Overview

AlbertPlus is designed as a modern, scalable, and maintainable platform. It leverages a monorepo architecture, a serverless backend, and a suite of specialized applications to deliver a comprehensive user experience. This section provides a high-level overview of the key architectural components.

Core Modules

The AlbertPlus ecosystem is composed of several distinct yet interconnected applications and services:

• Web Application: A feature-rich Next.js application that serves as the primary user interface for course planning and schedule building.
• Browser Extension: A Chrome extension built with Plasmo that integrates with the native Albert website, providing a seamless user experience.
• Web Scraper: A Cloudflare Worker that scrapes course data from NYU’s public-facing systems, including:
  • Manual Scraping: Admin-triggered scraping of static course catalog and program data from NYU bulletins
  • Automated Scraping: Scheduled cronjob that scrapes real-time course offerings (sections, availability, schedules) from Albert public search
• Serverless Backend: A Convex-powered backend that provides a real-time database, serverless functions, and authentication services.
• Documentation Site: An Astro and Starlight-based website that you are currently viewing, which serves as the central hub for all project documentation.

Architectural Principles

• Modularity: The monorepo structure allows for clear separation of concerns, with each application and package having a distinct responsibility.
• Scalability: The use of serverless technologies like Convex and Cloudflare Workers ensures that the platform can handle a growing number of users and data without the need for manual infrastructure management.
• Developer Experience: The project prioritizes a smooth developer experience through the use of modern tools like Turborepo, Bun, Nix, and Doppler.