🐱 CatSpotter

What is CatSpotter?

CatSpotter is a community-driven mobile application designed for documenting and tracking cat sightings across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Developed for the MariaDB Hackathon MY 2026, the app enables users to share sightings, interact with the community, and participate in a leaderboard based on engagement.

Why MariaDB?

CatSpotter leverages several advanced features of MariaDB to ensure performance and scalability:

• FULLTEXT search (MATCH...AGAINST): Powers the sighting search engine, allowing users to find sightings by description or location keywords efficiently.
• Window functions (RANK() OVER): Utilized in the leaderboard to calculate precise user rankings based on total engagement metrics.
• InnoDB triggers: Used for automatic denormalization of like and comment counts, ensuring high-performance read operations for the feed.
• JSON-capable schema: Provides a flexible way to store extended cat metadata and user preferences without rigid schema constraints.

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Mobile	Expo SDK · React Native
Backend	Node.js · Express · TypeScript
Database	MariaDB Community Server
ORM	Knex.js (query builder)
Auth	JWT · bcryptjs
Maps	React Native Maps
Deployment	Docker Compose

Getting Started (Local Setup)

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/MariaDB-Hackathon-MY-2026/Cat-Spotter.git
   cd CatSpotter

2. Install Dependencies

   npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

   • Copy .env.example to .env in the root and subdirectories.
   • Fill in the required credentials.

4. Start the Infrastructure

   docker compose up -d

5. Run Migrations and Seeds

   cd backend
   npm run migrate
   npm run seed

6. Start the Application

   • Backend: cd backend && npm run dev
   • Frontend: cd frontend && npx expo start

Environment Variables

Key	Description
DB_ROOT_PASSWORD	Root password for MariaDB container
DB_USER	Application database username
DB_PASSWORD	Application database password
DB_NAME	Name of the database
JWT_SECRET	Secret key for JWT signing
GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY	API key for Google Maps geocoding/maps

Project Structure

CatSpotter/
├── backend/            # Express API with TypeScript
│   ├── src/            # API logic and routes
│   ├── migrations/     # MariaDB schema migrations
│   ├── seeds/          # Initial seed data
│   └── uploads/        # Sighting image storage (ignored)
├── frontend/           # Expo / React Native App
│   ├── app/            # Expo Router screens
│   ├── components/     # Reusable UI components
│   └── hooks/          # Data fetching and logic
├── shared/             # Shared types and constants
├── docker-compose.yml  # Infrastructure orchestration
└── package.json        # Root workspace configuration

Team

• Team Name: [Sho]
• Members: [MUHAMMAD SYAH BIN RAZAK]
• University: [University Poly-Tech Malaysia]