Installation

This guide will help you set up ConsultFlow on your local development machine.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Requirement	Version	Purpose
Node.js	18.x or higher	Runtime environment
npm	9.x or higher	Package manager
MongoDB	6.x or higher	Database
Git	Latest	Version control

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/srs-sudeep/ConsultFlow.git
cd ConsultFlow

Project Structure

consultflow/
├── backend/          # Express.js API server
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── auth/          # Azure AD authentication
│   │   ├── controllers/   # Route handlers
│   │   ├── models/        # Mongoose schemas
│   │   ├── routes/        # API routes
│   │   ├── services/      # Business logic
│   │   └── index.ts       # Entry point
│   └── package.json
├── frontend/         # Next.js application
│   ├── app/              # App router pages
│   ├── components/       # React components
│   ├── lib/              # Utilities & API client
│   └── package.json
└── docs/             # Docusaurus documentation

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to Backend Directory

cd backend

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Create Environment File

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

# Server
PORT=3001
NODE_ENV=development

# MongoDB
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/consultflow

# Azure AD Authentication
AZURE_AD_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
AZURE_AD_CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret
AZURE_AD_TENANT_ID=your-tenant-id
AZURE_AD_REDIRECT_URI=http://localhost:3001/auth/callback

# OpenAI (for MOM generation)
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
# Or use Azure OpenAI
# AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=https://your-resource.openai.azure.com
# AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your-azure-openai-key
# AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME=gpt-35-turbo

# Session
SESSION_SECRET=your-super-secret-session-key-at-least-32-chars

# Frontend URL (for CORS)
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

4. Start MongoDB

Make sure MongoDB is running:

# macOS with Homebrew
brew services start mongodb-community

# Or start manually
mongod --dbpath /path/to/data/db

5. Start the Backend Server

# Development mode with hot reload
npm run dev

# Or build and run production
npm run build
npm start

The backend will be available at http://localhost:3001

Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to Frontend Directory

cd frontend

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Create Environment File

Create a .env.local file in the frontend directory:

NEXT_PUBLIC_BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:3001

4. Start the Development Server

npm run dev

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:3000

Verify Installation

1. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
2. You should see the ConsultFlow landing page
3. Click "Get Started" to navigate to the login page

Next Step

Before you can log in, you need to configure Azure AD. See the Azure Setup Guide.

Troubleshooting

MongoDB Connection Failed

Error: MongoNetworkError: connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:27017

Solution: Ensure MongoDB is running:

# Check if MongoDB is running
ps aux | grep mongod

# Start MongoDB
brew services start mongodb-community

Port Already in Use

Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::3001

Solution: Kill the process using the port:

# Find process using port 3001
lsof -i :3001

# Kill the process
kill -9 <PID>

Module Not Found

Error: Cannot find module 'xyz'

Solution: Reinstall dependencies:

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

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Need Help?

If you encounter any issues, check the GitHub Issues or create a new one.