Search Analytics App

This application is designed to record and analyze search queries entered by users in real-time. It includes a simple backend built with Ruby on Rails and a Vanilla JS frontend.

Loom video demonstrating functionality

Loom Video
Link to live app in Heroku here

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed on your machine:

Ruby
Rails
Node.js or Yarn for frontend dependencies

Installation

git clone

https://github.com/your-username/search-analytics-app.git
cd search-analytics-app

Install dependencies:

bundle install

Run tests

bundle exec rspec

Set up the database:

rails db:create
rails db:migrate

Start the Rails server:

rails server rerun rails server to restart on detecting changes

Access the application in your web browser at http://localhost:3000.

Creating Searches

The app provides an API endpoint for creating searches. Send a POST request to /searches with the search query as the query parameter. Example using cURL:

curl -X POST -d "query=what is a good car" http://localhost:3000/searches

Viewing Analytics

To view search analytics, you can access the /searches/all_searches endpoint. The app provides a JSON response containing the search results. Additionally, the frontend can be customized to display these results in a user-friendly manner.

Improvements for Scalability

Caching

Consider implementing caching to store frequently queried searches. This can significantly reduce the load on the database and improve response times.

Database Indexing

Add indexes to the database columns used in search queries to speed up retrieval. In the migration file db/migrate/YYYYMMDDHHMMSS_create_searches.rb, add indexes as follows:

class CreateSearches < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.0]
  def change
    create_table :searches do |t|
      t.string :query
      t.string :ip_address

      t.timestamps
    end

    add_index :searches, :query
    add_index :searches, :ip_address
  end
end

Background Processing

Move search creation and analytics processing to a background job queue. This can be achieved using tools like Sidekiq or Resque. Background processing ensures that your application remains responsive even during heavy traffic.

Error Handling

Implement robust error handling to gracefully handle unexpected issues. Log errors for analysis and debugging. Use Rails' built-in exception handling and logging mechanisms.

Monitoring and Alerting

Integrate monitoring tools to keep track of your application's health. Services like New Relic or Datadog can help you monitor performance, detect anomalies, and set up alerts for critical issues.

Challenges

Determining IP Address

Determining the accurate IP address of a user can be challenging due to factors like proxy servers and network configurations. The app uses the request.remote_ip method, which may not always reflect the user's actual IP address. Consider additional measures, such as using a service like ipinfo.io to enhance IP address accuracy. Also getting the searches as per ip address may pose a challenge.

Kalunge/Helpjuice