Overview

BrainBridge is a comprehensive job matching platform designed to connect neurodivergent professionals with inclusive employers. The platform features AI-powered job matching, user profile management, certification systems, and comprehensive dashboards for different user types (ND Adults, Employers, Admins). Built as a full-stack application with React frontend and Python/FastAPI backend, it emphasizes accessibility, user experience, and meaningful employment connections.

Recent Changes

Modular Self-Discovery Assessment System Completed (August 20, 2025)

• ✓ Implemented 6 modular assessment components for separate cognitive categories
• ✓ Built reusable QuestionForm and AssessmentCard components to eliminate code duplication
• ✓ Created comprehensive question sets for each of 12 Cognitive Demand Categories (CDC)
• ✓ Established clean architecture with proper separation of concerns
• ✓ Assessment system fully functional with scenario-based questions avoiding clinical language

Backend Migration to FastAPI Completed (August 19, 2025)

• ✓ Successfully migrated backend from Node.js/Express to Python/FastAPI
• ✓ FastAPI server running on port 5000 with authentication endpoints
• ✓ SQLAlchemy ORM with PostgreSQL database integration
• ✓ JWT-based authentication system implemented
• ✓ All API routes structured for scalable development

User Preferences

Preferred communication style: Simple, everyday language. UI Preference: Single unified forms instead of tabbed interfaces for better user experience. Code Organization: Prefer separate CSS files for components to eliminate repetition and improve maintainability.

System Architecture

Frontend Architecture

• Framework: React 18 with TypeScript using Vite as the build tool
• Styling: Tailwind CSS with shadcn/ui component library for consistent design system, organized with component-specific CSS files to eliminate repetition
• CSS Organization: Separate CSS files for components (header.css, stats-card.css, etc.) and pages (dashboard-common.css, profile-management.css) to improve maintainability
• State Management: TanStack Query (React Query) for server state management and caching
• Routing: Wouter for lightweight client-side routing
• Forms: React Hook Form with Zod validation for type-safe form handling
• UI Components: Radix UI primitives wrapped with shadcn/ui for accessibility and consistency

Backend Architecture

• Runtime: Python 3.11 with FastAPI framework
• Language: Python with Pydantic for data validation
• Database ORM: SQLAlchemy with PostgreSQL
• Authentication: JWT-based authentication with passlib
• Session Management: Stateless JWT tokens
• File Uploads: FastAPI multipart support with planned Google Cloud Storage integration

Database Design

• Database: PostgreSQL (via Neon serverless)
• Schema Management: SQLAlchemy models with automatic table creation
• Key Tables:
  • Users with role-based access (ND_Adult, Employer, Admin, Manager)
  • Profiles for neurodivergent adults with traits and strengths
  • Job postings with employment type and requirements
  • Job matching system with AI-powered reasoning
  • Support relationships and audit logging
• Enums: Strongly typed enums for user roles, employment types, experience levels, and availability status

Authentication & Authorization

• Provider: Replit OpenID Connect integration
• Session Storage: PostgreSQL-backed sessions with configurable TTL
• Role-Based Access: Multi-role system with route-level protection
• Security: HTTP-only cookies, secure sessions, CSRF protection

File Storage & Media

• Provider: Google Cloud Storage for profile images and documents
• Upload Interface: Uppy dashboard for drag-drop file uploads
• Integration: Direct cloud storage with signed URLs for secure access

API Architecture

• Design: RESTful API with consistent error handling
• Validation: Zod schemas for request/response validation
• Error Handling: Centralized error middleware with structured responses
• Logging: Request/response logging with performance metrics

Development Environment

• Hot Reload: Vite HMR for frontend, tsx watch mode for backend
• Type Safety: Full TypeScript coverage with strict configuration
• Path Aliases: Configured aliases for clean imports (@/, @shared/, @assets/)
• Development Tools: Replit-specific plugins for cartographer and error overlays

Deployment Architecture

• Build Process: Vite for frontend bundling, esbuild for backend compilation
• Static Assets: Served from dist/public directory
• Environment: Production-ready with environment variable configuration
• Database: Neon PostgreSQL with connection pooling

External Dependencies

Core Infrastructure

• Database: Neon PostgreSQL serverless database
• Authentication: Replit OpenID Connect provider
• File Storage: Google Cloud Storage for media and documents
• WebSocket: WebSocket support for real-time features

Key Libraries

• Frontend: React, TanStack Query, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, Wouter, React Hook Form, Zod
• Backend: FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Pydantic, JWT authentication, Uvicorn
• File Handling: Uppy with AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage adapters
• UI Components: Radix UI primitives for accessibility
• Development: Vite, TypeScript, tsx, esbuild

Third-Party Services

• Session Storage: connect-pg-simple for PostgreSQL session store
• Validation: Zod for schema validation across frontend and backend
• Icons: Lucide React for consistent iconography
• Fonts: Google Fonts integration (Inter, DM Sans, Fira Code, Geist Mono)