A new user can register a company

Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the feature “A new user can register a company” involves developing the essential functionalities required to allow users to register their companies through a specific API endpoint. This MVP will focus on establishing the core aspects of the registration process, ensuring that it is functional, secure, and user-friendly.

sequenceDiagram
    actor User
    participant Browser
    participant Server

    User->>Browser: Clicks "Register Company" link
    activate Browser
    Browser->>Server: GET /register_company
    activate Server
    Server-->>Browser: Registration form
    deactivate Server
    Browser->>User: Displays registration form
    deactivate Browser

    User->>Browser: Inputs company name
    activate Browser
    User->>Browser: Inputs company address
    User->>Browser: Inputs company phone
    Browser->>Server: POST /register_company with data
    activate Server
    Server-->>Server: Validates data
    alt Valid data
        Server-->>Server: Creates company record
        Server-->>Browser: Success message
        Browser->>User: Displays success message
    else Invalid data
        Server-->>Browser: Error message
        Browser->>User: Displays error message
    end
    deactivate Server
    deactivate Browser

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Features
3. API Endpoint Specification
4. Data Models
5. Implementation Steps
6. Example Code
7. Testing
8. Conclusion

---

Overview

The goal of this MVP is to enable new users to register their companies through a straightforward API endpoint: register/company. This feature will allow users to submit necessary company details, which will then be validated and stored in the database. Upon successful registration, the user will receive a confirmation along with the company details.

---

Features

1. User Registration for Company: Allows users to input and submit company details.
2. Input Validation: Ensures all required fields are provided and correctly formatted.
3. Database Storage: Saves the company information securely in the database.
4. Response Handling: Provides appropriate success or error messages based on the outcome.
5. Security Measures: Implements basic security practices to protect user data.

---

API Endpoint Specification

Endpoint

POST /register/company

Description

Registers a new company with the provided details.

Request Headers

• Content-Type: application/json
• Authorization: Bearer <token> (if authentication is required)

Request Body

Field	Type	Required	Description
companyName	String	Yes	The official name of the company.
address	String	Yes	Physical address of the company.
email	String	Yes	Contact email for the company.
phone	String	No	Contact phone number.
website	String	No	Official website URL of the company.
userId	String	Yes	Identifier of the user registering the company.

Example Request Body

{
  "companyName": "Tech Innovators Inc.",
  "address": "1234 Silicon Valley Blvd, Tech City, CA",
  "email": "contact@techinnovators.com",
  "phone": "+1-234-567-8900",
  "website": "https://www.techinnovators.com",
  "userId": "user_abc123"
}

Response

• Success (201 Created)

  {
    "message": "Company registered successfully.",
    "companyId": "company_xyz789",
    "data": {
      "companyName": "Tech Innovators Inc.",
      "address": "1234 Silicon Valley Blvd, Tech City, CA",
      "email": "contact@techinnovators.com",
      "phone": "+1-234-567-8900",
      "website": "https://www.techinnovators.com",
      "userId": "user_abc123",
      "createdAt": "2024-04-27T12:34:56Z"
    }
  }
  

• Error (400 Bad Request)

  {
    "message": "Company registration failed.",
    "errors": {
      "email": "Invalid email format.",
      "companyName": "Company name is required."
    }
  }
  

• Error (401 Unauthorized) (if authentication is required)

  {
    "message": "Unauthorized access. Please provide valid credentials."
  }
  

---

Data Models

Company Model

Field	Type	Description
id	String	Unique identifier for the company.
companyName	String	Official name of the company.
address	String	Physical address of the company.
email	String	Contact email for the company.
phone	String	Contact phone number.
website	String	Official website URL of the company.
userId	String	Identifier of the user who registered the company.
createdAt	DateTime	Timestamp when the company was registered.
updatedAt	DateTime	Timestamp when the company details were last updated.

---

Implementation Steps

1. Set Up the Development Environment
   • Choose a technology stack (e.g., Node.js with Express, Python with Django/Flask, Ruby on Rails).
   • Initialize the project and install necessary dependencies.
2. Design the Database Schema
   • Define the Company model with the fields mentioned above.
   • Set up the database (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB).
3. Create the API Endpoint
   • Define the route POST /register/company.
   • Implement middleware for parsing JSON requests and handling authentication (if required).
4. Implement Input Validation
   • Ensure all required fields are present.
   • Validate the format of email and website URLs.
   • Sanitize inputs to prevent security vulnerabilities like SQL injection.
5. Handle the Business Logic
   • Check if the user is authorized to register a company.
   • Create a new company record in the database with the provided details.
   • Handle any potential errors during the database operation.
6. Send Appropriate Responses
   • Return a success message with the company ID and details upon successful registration.
   • Return error messages detailing what went wrong if the registration fails.
7. Test the Endpoint
   • Perform unit and integration tests to ensure the endpoint works as expected.
   • Use tools like Postman or curl to manually test different scenarios.
8. Deploy the MVP
   • Host the application on a server or cloud platform (e.g., AWS, Heroku).
   • Ensure the database is properly connected and secured.

