StuDirect - API

StuDirect is a Tinder-like web application that matches students and companies for the Career Launch.
The application was developed as part of the programming project and offers a pleasant user experience, modern technologies and features such as swiping, chatting and profiles.

StuDirect UI

Features

Swipe functionality to match students and companies
Real-time chat between matched parties
Student profiles with interests, field of study and a CV
Company profiles with internships, job openings, location and general information
Admin panel for managing students, companies and logs
Email verification and password reset
Skill matching between students and companies
RESTful API, JSON responses, rate limiting
Separate versions for mobile, desktop and admin

Tech Stack

Laravel (PHP framework)
Laravel Sanctum (API authentication & RBAC)
Eloquent ORM
PHPUnit
MySQL database
Mailtrap (email testing)
RESTful API, JSON
CI via GitHub Actions

Installation

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/nasrlol/studirect-api
cd studirect-api/source

Install the Composer dependencies

composer install

Configure .env

cp .env.example .env

Fill in your database credentials, Mailtrap settings and other environment variables in .env.

Generate the app key

php artisan key:generate

Migrate and seed the database

php artisan migrate:fresh --seed

Start the server

php artisan serve

Using the API

See the API documentation for all endpoints, authentication and usage examples.

Authentication: via Laravel Sanctum tokens (Bearer); log in via /api/students/login, /api/companies/login or /api/admins/login
Rate limiting: 300/min (default), 500/min for intensive endpoints (appointments, connections, skills)
All responses are JSON
See routes/api.php for the complete overview and current endpoints.

Running the tests

php artisan test

Main Directories

/source/app/Http/Controllers/Api/ – all API controllers
/source/routes/api.php – API routes
/source/app/Models/ – model logic
/source/database/seeders/ – seeder data for test accounts

Security & Best Practices

Input validation, CSRF, XSS and SQL injection prevention, RBAC via policies/gates
Rate limiting on all routes