MMU Xplore Research Paper Tracker This guide details the steps to set up, configure, and run the MMU Xplore Research Paper Tracker project locally.

1. Clone the Repository Start by cloning the codebase to your local machine.

Bash git clone cd 2. Create & Activate Virtual Environment It is recommended to use a virtual environment to manage dependencies isolated from your system Python.

Bash

Create the virtual environment

python -m venv .venv

Activate the virtual environment

On Windows:

source .venv/Scripts/activate

3. Install Dependencies Install the required Python packages listed in the requirements file.

Bash pip install -r requirements.txt 4. Database Setup Before running the server, you must apply the database migrations. Bash

Apply migrations to set up the database schema

python manage.py migrate

Note: If you have made changes to the models.py files, run python manage.py makemigrations before running migrate.

5. Run the Server Ensure you are in the directory containing manage.py and start the development server.

Bash python manage.py runserver You can now access the project at http://127.0.0.1:8000/.