Evently Smart Event Planner

This is a full-stack application designed to help users plan outdoor events by providing intelligent weather recommendations. The backend is built with Node.js and Express, integrating with the OpenWeatherMap API to fetch 5-day weather forecasts. The system analyzes weather data and provides a suitability score for events, suggesting better dates if conditions are poor.

The project also includes a simple, responsive frontend built with vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to demonstrate the API's functionality in a user-friendly interface.

Live Application Link: https://smart-event-manager.onrender.com

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Postman Collection

A Postman collection is included to test all the API endpoints. You can download the file below and import it into your Postman application to test the live, deployed API.

Download the Postman Collection

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Application Screenshot

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Features Implemented

Backend:

• REST API for creating and listing events (/api/events).
• Real-time integration with the OpenWeatherMap 5-day forecast API.
• Dynamic, point-based weather suitability scoring system that is tailored to the event type (e.g., 'Outdoor Sports', 'Wedding').
• Recommendation engine (/api/events/:id/alternatives) to suggest alternative dates with better weather conditions.
• In-memory caching strategy to reduce redundant API calls and improve performance.
• Graceful error handling for invalid locations or API failures.

Frontend (Optional Extra Credit):

• Clean, responsive form to create new events.
• Dynamic list that displays all upcoming events.
• Live weather suitability score and conditions are fetched and displayed on each event card.
• Functionality to trigger the "Find better dates" recommendation from the UI.

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Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Frontend: Vanilla HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (ES6+)
• External API: OpenWeatherMap
• Development Environment: WebStorm IDE

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Setup & Local Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone [https://github.com/your-username/smart-event-planner.git](https://github.com/your-username/smart-event-planner.git)

2. Navigate into the Project Directory

cd smart-event-planner

3. Install Dependencies This command installs all the necessary packages like Express and Axios.

npm install

4. Set Up Environment Variables Create a file named .env in the root of the project. Add your OpenWeatherMap API key to this file:

OPENWEATHERMAP_API_KEY=your_secret_api_key_here

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How to Run

1. Make sure you have completed the setup steps above.
2. Run the following command to start the server:

   node index.js

3. You will see a confirmation message: Server is running on http://localhost:3000.
4. To use the application, open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000.

API Endpoints

The core API is available under the /api path.

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/events	Creates a new event.
GET	/api/events	Lists all created events.
GET	/api/events/:id/suitability	Gets the weather score for a specific event.
GET	/api/events/:id/alternatives	Suggests better dates for an event.