CollabTable/UPDATES.md

CollabTable - Updates Summary

Latest Changes (October 2025)

Field Editing Feature

Added ability to edit field types and options after creation

Android Changes:

• New EditFieldDialog composable in ListDetailScreen.kt

  • Allows changing field type (STRING, PRICE, DROPDOWN, URL, DATE, TIME, DATETIME)
  • Modify dropdown options or currency symbols
  • Similar UI to AddFieldDialog for consistency

• FieldHeader enhancements

  • Added Edit icon button next to field name
  • Click to open EditFieldDialog
  • Long-press still deletes field

• ViewModel update

  • New updateField() method in ListDetailViewModel
  • Updates field type and options in database
  • Properly maintains field state

Use case: Change a STRING field to a DROPDOWN, or update dropdown options without recreating the field.

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Password Authentication Feature

Server-side password protection with Android client support

Server Changes:

1. Environment Configuration (.env.example)

   • Added SERVER_PASSWORD environment variable
   • Set your secure password in .env file

2. Authentication Middleware (src/middleware/auth.ts)

   • Validates password on all /api/* routes
   • Uses Bearer token format: Authorization: Bearer <password>
   • /health endpoint remains unauthenticated
   • Returns 401 for missing or invalid passwords

3. Server Integration (src/index.ts)

   • Auth middleware applied before route handlers
   • All API calls now require valid password
   • Health check accessible without auth

Android Changes:

1. PreferencesManager updates

   • getServerPassword() and setServerPassword() methods
   • Secure storage in SharedPreferences
   • Password persists across app sessions

2. ServerSetupScreen enhancements

   • New password input field with show/hide toggle
   • Password required for setup completion
   • Validates password during initial setup
   • Tests authentication before saving

3. ServerSetupViewModel

   • Updated validateAndSaveServerUrl() to accept password
   • Two-step validation: health check + authenticated request
   • Stores password only after successful authentication
   • Clear error messages for auth failures

4. ApiClient authentication

   • New auth interceptor adds Authorization header
   • Automatically includes password in all API requests
   • Retrieves password from PreferencesManager
   • No code changes needed in individual API calls

Setup Instructions:

Server:

# Set password in .env file
echo "SERVER_PASSWORD=your_secure_password" >> .env

# Restart server
docker-compose restart

Android:

1. Open app (first time or after reset)
2. Enter server URL
3. Enter server password
4. Tap "Validate and Continue"
5. Password is validated and stored

Security Notes:

• Password stored in Android SharedPreferences (encrypted on modern devices)
• Password sent via HTTPS in production (use SSL certificates)
• Consider using more robust auth (OAuth, JWT) for production use
• Current implementation is simple password-based authentication

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Previous Changes

Android App Enhancements

1. Settings Screen Added

• New Files:

  • PreferencesManager.kt - Manages persistent storage of settings
  • SettingsScreen.kt - UI for configuring server URL
  • SettingsViewModel.kt - Business logic for settings

• Features:

  • Settings icon in the main Lists screen toolbar
  • Configurable server URL with validation
  • Helpful tips for emulator vs physical device URLs
  • Persistent storage across app restarts
  • Success notification when URL is updated

2. API Client Updates

• ApiClient.kt now initializes with saved preferences
• Server URL can be changed at runtime
• Automatically loads saved URL on app start

3. Navigation Updates

• Added settings route to navigation graph
• Settings accessible from Lists screen

Server Migration to SQLite

1. Database Change

• Replaced: MongoDB → SQLite with Sequelize ORM
• Reason: Simpler deployment, built-in persistence, no separate database container needed

2. Updated Dependencies

• Removed: mongoose
• Added: sequelize, sqlite3

3. New Database Configuration

• database.ts - Sequelize connection setup
• Database path configurable via DB_PATH environment variable
• Default location: /data/collabtable.db

4. Model Updates

All models converted from Mongoose schemas to Sequelize models:

• List.ts
• Field.ts
• Item.ts
• ItemValue.ts

5. Routes Updates

All route handlers updated to use Sequelize methods:

• findAll() instead of find()
• upsert() instead of findOneAndUpdate()
• Sequelize operators (Op.gt) instead of MongoDB operators ($gt)

Docker Configuration

1. Simplified Setup

• Removed: MongoDB container
• Changed: Single server container with SQLite
• Result: Faster startup, simpler architecture

2. Persistent Storage

• Docker volume: sqlite_data
• Mounted at: /data in container
• Persists across:
  • Container restarts
  • Container recreation
  • docker-compose down/up cycles

3. Environment Variables

• PORT - Server port (default: 3000)
• DB_PATH - SQLite database path (default: /data/collabtable.db)
• NODE_ENV - Environment mode

How to Use

Start the Server

cd CollabTableServer
docker-compose up -d

Configure Android App

1. Open app in Android Studio
2. Build and run on device/emulator
3. Tap Settings icon (⚙️) in top bar
4. Enter server URL:
   • Emulator: http://10.0.2.2:3000/api/
   • Physical Device: http://YOUR_IP:3000/api/
5. Tap "Save"

Backup Database

# Backup
docker cp collabtable-server:/data/collabtable.db ./backup.db

# Restore
docker cp ./backup.db collabtable-server:/data/collabtable.db
docker-compose restart

Benefits

Android App

✅ No hardcoded server URLs ✅ Easy to switch between environments ✅ User-friendly configuration ✅ Clear instructions for different device types

Server

✅ Simpler deployment (one container vs two) ✅ No database configuration needed ✅ Built-in data persistence ✅ Easy backups (single file) ✅ Lower resource usage ✅ Faster startup time

Testing

Test Server Persistence

# Start server
docker-compose up -d

# Use the app to create data
# ...

# Restart server
docker-compose restart

# Data should still be there!

# Even after complete teardown
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

# Data persists because of the volume!

Test Settings

1. Open app
2. Go to Settings
3. Change server URL
4. Close app
5. Reopen app
6. Go to Settings - URL should be saved!

Architecture Diagram

┌─────────────────────┐
│   Android App       │
│  (Material 3 UI)    │
│                     │
│  ┌───────────────┐  │
│  │  Settings     │  │
│  │  Screen       │  │
│  └───────────────┘  │
│         ↓           │
│  ┌───────────────┐  │
│  │ Preferences   │  │
│  │ Manager       │  │
│  └───────────────┘  │
│         ↓           │
│  ┌───────────────┐  │
│  │  API Client   │  │
│  └───────────────┘  │
└──────────┬──────────┘
           │ HTTP/REST
           ↓
┌─────────────────────┐
│  Docker Container   │
│                     │
│  ┌───────────────┐  │
│  │  Express.js   │  │
│  │   Server      │  │
│  └───────┬───────┘  │
│          ↓          │
│  ┌───────────────┐  │
│  │  Sequelize    │  │
│  │     ORM       │  │
│  └───────┬───────┘  │
│          ↓          │
│  ┌───────────────┐  │
│  │    SQLite     │  │
│  │   Database    │  │
│  └───────────────┘  │
│          ↓          │
│     /data/collabtable.db
│          ↓          │
└──────────┬──────────┘
           │
    Docker Volume
   (sqlite_data)

Notes

• TypeScript compilation errors shown are expected until dependencies are installed
• Run npm install in the server directory before local development
• The Android app works offline-first and syncs when connected
• Server validates and sanitizes all incoming data
• Timestamps are used for conflict resolution (latest wins)