Quick Start Guide

Get PaparcApp up and running on your local machine in just a few minutes. This guide walks you through cloning the repository, installing dependencies, configuring the database, and starting the development server.

Prerequisites: Make sure you have Node.js 18+ and PostgreSQL 14+ installed before proceeding.

Step-by-Step Setup

Clone the Repository

Clone the PaparcApp source code to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/rafakata/PaparcApp.git
cd PaparcApp/proyecto

The main application code is located in the proyecto/ directory.

Install Dependencies

Install all required npm packages:

npm install

This will install:

express (4.21.2) - Web framework
pg (8.17.2) - PostgreSQL driver
bcrypt (6.0.0) - Password hashing
ejs (3.1.10) - Template engine
express-session (1.18.2) - Session management
firebase (12.9.0) - Social authentication
axios (1.13.4) - HTTP client for notifications
And more…

View all dependencies

package.json dependencies

{
  "axios": "^1.13.4",
  "bcrypt": "^6.0.0",
  "cookie-parser": "~1.4.4",
  "debug": "~2.6.9",
  "dotenv": "^17.2.3",
  "ejs": "^3.1.10",
  "express": "^4.21.2",
  "express-session": "^1.18.2",
  "firebase": "^12.9.0",
  "http-errors": "~1.6.3",
  "morgan": "^1.10.1",
  "pg": "^8.17.2"
}

Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file from the example template:

cp .env.example .env

Edit the .env file with your local configuration:

.env

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# Session Secret (generate a secure random string)
SESSION_SECRET=your_secure_random_string_here

# PostgreSQL Local Connection
DB_USER=postgres
DB_PASSWORD=your_postgres_password
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
DB_NAME=paparcapp_db

Security: Never commit your .env file to version control. The .env.example is provided as a template only.

Generate a secure SESSION_SECRET

You can generate a secure random string using Node.js:

node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(32).toString('hex'))"

Or use any password generator with at least 32 characters.

Set Up the Database

Create the PostgreSQL database and load the schema:

# Connect to PostgreSQL
psql -U postgres

# Create the database
CREATE DATABASE paparcapp_db;

# Exit psql
\q

What each file does:

File	Purpose
`01_tables.sql`	Creates all 13 tables (customer, vehicle, reservation, etc.)
`02_constraints.sql`	Adds foreign keys and CHECK constraints (business rules)
`03_indexes.sql`	Creates 9 performance indexes for common queries
`04_initial_data.sql`	Loads initial data: pricing tiers, services, test customers

The initial data includes a complete test scenario with sample customers, vehicles, reservations, and the full pricing catalog.

Start the Development Server

Launch the application with hot-reload enabled:

npm run dev

You should see output similar to:

[nodemon] starting `node ./bin/www`
✓ Pricing cache initialized successfully
Server listening on port 3000

If you see “Error initializing pricing cache”, check that:

Your database connection settings are correct
The initial data script ran successfully
PostgreSQL is running

Access the Application

Open your browser and navigate to:

Local URL: http://localhost:3000

You should see the PaparcApp landing page with:

Hero section with booking date selectors
Three service tiers (ECO, TRANSFER, MEET)
FAQ accordion
Navigation to services, pricing, and login pages

Testing the Application

Once the server is running, try these workflows:

Public Booking Flow

Navigate to Booking

Click “Book Now” or go to http://localhost:3000/booking

Select Dates

Choose entry and exit dates (must be future dates)

Enter Vehicle Details

License plate: TEST1234
Brand: Toyota
Model: Corolla
Color: Blue
Type: TURISMO (car)

Enter Personal Info

Name: Test Customer
Phone: +34600000000
Email: [email protected]

Choose Services

Select a main service (ECO recommended for testing)
Optionally add additional services
Watch the price update in real-time

Confirm Booking

Review the summary and click “Confirm Reservation”

Admin Dashboard Access

Navigate to Login

Go to http://localhost:3000/users/login

Switch to Worker Mode

Click the “Trabajador” (Worker) tab at the top of the login form

Use Test Admin Credentials

Check your 04_initial_data.sql file for admin credentials, or create an admin user:

