Idea: Make the API a 'monolith' and also include the frontend

[viktorsmari]

This is a big decision and will require a lot of effort. Noting down pros/cons.

Right now the Smart Citizen is split in 2 parts:

• The API backend (this repo)
• The Front End https://github.com/fablabbcn/smartcitizen-web

Problem:

• We have the SC Front End written in Angular.js which is out of date, and maybe not maintained anymore?
• We need to update / rewrite at some point
• We need specialized knowledge to maintain Angular
• We could rewrite everything in a newer Angular version, React, or another JS framework

Other options and ideas

Convert the API into a full-stack 'monolith' so it also includes HTML view files. Not only an API anymore.

• We will of course have the API endpoints availble
• Instead of relying heavily on a JavaScript framework that will go extinct in 5 years we can:
  • Sprinkle the HTML with JavaScript when needed.
• It does not have to use any big JS libraries like React or Angular
• Make it simple and use as much of plain HTML / CSS when possible
• Everything in one place, faster to implement changes.
  • Not needing 2 developer profiles to maintain, (Rails + Angular), only Rails knowledge

A lot of innovation is happening in the Ruby on Rails Javascript community

• Use Turbo / Hotwire https://github.com/hotwired/hotwire-rails
• Sprinkle the front end with Stimulus
  • Made by the creators of Ruby on Rails (Basecamp)
• Use Stimulus + Websockets with Stimulus reflex

[oscgonfer]

This has been reopened after our internal discussions.

To summarize, we will:

1. Move kit (device in backend) and user views for edit, add, delete over to the monolith. Ideally this would replace not only views from smartcitizen-web, but also from the onboarding
2. Upgrade angular front-end with ng-update gradually, removing those views that are moved over to the monolith, and leave only views for data visualisation. An interesting approach would be to think of a modular system that can help us leverage community effort and better connect with our audience. This is not defined, but initially we can do so by co-designing some components.

[oscgonfer]

More on this:

Rails app

• First iteration:
  • User management (create, delete, modify)
  • Device management (create (handshake), delete, modify)
  • Experiment management (create, delete, modify, add and remove devices...)
  • Sensors and measurements for admins?

Second iteration:

• Experiment and device exploration (views for people to show/see)
• Views for fleet health management (specific request by the user and processed externally by python)
• User story
• Onboarding newcomers (create user + device) - low prio. start.smartcitizen.me does the job

Python

• Postprocessing
• Fleet health (Health metrics for device #238 and Add a means of tracking data parse errors for a device #288)
  • Basic
    • Metrics for up/down (already a system_tag) - maybe best in rails
    • Reasons why down:
      • battery, hardware, wifi (check if we need another health check tag) - maybe best in rails
  • Advanced
  • Metrics on plausability and quality of the readings:
    • Additional sensor?
    • Additional sensor metric?