stores
eas submit --platform android
eas submit --platform ios

🔮 Future Enhancements

• AI Image Recognition: Automatic item matching using ML
• Geo-tagging: Location-based lost/found tracking
• Reward Leaderboard: Gamification with points and achievements
• Campus ID Integration: Direct integration with university systems
• Push Notifications: Real-time alerts for claims and messages
• Offline Support: Cached data for offline viewing

📝 License

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

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📞 Support

For support and questions:

• Create an issue in the GitHub repository
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation in the /docs folder

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Design inspiration from the provided mockups
• Supabase for excellent backend-as-a-service
• React Native community for extensive documentation
• Expo team for the amazing development platform

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ClaimIT - Making campus life easier, one found item at a time! 🎓📱