https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2dec6755-1453-4a09-8f06-eac6295f4498

Superjoin Hiring Assignment

Welcome to Superjoin's hiring assignment! 🚀

Objective

Build a solution that enables real-time synchronization of data between a Google Sheet and a specified database (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL). The solution should detect changes in the Google Sheet and update the database accordingly, and vice versa.

Problem Statement

Many businesses use Google Sheets for collaborative data management and databases for more robust and scalable data storage. However, keeping the data synchronised between Google Sheets and databases is often a manual and error-prone process. Your task is to develop a solution that automates this synchronisation, ensuring that changes in one are reflected in the other in real-time.

Requirements:

1. Real-time Synchronisation

• Implement a system that detects changes in Google Sheets and updates the database accordingly.
• Similarly, detect changes in the database and update the Google Sheet.

2. CRUD Operations

• Ensure the system supports Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations for both Google Sheets and the database.
• Maintain data consistency across both platforms.

Optional Challenges (This is not mandatory):

1. Conflict Handling

• Develop a strategy to handle conflicts that may arise when changes are made simultaneously in both Google Sheets and the database.
• Provide options for conflict resolution (e.g., last write wins, user-defined rules).

2. Scalability:

• Ensure the solution can handle large datasets and high-frequency updates without performance degradation.
• Optimize for scalability and efficiency.

Submission ⏰

The timeline for this submission is: Next 2 days

Some things you might want to take care of:

• Make use of git and commit your steps!
• Use good coding practices.
• Write beautiful and readable code. Well-written code is nothing less than a work of art.
• Use semantic variable naming.
• Your code should be organized well in files and folders which is easy to figure out.
• If there is something happening in your code that is not very intuitive, add some comments.
• Add to this README at the bottom explaining your approach (brownie points 😋)
• Use ChatGPT4o/o1/Github Co-pilot, anything that accelerates how you work 💪🏽.

Make sure you finish the assignment a little earlier than this so you have time to make any final changes.

Once you're done, make sure you record a video showing your project working. The video should NOT be longer than 120 seconds. While you record the video, tell us about your biggest blocker, and how you overcame it! Don't be shy, talk us through, we'd love that.

We have a checklist at the bottom of this README file, which you should update as your progress with your assignment. It will help us evaluate your project.

• My code's working just fine! 🥳
• I have recorded a video showing it working and embedded it in the README ▶️
• I have tested all the normal working cases 😎
• I have even solved some edge cases (brownie points) 💪
• I added my very planned-out approach to the problem at the end of this README 📜

Got Questions❓

Feel free to check the discussions tab, you might get some help there. Check out that tab before reaching out to us. Also, did you know, the internet is a great place to explore? 😛

We're available at techhiring@superjoin.ai for all queries.

All the best ✨.

Developer's Section

simplescreenrecorder-2024-09-16_23.31.16.mp4

Approach

1. Environment Setup:
   • Load environment variables from a .env file.
2. Set up logging to track synchronization activities and errors.
3. Google Sheets Connection:
   • Connect to the Google Sheets API using a service account.
   • Open the specified Google Sheet.
4. Database Connection:
   • Connect to the PostgreSQL database using psycopg2.
5. Synchronization Logic:
   • Continuously monitor both the Google Sheet and the database for updates.
   • Compare the last updated timestamps of both the Google Sheet and the database.
   • Depending on which data source has been updated, synchronize the other:
   • If the Google Sheet has been updated, update the database with the new data.
   • If the database has been updated, update the Google Sheet with the new data.
   • If both have been updated, resolve conflicts based on a predefined priority (e.g., prioritize Google Sheet updates).
6. Error Handling:
   • Handle exceptions and log errors.
   • Gracefully close database connections on errors or interruptions.
7. Triggers and Metadata:
   • Use database triggers to maintain metadata and handle deletions.
   • Ensure that deleted records are moved to a metadata table for tracking.
8. Periodic Updates:
   • Use a loop with a sleep interval to periodically check for updates and synchronize data.