Getting Started 🎯

In this section, we'll guide you through the initial steps to get started with our web application. Before you dive into the specifics, make sure you meet the system requirements and have everything in place.

System Requirements

Before installing and using our web application, ensure that your system meets the following requirements:

Operating Systems

Windows 10 or later
macOS 10.14 or later
Any Linux Distribution

Supported Browsers

Our application is optimized for the following web browsers:

Google Chrome (recommended)
Mozilla Firefox
Apple Safari
Microsoft Edge

For the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of one of these browsers.

Internet Connection

A stable internet connection is required for the web application to function properly. Please note that while our web application is designed to be compatible with these systems, it's essential to keep your operating system and browser up to date for optimal performance and security.

Our landing page, this is where you will land when you first open the link

Creating a New Account

If you don't have an account, click the "Register" button on the landing page. Fill in the required information. Here, you can choose to become one of two roles:

A donor - someone willing to donate food and create resources for the community in order to promote reduced food waste and better access to meals for all
A recipient - someone who is in need of these meals or requires guidance to food prep/waste reduction through resources and listings created by donors

Enter the rest of your details, such as name, email and username - as well as choosing a strong password for your account! You will also be prompted to enable your location, this is solely for the purpose of automatically setting your location for convenience. However, if you choose not to enable location, you can search your location on the map and click on the map to display a marker showing your selected location. As a donor, this will be visible as the location of your listings, and is how recipients will find you on the map. As a recipient, this will only be shown to the donor that you request a listing from.

Logging In

If you already have an account, click the "Log In" button and enter your credentials. You'll be redirected to the homepage upon successful authentication.

That's it! You're now ready to start using our web application.

User Homepage

After a successful login, you'll be able to access the user homepage. The homepage serves as the central hub where you can access various features and functionalities of the web application. Here's an overview of what you can expect:

Navigation Menu: located at the top, this shows:
- Home - where you are now
- Profile - where you can edit and view your profile
- Listings - where you can browse listings and find donors near you, and create listings (if you are a donor)
- Resources - where you can browse resources and create them (if you are a donor)
Shortcuts: below the navigation bar, there will be two shortcuts. For donors, they will be “create a listing” and “create a resource”. For recipients, they will be “Browse listings” and “Browse resources”.
Requests overview: this serves as the dashboard for managing requests for both donors and recipients. Accepted and pending requests will be displayed as normal. However, delivered are hidden by default - you can view them by clicking the “show” button next to the delivered requests heading. Delivered requests entail those that have been completely managed and delivered to their respective recipient by the donor.

User Guide

For detailed instructions on specific tasks and features, please refer to our User Guide section. It provides step-by-step instructions and tips for making the most of the application's functionalities. You can find detailed guides on various topics, including:

Creating and Managing Content: Learn how to create, edit, and organize content within the web application.
Settings and Preferences: Customize your user experience by configuring settings like notifications, security, and personal preferences.
Search and Filters: Understand how to efficiently search for content and apply filters to find what you need.
Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot common issues and errors that users may encounter.

That concludes the "Getting Started" section. As you continue through this documentation, you'll find more in-depth information on various aspects of our web application, including its architecture, configuration, usage, and troubleshooting.