Up-To-Date (UTD) - News Aggregator Web Application

UTD is a secure, role-based news aggregator web application built with ASP.NET Core MVC. It allows users to stay updated with the latest news while supporting Authors, Readers, and Contributors with distinct functionalities.

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📌 Features

• Role-Based Access Control:
  • Authors: Create, publish, and delete news articles.
  • Readers: Browse, search, and read news; submit suggestions; upload/download articles.
  • Contributors: Edit existing news articles.
• Security Measures: Protection against SQL injection, XSS, DoS attacks, and secure password hashing.
• MVC Architecture: Clean separation of concerns with Model-View-Controller design.
• Real-Time Updates: News feed dynamically reflects changes.
• Search Functionality: Keyword-based search for news articles.

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🛠 Technologies Used

• Backend: ASP.NET Core 8.0, C#, Entity Framework Core
• Frontend: Razor Pages, HTML/CSS, JavaScript
• Database: Microsoft SQL Server
• Testing: xUnit, Moq
• Security: ASP.NET Core Identity, HTTPS, Role-Based Authorization

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⚙ Prerequisites

• .NET SDK 8.0
• Visual Studio 2022+ (with ASP.NET workload) or VS Code
• SQL Server Express
• Git (optional)

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🚀 Installation & Setup

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://code.umd.edu/sumi0309/ENPM680Fall2024Project-sumi0309.git

2. Restore Dependencies:

   dotnet restore

3. Configure the Database:

   • Update the connection string in appsettings.json:

     "ConnectionStrings": {
       "DefaultConnection": "Server=YOUR_SERVER;Database=YOUR_DB;Trusted_Connection=True;"
     }

   • Apply migrations:

     dotnet ef database update

4. Run the Application:

   • Build the solution (Ctrl+Shift+B in Visual Studio).
   • Launch via IIS Express (Ctrl+F5). The app will run at https://localhost:44369.