INSERT INTO customer (full_name, email, phone, password_hash, type, is_active)
VALUES (
  'Admin User',
  '[email protected]',
  '+34600000001',
  '$2b$10$YourBcryptHashHere',  -- Use bcrypt to hash 'admin123'
  'ADMIN',
  true
);

Generate bcrypt hash for password

const bcrypt = require('bcrypt');
bcrypt.hash('admin123', 10, (err, hash) => {
  console.log(hash);
});

Explore Dashboard

Once logged in, you’ll see:

Calendar with color-coded reservations
Daily entries and exits tables
Statistics (total entries/exits)
Quick access to reservation details

Available NPM Scripts

Script	Command	Description
Production	`npm start`	Starts server with Node.js (no hot-reload)
Development	`npm run dev`	Starts with Nodemon (auto-restart on changes)
Tests	`npm test`	Runs Jest test suite for pricing service

npm start
# Use this for production deployments

Verify Installation

To confirm everything is working correctly:

Check Database Connection

psql -U postgres -d paparcapp_db -c "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM customer;"

Should return the number of customers loaded from initial data.

Check Pricing Cache

When you start the server, look for:

✓ Pricing cache initialized successfully

This means the pricing service loaded all vehicle coefficients and service rates into memory.

Test API Endpoint

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/pricing/dynamic \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "entry_date": "2026-04-01T10:00:00",
    "exit_date": "2026-04-08T10:00:00",
    "vehicle_type": "TURISMO",
    "id_main_service": 1,
    "id_additional_services": []
  }'

Expected response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "total_price": 56.00
  }
}

Run Test Suite

npm test

All tests should pass:

PASS  tests/pricingService.test.js
  ✓ Calculates same-day booking (1 day minimum)
  ✓ Applies correct tier for multi-day stay
  ✓ Multiplies by vehicle coefficient
  ✓ Adds additional services to total
  ✓ Handles invalid vehicle type
  ✓ Respects 2-hour courtesy period
  ✓ Charges extra day after courtesy period

Troubleshooting

Error: connect ECONNREFUSED

Problem: Cannot connect to PostgreSQL database.Solutions:

Check PostgreSQL is running: sudo service postgresql status
Verify connection settings in .env match your PostgreSQL config
Test connection: psql -U postgres -d paparcapp_db -c "SELECT 1;"

Error: Pricing cache initialization failed

Problem: Cannot load pricing data from database.Solutions:

Ensure 04_initial_data.sql was executed successfully
Check tables exist: psql -U postgres -d paparcapp_db -c "\dt"
Verify data loaded: SELECT * FROM vehicle_coefficient;
Restart the server after fixing database issues

Port 3000 already in use

Problem: Another process is using port 3000.Solutions:

Change the port in .env: PORT=3001
Kill the process: lsof -ti:3000 | xargs kill
Use a different port temporarily: PORT=3001 npm run dev

Session not persisting

Problem: Login doesn’t work or session expires immediately.Solutions:

Check SESSION_SECRET is set in .env
Clear browser cookies and try again
Verify express-session is installed: npm ls express-session

Next Steps

Detailed Installation

Learn about prerequisites, environment configuration, and deployment options

API Reference

Explore the REST API endpoints for pricing and reservations

Database Schema

Understand the 13-table architecture and relationships

Architecture Guide

Deep dive into the MVC pattern and service layers

Need Help? Check the detailed Installation Guide for more configuration options and troubleshooting tips.

Get Started

Core Features

Architecture

Guides

Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide

Step-by-Step Setup

Testing the Application

Public Booking Flow

Admin Dashboard Access

Available NPM Scripts

Verify Installation

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Detailed Installation

API Reference

Database Schema

Architecture Guide

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Core Features

Architecture

Guides

​Quick Start Guide

​Step-by-Step Setup

​Testing the Application

​Public Booking Flow

​Admin Dashboard Access

​Available NPM Scripts

​Verify Installation

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Detailed Installation

API Reference

Database Schema

Architecture Guide

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Quick Start Guide

Step-by-Step Setup

Testing the Application

Public Booking Flow

Admin Dashboard Access

Available NPM Scripts

Verify Installation

Troubleshooting

Next Steps