CIS Scouting App

Overview

This app is a modified version of the Black Hawks Scouting app. The app is able to run in either a docker container or some other NodeJS compatible environment. It has integration with a MySQL database for external management and analysis along with a CSV export.

Powered by Vue.js and The Blue Alliance.

Features

• Offline app and data storage
• Works with most web browsers
• Data transfer between devices via QR codes. (Requires a HTTPS connection)
• MySQL database integration
• Configurable without code changes by using pre-made widgets (see config.md in docs)

Setup

1. Obtain a Blue Alliance read API key from the account page.
2. Create a file named .env.local in the root folder and inside of it put: VITE_TBA_API_KEY=your_api_key
3. Install dependencies:

   npm run installPackages

4. Setup the database. If backend/knexfile.ts does not exist, copy it from the example:

   cp backend/knexfile.example.ts backend/knexfile.ts

   Then update backend/knexfile.ts with your database credentials. By default, the development environment uses SQLite. For PostgreSQL, update the staging or production section with your connection details.
5. Run database migrations:

   npm run knex-migrate

   If targeting a non-development environment (e.g. production), set NODE_ENV first:

   # Linux/macOS
   NODE_ENV=production npm run knex-migrate
   
   # Windows PowerShell
   $env:NODE_ENV = "production"; npm run knex-migrate

6. (Optional) If you plan to use the pictureupload widget, create a file named imageServerConfig.ts in the root folder:

export const imageServerConfig =  {
    "server": "your hostname or IP (eg. host.com)",
    "username": "your username",
    "password": "your password"
  }

Running the App

Development

Start the frontend development server:

npm run dev

In a separate terminal, start the backend server:

npm run dev:backend

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173/
• Backend API: http://localhost:4173/

Production Build

Linux:

npm run build-linux
npm run run

Windows:

npm run build-windows
npm run run

Docker:

# Build and run locally
npm run docker-build
npm run docker-run

# Build and push to Docker Hub
npm run docker-deploy

Database Migrations

Check migration status:

npm run knex-status

Apply pending migrations:

npm run knex-migrate

Configuration

Frontend

Configuring the interface and data fields is easy and codeless! You just need to add widget configurations to a couple JSON files. Refer to config.md in docs for details.

Backend

The backend uses JSON schemas and Knex migrations to define data fields. When updating the scouting form fields:

1. Update the config files in public/assets/ (config-matches.json, config-pits.json)
2. Update the JSON schemas in backend/schemas/:
   • match_scout_entry.schema.json
   • pit_scout_entry.schema.json
   • api_request.schema.json
3. Update the TypeScript types in backend/schemas/ (.d.ts files)
4. Update the models in backend/src/models.ts
5. Update the conversions in backend/src/conversions.ts
6. Create a new migration in backend/migrations/ to update the database schema
7. Run npm run knex-migrate to apply the changes

The naming scheme in config files must be consistent with the schema definitions. The name field should use lowercase with underscores (eg. "Hello There" becomes "hello_there").

Flexibility

Black Hawks Scouting works in your browser and runs anywhere, no matter if you're scouting on a tablet or testing on a computer.

No download is required on any of your scouting devices! Once you visit the app on a device, you can bookmark it or save it to your home screen. It'll continue to work, even offline.

There are no restrictions on what you can use to analyze your data - Black Hawks Scouting exports in a standard format called Comma-Separated Values (CSV). Your team has the option to use anything from custom Python scripts to professional-grade tools like Tableau and Excel.

Ease of Use

Even with its advanced features, Black Hawks Scouting is designed to be approachable by your team's scouters. You can easily navigate within scouting forms with a navigation menu at the bottom of each form.

Black Hawks Scouting also provides a built-in Data Inspector allowing you to view and manage your scouted data, before you download them.

Offline Usage

With internet often being unreliable at competitions, Black Hawks Scouting has the capability to work fully offline by making use of special browser features. Once you load it with an internet connection, it remains available on your device with the same URL, even without an internet connection or download.

Tip: You can use The Blue Alliance data offline too! Once you load match information online from a form's Team Selection page, Black Hawks Scouting caches it in local storage. On subsequent scouting sessions, you can leave the Event Key field blank and press the Load button to use the cached data. This is faster than an online load and doesn't require internet.

Security

Black Hawks Scouting uses standard obfuscation techniques to isolate your TBA key from the app's source code. This makes it harder for users to access your key, but because the app runs entirely in the user's browser, it cannot completely hide the key.

The app also supports the security features of your browser, working even with HTTPS, tracking protection, and cookie blocking.

System Requirements

Black Hawks Scouting can work on Windows, macOS, and Linux. In addition, mobile devices with Android and iOS are also supported. The following browser versions are recommended:

• Google Chrome 100+
• Microsoft Edge 100+
• Mozilla Firefox 100+
• Apple Safari 15.5+

Open Source

License

Licensed under the MIT License, see the license document for the full license terms.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome and encouraged! Please feel free to open issues for problems you encounter or feature requests you come up with. If you would like to contribute code, please open a pull request and describe your changes and reasoning for them. Thank you in advance for your help!

Credits

This program uses modified images from https://www.chiefdelphi.com/t/2024-crescendo-top-down-field-renders/447764.