Code Jam 2022

Having experienced the stressful and busy university life, we know how hard it is sometimes to find the time to hang out between classes with all your different friends' chaotic schedules. In response, we have created NextClass!

NextClass is a web app that takes in your and your friends' schedules and outputs a calendar that compiles all your schedules together. We used Firebase's Firestore database to store and authenticate users. Furthermore, we built a web scraper to obtain and use actual McGill data in order to simulate our web app functions better.

The NextClass web app was based on the React JS library using HMTL, CSS and JavaScript. Furthermore, we used node.js to help handle packages and discrepancies, simplifying our job. Along with the React.js foundation, we implemented a firebase database to store and manage data.

Firebase was a real challenge, as we barely dabbled with it before the hackathon. Furthermore, we were planning to use the McGill API to obtain data more accessible (with permission, of course). However, there were issues with bypassing the built-in client-side permission.

This was our first time working on such an ambitious project and our first time integrating a real-time database to add, get and store data. Furthermore, we understood Git a lot more, avoiding the trouble of deleting and reinstalling the repository at every. Single. Commit.

We developed our React.js skills and got much more familiar with database usage. We also expanded our knowledge of the React JS library and Node Js library. Furthermore, we honed our skills and expertise in Git, enhancing our teamwork and simplifying our communication, as in the last hackathon, we barely knew how to use it.

We would love to add more features to this website, such as specifications on your friends' information, their live location (if permitted by the user), and editable widgets for helping students perform better (ex., Assignment widget). We would also like to create the mobile version of this code to make this easier to use as we often check our schedules or contact our friends from our phones.