Academic Integrity Code Submission Checker (Code-Checker)

Course: COSC 4P02 Group 8

Project: Code Submission Similarity Checker for Academic Integrity

Live Link: https://www.codesimilar.com/

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Table of Contents

• Project Overview
• Features
• Technologies Used
• Getting Started (Docker)
• Service URLs
• Project Structure
• How to Use GitHub for This Project
• Contributing
• Contact

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Project Overview

This project is designed to help instructors in COSC 4P02 check students’ code submissions for academic integrity. The system will support uploads (C, C++, Java), store submissions across semesters, anonymize students for privacy, and generate similarity reports instructors can review in a web interface.

This repository is scaffolded as a Dockerized full-stack monorepo:

• Frontend web UI
• Backend API
• PostgreSQL database
• MinIO object storage (S3-compatible) for uploaded files/blobs

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Features

Implemented (current scaffold / plumbing)

• Docker Compose stack that starts the system with one command
• Frontend page that calls the backend and displays a status message
• Backend endpoints: / and /health + Swagger/OpenAPI docs
• Persistent local volumes for Postgres and MinIO

Planned (core project functionality)

• Submission upload + storage
• Organization by course/assignment/semester
• Similarity analysis engine (no AI)
• Anonymization + instructor dashboard and side-by-side comparisons

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Technologies Used

• Frontend: React + TypeScript + Vite (built and served by Nginx in Docker)
• Backend: Python FastAPI (Uvicorn)
• Database: PostgreSQL 16
• Object Storage: MinIO (S3-compatible)
• Orchestration: Docker + Docker Compose
• Version Control: Git + GitHub

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Getting Started (Docker)

Prerequisites

• Install Docker Desktop (Windows/macOS) or Docker Engine (Linux)
• Install Git (optional if you already have the repo locally)

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/your-repo-name.git
cd your-repo-name

Start the Full Stack

From the repository root:

docker-compose up --build

If your Docker supports the newer syntax, this also works:

docker compose up --build

For production-like deployments, set a separate ENCRYPTION_KEY for stored student data and keep any previous value in ENCRYPTION_LEGACY_KEYS while old ciphertext still exists. SECRET_KEY should remain reserved for authentication/session concerns.

To stop containers:

docker-compose down

To stop and wipe local data volumes (Postgres/MinIO):

docker-compose down -v

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Service URLs

Once Docker Compose is running:

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:8000
• Backend Swagger Docs: http://localhost:8000/docs
• Backend Health Check: http://localhost:8000/health
• MinIO API (S3 endpoint): http://localhost:9000
• MinIO Console: http://localhost:9001
  • Default credentials (dev):
    • Username: minioadmin
    • Password: minioadmin

Note on CORS

The backend is currently configured with permissive CORS for development so the frontend (port 3000) can call the backend (port 8000). Tighten this before production.

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Project Structure

High-level layout:

• backend/ — FastAPI service
• frontend/ — React/Vite app + Nginx config
• docker-compose.yml — Orchestrates frontend + backend + Postgres + MinIO
• draw.io/ — Diagrams (store .drawio files here)
  • Example: draw.io/Instructor_sequence.drawio
• documentation/ — Documentation (requirements, architecture notes, meetings, reports)

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How to Use GitHub for This Project

Recommended team workflow:

1. Create a branch per feature/task:

   git checkout -b feature/<short-name>

2. Commit small, meaningful changes.
3. Open a Pull Request (PR) into main.
4. Use PR reviews to catch issues early and avoid conflicts.
5. Keep diagrams in draw.io/ and written docs in documentation/.

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Contributing

• Keep PRs focused (one feature/fix per PR)
• Update docs when setup/ports/env vars change
• If you change Docker ports or service names, update docker-compose.yml and this README

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