Finance Dashboard Backend

A production-ready backend server built with Node.js, TypeScript, Express.js, and MongoDB for finance record management. The system uses role-based access control for Admin, Analyst, and Viewer users. It includes JWT authentication, API validation, rate limiting, Swagger documentation, and deployment-ready configuration.

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Features

• Node.js + TypeScript + Express.js backend server
• MongoDB as the database (MongoDB Atlas for production & MongoDB Compass for local development)
• Role-Based Access Control (Admin, Analyst, Viewer)
• JWT Authentication for secure login and registration
• Express Validator for input validation
• Rate Limiting to prevent API abuse
• Middleware for authentication and role verification
• Seed Data functionality using seedDB.ts
• Swagger API Documentation for easy API testing
• Environment Configuration using .env
• Code Modularization for better readability and maintainability
• Production Deployment on Render

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User Roles & Permissions

Role	Permissions
Admin	Create, update, delete records; manage users; view dashboard, summaries & analytics
Analyst	View records, analyze data, generate reports
Viewer	Read-only access to records and summaries

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Project Structure

server/
│
├── src/
│   ├── controllers/    # Request handlers
│   ├── models/         # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── middlewares/    # Auth, role check, validation
│   ├── routes/         # Express routes
│   ├── utils/          # Helpers, error handling
│   ├── seedDB.ts           # SeedDB scripts
│   └── server.ts        # App entry point
│
├── .env                # Environment variables
├── tsconfig.json       # TypeScript config
├── package.json
└── README.md

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Setup Process

Follow these steps to set up the backend locally and in production.

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Paresh-ch-Pothal/finance-dashboard
cd server

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

Dependencies include:

Category	Packages
Core	express, mongoose, jsonwebtoken, bcryptjs, dotenv, cors
Validation	express-validator
Security	express-rate-limit
Docs	swagger-ui-express
Dev	typescript, ts-node, nodemon

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root of the project:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=<your-mongodb-connection-string>
JWT_SECRET=<your-jwt-secret-key>

• Use MongoDB Compass for local development: mongodb://localhost:27017/finance
• Use MongoDB Atlas for production.

4. Seed Initial Data

Populate the database with initial users and records:

ts-node src/seedDB.ts

5. Start the Development Server

npm run dev

• Uses nodemon for auto-reloading
• Server runs at http://localhost:5000

6. Swagger API Documentation

Accessible at (For Development):

http://localhost:5000/api-docs

For live testing, the server is deployed on Render with MongoDB Atlas:

https://finance-dashboard-awg3.onrender.com/api-docs/

Execute requests directly via the Swagger UI.

7. Deployment on Render

1. Connect your GitHub repository to Render.
2. Create a new Web Service.
3. Set the required environment variables in the Render dashboard.
4. Render will automatically install dependencies and start the server.

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API Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Access
/auth/register	POST	Public
/auth/login	POST	Public
/record/getRecords	GET	Viewer, Analyst, Admin
/record/Summary	GET	Viewer , Analyst , Admin
/record/trends	GET	Analyst , Admin
/record/createRecord/:id	POST	Admin
/record/updateRecord/:id	PATCH	Admin
/record/deleteRecord/:id	DELETE	Admin
/user/getUsers	GET	Admin
/user/updateUser:id	PUT	Admin
/user/deleteUser:id	DELETE	Admin

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Code Quality & Best Practices

Practice	Details
Middleware	Authentication and role-based access control
Input Validation	Using express-validator
Rate Limiting	Prevents API abuse and spamming
JWT Authentication	Secure token-based login system
Modular Code	Controllers, routes, and utilities are separated
Environment Config	.env files for all secrets
Swagger	Interactive API testing and documentation

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Getting Help

If you face any issues:

• Check the .env configuration
• Ensure MongoDB is running locally (if using Compass)
• Verify that your JWT_SECRET is consistent across environments
• Consult the Swagger UI at /api-docs for API request examples

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License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.