Revamp-IT

Technology deserves a second life. So does the right to use it.

Mission

RevampIT is a Swiss nonprofit enabling the free exchange of technology on a nonprofit basis. We redistribute computers, hardware, and software while promoting open-source as the ideal form of human collaboration. Based in Zurich, everything we build serves that mission -- including this codebase.

Architecture

Why a Custom CMS

We built a lightweight CMS instead of adopting Strapi. The reasoning:

• Complete control over features and TypeScript integration -- no fighting the framework
• Lighter footprint -- simpler deployment, lower resource usage
• No complexity tax -- Strapi's setup conflicts and over-engineering weren't worth it

The CMS runs as an Express.js backend (port 3001) with JWT authentication, role-based access control (Admin / Editor / Viewer), and a RESTful API.

TABLE_NAMES as Single Source of Truth

src/config/database.ts defines 165 table name constants. Every database query references TABLE_NAMES -- never a hardcoded string. The constants are organized into logical groups:

User & Auth | Inventory | Messaging | Services | Workshops | Locations
Applications | Payments | Reviews | Documents | IT-Hilfe | HIRN AI
Staff | Tasks | Content | Activity Stream | Meeting Protocols
P2P Marketplace | Organizational Numbers

Related SSOT exports live alongside: APPOINTMENT_ROLES, REVIEW_TARGET_TYPES, CONVERSATION_TYPES, SERVICE_CATEGORIES, FEATURED_SERVICE_SLUGS.

Adding a new domain means adding constants to one file. If a table name is wrong, it's wrong in one place.

Permission System

Three tiers, zero ambiguity:

Users  -->  Staff (@revamp-it.ch email)  -->  Super Admins (hardcoded list)

• is_staff boolean + staff_permissions text array on the users table
• Staff detection by email domain; super admins by explicit list
• Sensitive sections require permission checks -- no implicit trust

Content Approval Flow

draft --> pending --> approved / rejected

Stored in user_content_submissions. Nothing goes live without review.

HIRN AI

In-house AI knowledge management system with an action cockpit and executor. Handles organizational intelligence -- not a chatbot wrapper.

Development Standards

These are enforced, not suggested:

• Logger -- import { logger } from '@/lib/logger'. Never console.log.
• TABLE_NAMES -- never hardcoded table strings. Import from src/config/database.ts.
• Parameterized queries -- never string concatenation. No exceptions.
• Swiss German -- user-facing text uses ss (not ß), proper ä/ö/ü (never ae/oe/ue). npm run lint:umlauts catches violations.

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Frontend	Next.js 16, React 18, TypeScript 5, Tailwind 3
CMS	Express.js, JWT, RBAC
Database	PostgreSQL (Neon), Redis, Meilisearch
Payments	Stripe
Email	Nodemailer (Listmonk / Brevo)
AI	HIRN (in-house), OpenAI
Maps	Leaflet
Testing	Jest (312 tests), Playwright (E2E)
CI/CD	GitHub Actions, Vercel

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• PostgreSQL (or a Neon account)
• Redis

Setup

git clone https://github.com/revamp-it/revampit.git
cd revampit
cp .env.example .env.local    # fill in your database URL, Stripe keys, etc.
npm install
npm run db:migrate
npm run dev                    # Next.js on :3000, CMS on :3001

Environment Variables

At minimum, configure:

• DATABASE_URL -- PostgreSQL connection string
• REDIS_URL -- Redis connection string
• STRIPE_SECRET_KEY / STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET
• JWT_SECRET

See .env.example for the full list.

Testing

312 tests across 24 suites.

Category	Coverage
API routes	Notifications, admin, IT-Hilfe
Business logic	Protocols, payments, currency, tax compliance, HIRN AI
Auth	Password handling, permissions, rate limiter
Data processing	Bulk extraction, file parsing, CSV export/import
Validation	Schema tests
E2E (Playwright)	Auth smoke, marketplace, IT-Hilfe, security

npm test              # run all Jest tests
npm run test:e2e      # run Playwright E2E suite

CI Pipeline

Defined in .github/workflows/ci.yml:

1. Code Quality -- ESLint + TypeScript type check + Next.js build
2. Auth Smoke Test -- Playwright, runs conditionally
3. Unit Tests -- Jest, PR only

Vercel handles production deployment on merge to main.

Project Structure

src/
  app/              # Next.js pages and API routes
  components/       # React components (UI only, no business logic)
  config/
    database.ts     # TABLE_NAMES SSOT (165 constants)
  lib/
    auth/           # JWT, permissions, staff detection
    domain/         # Business logic (no HTTP, no UI)
    email/          # Templates and delivery
    logger.ts       # Structured logging
  hooks/            # Data fetching, state management
scripts/
  db/migrations/    # Sequential SQL migrations
tests/              # Jest test suites
e2e/                # Playwright E2E tests
cms/                # Express.js CMS backend

Contributing

1. Fork and create a feature branch
2. Follow the development standards (TABLE_NAMES, logger, parameterized queries, Swiss German rules)
3. Run npm test and npm run lint:umlauts before pushing
4. Open a PR against main -- CI will validate code quality and tests

License

MIT

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Revamp-IT -- Birmensdorferstrasse 379, 8055 Zürich -- revamp-it.ch