---

Example Code

Below is an example implementation using Node.js with Express and MongoDB (using Mongoose).

1. Setup

First, initialize your project and install dependencies.

mkdir company-registration
cd company-registration
npm init -y
npm install express mongoose body-parser

2. Database Connection (db.js)

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const connectDB = async () => {
  try {
    await mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/companyDB', {
      useNewUrlParser: true,
      useUnifiedTopology: true,
    });
    console.log('MongoDB Connected');
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err.message);
    process.exit(1);
  }
};

module.exports = connectDB;

3. Company Model (models/Company.js)

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const CompanySchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  companyName: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
  },
  address: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
  },
  email: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
    match: [/.+\@.+\..+/, 'Please enter a valid email'],
  },
  phone: {
    type: String,
  },
  website: {
    type: String,
    match: [/https?:\/\/.+/, 'Please enter a valid URL'],
  },
  userId: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
  },
  createdAt: {
    type: Date,
    default: Date.now,
  },
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('Company', CompanySchema);

4. Server and Endpoint (server.js)

const express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require('body-parser');
const connectDB = require('./db');
const Company = require('./models/Company');

const app = express();

// Connect to Database
connectDB();

// Middleware
app.use(bodyParser.json());

// Mock Authentication Middleware (Replace with real authentication)
const authenticate = (req, res, next) => {
  // Assume user is authenticated and set req.user
  req.user = { id: 'user_abc123' };
  next();
};

// Register Company Endpoint
app.post('/register/company', authenticate, async (req, res) => {
  const { companyName, address, email, phone, website } = req.body;

  // Input Validation
  if (!companyName || !address || !email) {
    return res.status(400).json({
      message: 'Company registration failed.',
      errors: {
        companyName: companyName ? undefined : 'Company name is required.',
        address: address ? undefined : 'Address is required.',
        email: email ? undefined : 'Email is required.',
      },
    });
  }

  // Additional validation can be added here

  try {
    const newCompany = new Company({
      companyName,
      address,
      email,
      phone,
      website,
      userId: req.user.id,
    });

    const savedCompany = await newCompany.save();

    res.status(201).json({
      message: 'Company registered successfully.',
      companyId: savedCompany._id,
      data: savedCompany,
    });
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err.message);
    res.status(500).json({
      message: 'Server error. Company registration failed.',
    });
  }
});

// Start Server
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5000;
app.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`Server started on port ${PORT}`));

5. Running the Application

Ensure MongoDB is running on your machine. Then, start the server:

node server.js

6. Testing the Endpoint

Use Postman or curl to test the POST /register/company endpoint.

Example using curl:

curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/register/company \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
  "companyName": "Tech Innovators Inc.",
  "address": "1234 Silicon Valley Blvd, Tech City, CA",
  "email": "contact@techinnovators.com",
  "phone": "+1-234-567-8900",
  "website": "https://www.techinnovators.com"
}'

Expected Response:

{
  "message": "Company registered successfully.",
  "companyId": "60c72b2f9b1d8e5a5c8e4d3f",
  "data": {
    "_id": "60c72b2f9b1d8e5a5c8e4d3f",
    "companyName": "Tech Innovators Inc.",
    "address": "1234 Silicon Valley Blvd, Tech City, CA",
    "email": "contact@techinnovators.com",
    "phone": "+1-234-567-8900",
    "website": "https://www.techinnovators.com",
    "userId": "user_abc123",
    "createdAt": "2024-04-27T12:34:56.789Z",
    "__v": 0
  }
}

---

Testing

To ensure the MVP functions correctly, perform the following tests:

1. Successful Registration
   • Provide all required fields with valid data.
   • Expect a 201 Created response with company details.
2. Missing Required Fields
   • Omit one or more required fields (e.g., companyName).
   • Expect a 400 Bad Request response with appropriate error messages.
3. Invalid Data Formats
   • Provide an invalid email format or website URL.
   • Expect a 400 Bad Request response indicating validation errors.
4. Unauthorized Access (if authentication is implemented)
   • Attempt to register a company without proper authentication.
   • Expect a 401 Unauthorized response.
5. Server Errors
   • Simulate server errors (e.g., database connection issues).
   • Ensure the server responds with a 500 Internal Server Error and appropriate message.

---

Conclusion

This MVP provides a foundational feature allowing new users to register their companies through the register/company endpoint. By focusing on essential functionalities—such as input validation, secure data storage, and clear response handling—the MVP ensures a smooth and reliable user experience. Future iterations can expand upon this foundation by adding features like authentication, more detailed company profiles, and enhanced security measures.

Implementing this MVP facilitates user onboarding and lays the groundwork for more complex features in the future, such as company management, user roles, and integration with other services.