Technology Stack¶

The Stratpoint Timesheet Application is built on a modern, robust technology stack that ensures scalability, maintainability, and performance. This section provides a comprehensive overview of all technologies, frameworks, and tools used in the system.

Backend Technologies¶

Core Framework¶

Laravel 8.x: Primary PHP framework providing the foundation for the application

Version: 8.12+
Purpose: Web application framework with MVC architecture
Key Features: Eloquent ORM, Artisan CLI, Blade templating, middleware system
Benefits: Rapid development, built-in security features, extensive ecosystem

Database Technologies¶

MySQL: Primary relational database management system

Purpose: Data persistence and storage
Features: ACID compliance, replication support, performance optimization
Usage: User data, project information, time logs, financial records

Redis: In-memory data structure store for caching and session management

Purpose: Caching layer and session storage
Features: High performance, data persistence, pub/sub messaging
Usage: Application cache, user sessions, temporary data storage

Authentication and Security¶

JWT (JSON Web Tokens): Token-based authentication system

Library: tymon/jwt-auth
Purpose: Stateless authentication for API endpoints
Features: Secure token generation, automatic expiration, refresh tokens

Single Sign-On (SSO): Enterprise authentication integration

Purpose: Centralized authentication with external identity providers
Features: SAML/OAuth integration, user provisioning, role mapping

File Storage and Processing¶

AWS S3: Cloud storage service for file management

Library: league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3
Purpose: Document storage, file uploads, backup storage
Features: Scalable storage, security, global distribution

DomPDF: PDF generation library

Library: barryvdh/laravel-dompdf
Purpose: Generate PDF reports and documents
Features: HTML to PDF conversion, custom styling, embedded images

PhpSpreadsheet: Spreadsheet processing library

Library: phpoffice/phpspreadsheet
Purpose: Excel file generation and processing
Features: Read/write Excel files, formula support, chart generation

Communication and Integration¶

Google API Client: Integration with Google services

Library: google/apiclient
Purpose: Google Drive integration, calendar synchronization
Features: OAuth authentication, API access, file management

Guzzle HTTP: HTTP client library for external API integration

Library: guzzlehttp/guzzle
Purpose: External API communication
Features: Asynchronous requests, middleware support, testing tools

Background Processing¶

Laravel Queues: Asynchronous job processing system

Purpose: Background task execution
Features: Job scheduling, retry mechanisms, failure handling
Usage: Email notifications, report generation, data processing

Laravel Scheduler: Cron job management system

Purpose: Automated task scheduling
Features: Flexible scheduling, overlap prevention, output logging
Usage: Daily reports, data cleanup, system maintenance

Frontend Technologies¶

Core Framework¶

AngularJS 1.x: JavaScript framework for building single-page applications

Purpose: Frontend application framework
Features: Two-way data binding, dependency injection, modular architecture
Components: Controllers, services, directives, filters

UI Libraries and Components¶

Angular UI Bootstrap: Bootstrap components for AngularJS

Purpose: UI component library
Features: Modal dialogs, date pickers, tooltips, pagination
Benefits: Consistent UI, responsive design, accessibility

FullCalendar: Calendar component for event management

Library: ui.calendar
Purpose: Calendar views and event scheduling
Features: Multiple view types, drag-and-drop, event management

ng-table: Data table component with advanced features

Purpose: Data presentation and manipulation
Features: Sorting, filtering, pagination, export capabilities

Utility Libraries¶

Moment.js: Date and time manipulation library

Purpose: Date formatting and calculations
Features: Timezone support, relative time, date arithmetic

Angular File Upload: File upload component

Purpose: File upload functionality
Features: Drag-and-drop, progress tracking, validation

Angular CSV: CSV export functionality

Purpose: Data export capabilities
Features: Client-side CSV generation, custom formatting

Build and Development Tools¶

Build System¶

Laravel Mix: Asset compilation and build system

Purpose: Frontend asset management
Features: Webpack integration, CSS/JS compilation, versioning
Configuration: webpack.mix.js

