Components Inventory - Elixir/Phoenix Implementation

A modern, idiomatic Elixir/Phoenix port of the original PHP-based component inventory management system.

Features

✨ Improvements over the original PHP version:

1. Modern Architecture

   • Phoenix LiveView for real-time, reactive UI without JavaScript
   • Ecto for type-safe database operations
   • Proper separation of concerns with Phoenix contexts
   • Built-in validation and error handling

2. Enhanced User Experience

   • Real-time search with no page refreshes
   • Responsive design with Tailwind CSS
   • Loading states and better feedback
   • Improved mobile experience

3. Better Data Management

   • Full-text search with PostgreSQL
   • Hierarchical categories with parent-child relationships
   • Proper foreign key constraints
   • Database migrations for schema management

4. Security & Reliability

   • CSRF protection built-in
   • SQL injection prevention through Ecto
   • Session-based authentication
   • Input validation and sanitization

🔧 Core Functionality

• Component Management: Add, edit, delete, and track electronic components
• Inventory Tracking: Monitor component quantities with increment/decrement buttons
• Search & Filter: Fast search across component names, descriptions, and keywords
• Category Organization: Hierarchical category system for better organization
• Category Management: Add, edit, delete categories through the web interface with hierarchical support
• Datasheet Links: Direct links to component datasheets
• Position Tracking: Track component storage locations
• Real-time Updates: All changes are immediately reflected in the interface

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   mix deps.get
   

2. Set up the database:

   mix ecto.create
   mix ecto.migrate
   mix run priv/repo/seeds.exs
   

3. Start the server:

   mix phx.server
   

4. Visit the application: Open http://localhost:4000

Authentication

The application uses a simple password-based authentication system:

• Default password: changeme
• Set custom password via environment variable: AUTH_PASSWORD=your_password

Database Schema

Categories

• id: Primary key
• name: Category name (required)
• description: Optional description
• parent_id: Foreign key for hierarchical categories
• Supports unlimited nesting levels

Components

• id: Primary key
• name: Component name (required)
• description: Detailed description
• keywords: Search keywords
• position: Storage location/position
• count: Current quantity (default: 0)
• datasheet_url: Optional link to datasheet
• image_filename: Optional image file name
• category_id: Required foreign key to categories

Architecture

Contexts

• ComponentsElixir.Inventory: Business logic for components and categories
• ComponentsElixir.Auth: Simple authentication system

Live Views

• ComponentsElixirWeb.LoginLive: Authentication interface
• ComponentsElixirWeb.ComponentsLive: Main component management interface
• ComponentsElixirWeb.CategoriesLive: Category management interface

Key Features

• Real-time updates: Changes are immediately reflected without page refresh
• Infinite scroll: Load more components as needed
• Search optimization: Uses PostgreSQL full-text search for long queries, ILIKE for short ones
• Responsive design: Works on desktop and mobile devices

API Comparison

Original PHP	New Elixir/Phoenix	Improvement
getItems.php	Inventory.list_components/1	Type-safe, composable queries
getCategories.php	Inventory.list_categories/0	Proper associations, hierarchical support
addItem.php	Inventory.create_component/1	Built-in validation, changesets
Manual editing	Inventory.update_component/2	NEW: Full edit functionality with validation
changeAmount.php	Inventory.update_component_count/2	Atomic operations, constraints
Manual category management	CategoriesLive + Inventory.create_category/1	NEW: Full category CRUD with web interface
imageUpload.php	(Future: Phoenix file uploads)	Planned improvement
Session management	Phoenix sessions + LiveView	Built-in CSRF protection

Future Enhancements

1. Image Upload: Implement Phoenix file uploads for component images
2. Bulk Operations: Import/export components via CSV
3. API Endpoints: REST API for external integrations
4. User Management: Multi-user support with roles and permissions
5. Advanced Search: Filters by category, stock level, etc.
6. Barcode/QR Codes: Generate and scan codes for quick inventory updates

Development

Running Tests

mix test

Code Quality

mix format
mix credo

Database Management

# Reset database
mix ecto.reset

# Add new migration
mix ecto.gen.migration add_feature

# Check migration status
mix ecto.migrations

Deployment

For production deployment:

1. Set environment variables:

   export AUTH_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
   export SECRET_KEY_BASE=your_secret_key
   export DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host/db
   

2. Build release:

   MIX_ENV=prod mix release
   

3. Run migrations:

   _build/prod/rel/components_elixir/bin/components_elixir eval "ComponentsElixir.Release.migrate"
   

Contributing

This is a modernized, idiomatic Elixir/Phoenix implementation that maintains feature parity with the original PHP version while providing significant improvements in code quality, security, and user experience.

The application follows Phoenix and Elixir best practices:

• Contexts for business logic
• LiveView for interactive UI
• Ecto for database operations
• Comprehensive error handling
• Input validation and sanitization