Proposal for building Landscaping App

steps.md

How It Works: High-Level Summary

The cost of building this app is approximately €4500. The cost of running the app with subscription services is €22/mo.

1. Authorize with Google APIs

Purpose: To grant the Node.js application access to Google Sheets and Google Docs for creating and managing documents.

Process:

• Use OAuth2 for authorization.
• Obtain and store access tokens for API access.

2. Use ChatGPT for Data Collection

Purpose: To collect client and task details interactively through a conversational interface.

Process:

• Interact with ChatGPT to input client details, task descriptions, quantities, and costs.
• Store the collected data in structured format (e.g., JSON).

3. Create Google Spreadsheet

Purpose: To store the task details in a structured format for easy reference and calculation.

Process:

• Use Google Sheets API to create a new spreadsheet.
• Populate the spreadsheet with task details including descriptions, quantities, and costs.

4. Create Google Docs Invoice

Purpose: To generate a professional-looking invoice document using a template.

Process:

• Use Google Docs API to copy a predefined invoice template.
• Replace placeholders in the template with actual client and task details.
• Calculate the total cost and include it in the invoice.

5. Generate PDF

Purpose: To create a PDF version of the invoice for easy sharing and record-keeping.

Process:

• Use Google Drive API to export the filled Google Doc to PDF format.
• Save the generated PDF for distribution.

6. Send Email with Invoice

Purpose: To deliver the generated invoice to the client via email.

Process:

• Use a Node.js email service (e.g., Nodemailer) to compose an email.
• Attach the generated PDF invoice to the email.
• Send the email to the client’s provided email address.

Hosting on Heroku

Purpose: To deploy and run the Node.js application in a cloud environment, ensuring it is accessible and can operate autonomously.

Process:

• Set up a Heroku account and create a new application.
• Deploy the Node.js codebase to Heroku using Git.
• Configure environment variables for API keys and credentials.
• Optionally, use Heroku Scheduler to automate the execution of the script at specific intervals or set up an HTTP endpoint to trigger the script.

Integration Flow

1. Client Interaction:
   • User speaks into ChatGPT to provide invoice details.
2. Data Processing:
   • ChatGPT collects and formats the data.
3. Google APIs:
   • Authorize with Google APIs.
   • Create and populate Google Spreadsheet.
   • Generate Google Docs invoice.
   • Convert invoice to PDF.
4. Email Dispatch:
   • Send the PDF invoice via email using Nodemailer.
5. Hosting:
   • Deploy the application on Heroku for continuous operation and accessibility.