freealberta/map/instruct/ADMIN_IMPLEMENTATION.md

Admin Panel Implementation Summary

Overview

Successfully implemented a complete admin panel with start location management feature for the NocoDB Map Viewer application.

Files Created/Modified

Backend Changes

• server.js:
  • Added SETTINGS_SHEET_ID parsing
  • Updated login endpoint to include admin status
  • Updated auth check endpoint to return admin status
  • Added requireAdmin middleware
  • Added admin routes for start location management
  • Added public config endpoint for start location

Frontend Changes

• map.js:
  • Added loadStartLocation() function
  • Updated initialization to load start location first
  • Updated displayUserInfo() to show admin link for admin users

New Files Created

• admin.html: Admin panel interface with interactive map
• admin.css: Styling for the admin panel
• admin.js: JavaScript functionality for admin panel

Configuration

• .env: Added NOCODB_SETTINGS_SHEET environment variable
• README.md: Updated with admin panel documentation

Database Schema

Settings Table (New)

Required columns for NocoDB Settings table:

• key (Single Line Text): Setting identifier
• title (Single Line Text): Display name
• Geo-Location (Text): Format "latitude;longitude"
• latitude (Decimal): Precision 10, Scale 8
• longitude (Decimal): Precision 11, Scale 8
• zoom (Number): Map zoom level
• category (Single Select): "system_setting"
• updated_by (Single Line Text): Last updater email
• updated_at (DateTime): Last update time

Login Table (Existing - Updated)

Ensure the existing login table has:

• Admin (Checkbox): Admin privileges column

Features Implemented

Admin Authentication

• Admin status determined by Admin checkbox in login table
• Session-based authentication with admin flag
• Protected admin routes with requireAdmin middleware
• Automatic redirect to login for non-admin users

Start Location Management

• Interactive map interface for setting coordinates
• Manual coordinate input with validation
• "Use Current Map View" button for easy positioning
• Real-time map updates when coordinates change
• Draggable marker for precise positioning

Data Persistence

• Start location stored in NocoDB Settings table
• Same geographic data format as main locations table
• Automatic creation/update of settings records
• Audit trail with updated_by and updated_at fields

Cascading Fallback System

1. Database (highest priority): Admin-configured location
2. Environment (medium priority): .env file defaults
3. Hardcoded (lowest priority): Edmonton coordinates

User Experience

• All users automatically see admin-configured start location
• Admin users see ⚙️ Admin button in header
• Seamless navigation between main map and admin panel
• Real-time validation and feedback

API Endpoints

Admin Endpoints (require admin auth)

• GET /admin.html - Serve admin panel page
• GET /api/admin/start-location - Get start location with source info
• POST /api/admin/start-location - Save new start location

Public Endpoints

• GET /api/config/start-location - Get start location for all users

Security Features

• Admin-only access to configuration endpoints
• Input validation for coordinates and zoom levels
• Session-based authentication
• CSRF protection through proper HTTP methods
• HTML escaping to prevent XSS

Next Steps

1. Setup Database Tables:

   • Create the Settings table in NocoDB with required columns
   • Ensure Login table has Admin checkbox column

2. Configure Environment:

   • Add NOCODB_SETTINGS_SHEET URL to .env file

3. Test Admin Functionality:

   • Login with admin user
   • Access /admin.html
   • Set start location and verify it appears for all users

4. Future Enhancements (ready for implementation):

   • Additional admin settings (map themes, marker styles, etc.)
   • Bulk location management
   • User management interface
   • System monitoring dashboard

Benefits Achieved

✅ Centralized Control: Admins can change default map view for all users ✅ Persistent Storage: Settings survive server restarts and deployments
✅ User-Friendly Interface: Interactive map for easy configuration ✅ Data Consistency: Uses same format as main location data ✅ Security: Proper authentication and authorization ✅ Scalability: Easy to extend with additional admin features ✅ Reliability: Multiple fallback options ensure map always loads

The implementation provides a robust foundation for administrative control while maintaining the existing user experience and security standards.