Lab 2 – Donor CRM

Lab 2 Deliverable Overview

• Lab 2: API Flow Diagram + Notes
• Lab 2.1: JSON / Database logic + Explanation
• Lab 2.2: 3 API Endpoint Designs with User Stories

Lab 2: API Flow Diagram (Excalidraw)

Steps to describe diagram

1. Client Request:
   • The user clicks a button in the donorConnect web app (e.g., "View Recent Donors").
   • The frontend sends an HTTP GET request to the server endpoint /api/donors/recent.
   • Note: This request carries no sensitive data and expects a JSON response.
2. Server Processing:
   • The server receives the request and queries the database for donor records.
   • Server-side logic filters or sorts donors as needed (e.g., by last donation date).
   • Middleware may handle authentication, logging, or error checking.
3. Database Interaction:
   • The server sends a SQL/ORM query to the database (e.g., SELECT * FROM donors ORDER BY lastDonation DESC LIMIT 10).
   • Database returns JSON objects representing donor records.
   • Server may transform or sanitize the data before sending it back.
4. Client Response:
   • Server responds with a JSON array of donor objects.
   • Frontend receives the data and populates a table or chart.
   • The user sees the updated UI with recent donors displayed.

Lab 2.1: Database / JSON Logic

Sample JSON from /api/donors/recent:

[
  {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane@mail.com",
    "amountLastYear": 150,
    "lastContactDate": "2025-11-01"
  },
  {
    "id": 2,
    "name": "John Smith",
    "email": "john@mail.com",
    "amountLastYear": 200,
    "lastContactDate": "2025-10-15"
  }
]

Explanation (200+ words):

Each donor has basic information like id, name, and email, along with donation details such as amountLastYear and lastContactDate. When the app needs to show recent donors, it asks the database for all donors and organizes them by who was contacted most recently. The server then converts each database entry into a simple JSON format that the app can understand. This approach lets the app display donor information dynamically without having any data permanently written into the code. The id field is a unique number for each donor, which ensures the system can correctly update records or send emails to the right person. The lastContactDate field helps staff members know who needs to be contacted soon, while amountLastYear quickly shows how much each person donated. By using JSON to organize and send data, the system keeps different parts separate: the app handles what users see, the server manages getting and processing data, and the database stores all the records safely. This organized structure makes the system easier to update and expand as the organization grows.

Database Query Logic Example:

• ORM/SQL: SELECT id, name, email, amountLastYear, lastContactDate FROM donors ORDER BY lastContactDate DESC LIMIT 10;