A modern Android marketplace application that enables users to buy and sell items in a secure, user-friendly mobile environment. Built with native Android development and powered by a PHP backend API.

MobileMarket is a comprehensive e-commerce mobile application designed to facilitate peer-to-peer trading. Users can register, authenticate, browse items, post their own products for sale, and interact with a dynamic marketplace ecosystem. The app features a clean, intuitive interface with real-time data synchronization and robust user management.

• Secure Registration & Login: Complete user authentication system with session management
• Token-based Security: JWT-like token system for secure API communications
• Persistent Sessions: Auto-login functionality with secure token storage

• Browse Items: View all available items with search and filtering capabilities
• Item Details: Comprehensive item information including ratings, descriptions, and seller details
• Post Items: Easy-to-use interface for listing items for sale
• Top-Rated Items: Featured section showcasing highest-rated products on the home screen

• Material Design: Clean, modern interface following Android design guidelines
• Bottom Navigation: Intuitive navigation between Home, Browse, and Post sections
• RecyclerView Integration: Smooth scrolling and efficient data display
• Search Functionality: Real-time search with keyword filtering
• Responsive Design: Optimized for various Android screen sizes

• Live Updates: Real-time synchronization with backend database
• Rating System: Community-driven item rating and feedback system
• Dynamic Content: Automatically updated listings and user data

• Language: Java
• Minimum SDK: API 24 (Android 7.0)
• Target SDK: API 34 (Android 14)
• Architecture: MVVM pattern with Data Binding

• Server: PHP-based REST API
• Database: MySQL database for data persistence
• Hosting: LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
• API Endpoints: RESTful services for all app functionality

• Volley: HTTP library for network requests
• Material Design Components: Modern UI components
• AndroidX Navigation: Fragment navigation architecture
• Data Binding: Two-way data binding for UI
• RecyclerView: Efficient list display
• CardView: Material design card layouts

Before setting up the project, ensure you have:

• Android Studio: Latest version (recommended: Arctic Fox or newer)
• Java Development Kit (JDK): Version 8 or higher
• Android SDK: API level 24-34
• Git: For version control
• Web Server: Apache/Nginx with PHP support (for backend)
• MySQL Database: Version 5.7 or higher

git clone https://github.com/SindyMl/Mobilemarket.git
cd Mobilemarket

1. Open in Android Studio:

   • Launch Android Studio
   • Select "Open an existing project"
   • Navigate to the cloned repository folder
   • Select the project and click "OK"

2. Gradle Sync:

   • Android Studio will automatically prompt for Gradle sync
   • Wait for the sync to complete (may take several minutes on first run)

3. SDK Requirements:

   • Ensure Android SDK platforms 24-34 are installed
   • Install any missing dependencies suggested by Android Studio

4. Configuration:

   • Update API endpoints in the Java files if hosting backend elsewhere
   • Current endpoints point to: https://lamp.ms.wits.ac.za/home/s2669198/

1. Web Server Configuration:

   # For Apache on Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install apache2 php mysql-server php-mysql
   
   # For Windows (XAMPP recommended)
   # Download and install XAMPP from https://www.apachefriends.org/

2. Database Setup:

   CREATE DATABASE d2669198;
   USE d2669198;
   
   -- Create users table
   CREATE TABLE users (
       id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
       username VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
       password VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
       email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
       created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
   );
   
   -- Create items table
   CREATE TABLE items (
       item_id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
       seller_id INT NOT NULL,
       name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
       description TEXT,
       price DECIMAL(10,2) NOT NULL,
       rating DECIMAL(3,2) DEFAULT 0.00,
       date_posted TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
       FOREIGN KEY (seller_id) REFERENCES users(id)
   );

3. PHP Files Deployment:

   • Copy all PHP files to your web server directory (e.g., /var/www/html/ or htdocs/)
   • Update database credentials in PHP files:

     $username = "your_db_username";
     $password = "your_db_password";
     $database = "your_db_name";

4. API Endpoints:

   • login.php - User authentication
   • register.php - User registration
   • get_items.php - Retrieve marketplace items
   • post_item.php - Add new items
   • rate_item.php - Rate and review items

1. Update API URLs:

   • Open MainActivity.java, LoginActivity.java, etc.
   • Replace URL constants with your server endpoints:

   private static final String LOGIN_URL = "https://your-domain.com/api/login.php";

2. Network Security:

   • For development with HTTP, add to AndroidManifest.xml:

   <application android:usesCleartextTraffic="true">

1. Database Connection:

   • Update mobileMarket.php and other PHP files with your database credentials
   • Ensure MySQL service is running

2. CORS Configuration (if needed):

   header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *");
   header("Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, POST, OPTIONS");
   header("Access-Control-Allow-Headers: Content-Type, Authorization");

1. Connect an Android device or start an emulator
2. Click "Run" in Android Studio or use:

   ./gradlew installDebug

1. Start your web server and MySQL service
2. Test API endpoints:

   curl -X GET "http://your-domain.com/get_items.php"

1. Registration: Create a new account with username, email, and password
2. Login: Access your account with registered credentials
3. Browse: Explore available items in the marketplace
4. Search: Use the search functionality to find specific items
5. Post Items: List your own items for sale with descriptions and pricing
6. Rate Items: Provide feedback and ratings for purchased items

• Home Tab: View top-rated items and welcome dashboard
• Browse Tab: Search and filter through all marketplace items
• Post Tab: Add new items to the marketplace

app/
├── src/main/java/com/example/mobilemarket/
│   ├── MainActivity.java          # Home screen with top items
│   ├── LoginActivity.java         # User authentication
│   ├── RegisterActivity.java      # User registration
│   ├── BrowseItemsActivity.java   # Item browsing and search
│   ├── PostItemsActivity.java     # Item posting interface
│   ├── DetailsActivity.java       # Item detail view
│   ├── Item.java                  # Item data model
│   ├── ItemAdapter.java           # RecyclerView adapter
│   └── ui/                        # UI fragments and components
├── src/main/res/
│   ├── layout/                    # XML layout files
│   ├── values/                    # Colors, strings, styles
│   └── drawable/                  # Images and icons
└── build.gradle                   # App dependencies and configuration

1. Generate Signed APK:

   • In Android Studio: Build → Generate Signed Bundle/APK
   • Follow the wizard to create/use a keystore

2. Optimize Build:

   android {
       buildTypes {
           release {
               minifyEnabled true
               proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
           }
       }
   }

• Input Validation: All user inputs are validated on both client and server
• SQL Injection Prevention: Prepared statements used in all database queries
• Authentication: Token-based authentication for API security
• HTTPS: Use HTTPS in production for secure data transmission
• Password Security: Implement proper password hashing (bcrypt recommended)

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

For support and questions:

• Create an issue on GitHub
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation for common solutions

• v1.0.0 - Initial release with core marketplace functionality
• Features: User authentication, item browsing, posting, and rating system

Built with ❤️ using Android Studio and modern development practices