NPM (Node Package Manager): JavaScript package management

Purpose: Frontend dependency management
Features: Package installation, version management, script execution

Development Tools¶

Composer: PHP dependency management

Purpose: Backend package management
Features: Autoloading, version constraints, security updates

Artisan CLI: Laravel command-line interface

Purpose: Development and maintenance tasks
Features: Code generation, database migrations, job processing

Infrastructure Technologies¶

Web Server¶

Apache HTTP Server: Web server for hosting the application

Purpose: HTTP request handling
Features: Virtual hosts, SSL/TLS support, module system
Configuration: .htaccess files for URL rewriting

Containerization¶

Docker: Containerization platform

Purpose: Application deployment and environment consistency
Components: Application containers, database containers, web server containers
Benefits: Environment isolation, scalability, deployment consistency

Docker Compose: Multi-container application orchestration

Purpose: Development environment setup
Features: Service definition, networking, volume management

SSL/TLS¶

Let's Encrypt: SSL certificate provider

Purpose: HTTPS encryption
Features: Automated certificate management, domain validation

Monitoring and Logging¶

Application Monitoring¶

Laravel Logging: Built-in logging system

Purpose: Application event logging
Features: Multiple log channels, log levels, custom formatters
Storage: File-based and database logging

Email Database Logging: Email activity tracking

Library: dmcbrn/laravel-email-database-log
Purpose: Track sent emails and delivery status
Features: Email logging, delivery tracking, debugging

Performance Monitoring¶

Query Logging: Database query performance tracking

Purpose: Identify slow queries and optimization opportunities
Features: Query time tracking, parameter logging

Cache Monitoring: Cache performance and hit rate tracking

Purpose: Monitor cache effectiveness
Features: Hit/miss ratios, cache size monitoring

External Service Integrations¶

Enterprise Resource Planning¶

NetSuite ERP: Financial and business management system

Purpose: Financial data synchronization
Integration: API-based data exchange
Features: Customer data, project information, financial records

Cloud Services¶

Amazon Web Services (AWS): Cloud infrastructure platform

Services Used: S3 storage, EC2 instances, RDS databases
Purpose: Scalable infrastructure and storage
Features: Auto-scaling, backup, disaster recovery

Communication Services¶

Email Services: SMTP-based email delivery

Purpose: System notifications and communications
Features: Template-based emails, delivery tracking, bounce handling

Development and Testing¶

Testing Framework¶

PHPUnit: PHP testing framework

Purpose: Unit and integration testing
Features: Test automation, code coverage, mocking

Code Quality¶

PHP CodeSniffer: Code style and quality checking

Purpose: Maintain coding standards
Features: Style checking, automatic fixing, custom rules

Version Control¶

Git: Distributed version control system

Purpose: Source code management
Features: Branching, merging, collaboration, history tracking

Security Technologies¶

Data Protection¶

Encryption: Data encryption for sensitive information

Purpose: Protect sensitive data at rest and in transit
Features: AES encryption, key management, field-level encryption

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing): Cross-origin request handling

Library: fruitcake/laravel-cors
Purpose: Secure cross-origin API access
Features: Configurable CORS policies, preflight handling

Input Validation¶

Laravel Validation: Request validation system

Purpose: Input sanitization and validation
Features: Rule-based validation, custom validators, error handling

Mobile Technologies¶

Mobile Application¶

Web-Based Mobile Interface: Responsive web application optimized for mobile devices

Purpose: Mobile time tracking and reporting
Features: Mobile-responsive design, downloadable app links via QR codes
Integration: Same RESTful API as web application
Implementation: Mobile-optimized web interface with app download capabilities

This comprehensive technology stack provides a solid foundation for the Stratpoint Timesheet Application, ensuring reliability, scalability, and maintainability while supporting current business needs and future growth requirements.