README.md

# Recipe Assistant Bot


**Author:** RSK World (https://rskworld.in)
**Founder:** Molla Samser
**Designer & Tester:** Rima Khatun
**Contact:** help@rskworld.in, +91 93305 39277
**Year:** 2026

## 🍳 Description

Recipe Assistant Bot is an AI-powered cooking chatbot that provides recipe suggestions, ingredient substitutions, cooking tips, and meal planning assistance. Perfect for food apps and cooking platforms, this beginner-friendly project demonstrates the integration of Python web development with natural language processing.

## ✨ Features

- 🍽️ **Recipe Suggestions** - Get personalized recipe recommendations
- 🔄 **Ingredient Substitutions** - Find alternatives for missing ingredients
- 💡 **Cooking Tips** - Learn professional cooking techniques
- 📋 **Meal Planning** - Plan your meals efficiently
- 🥗 **Dietary Restrictions** - Support for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto, and more
- 🌐 **Web Interface** - Modern, responsive chat interface
- 📱 **Mobile Friendly** - Works on all devices

## 🛠️ Technologies Used

- **Backend:** Python 3.8+, Flask 2.3.3
- **Frontend:** HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap 5
- **APIs:** Recipe APIs, OpenAI API (optional)
- **Database:** SQLite (default), configurable for other databases
- **Additional:** Flask-CORS, Requests, Python-dotenv

## 📋 Requirements

- Python 3.8 or higher
- pip (Python package manager)
- Git (for cloning)

## 🚀 Installation

1. **Clone the repository:**
```bash
git clone <repository-url>
cd recipe-assistant-bot
```

2. **Create a virtual environment:**
```bash
python -m venv venv

# On Windows
venv\Scripts\activate

# On macOS/Linux
source venv/bin/activate
```

3. **Install dependencies:**
```bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

4. **Set up environment variables:**
```bash
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env file with your configuration
```

5. **Run the application:**
```bash
python run.py
```

6. **Open your browser and navigate to:**
```
http://127.0.0.1:5000
```

## 📁 Project Structure

```
recipe-assistant-bot/
├── app/
│ ├── __init__.py # Flask app factory
│ ├── routes.py # Application routes
│ └── chatbot.py # Core chatbot logic
├── static/
│ ├── css/
│ │ └── style.css # Custom styles
│ ├── js/
│ │ └── chat.js # Frontend JavaScript
│ └── images/ # Static images
├── templates/
│ └── index.html # Main HTML template
├── config.py # Configuration settings
├── run.py # Application runner
├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
├── .env.example # Environment variables example
└── README.md # This file
```

## 🔧 Configuration

### Environment Variables

Create a `.env` file based on `.env.example`:

```bash
# Flask Configuration
FLASK_APP=run.py
FLASK_ENV=development
SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key-here

# API Keys (Optional)
SPOONACULAR_API_KEY=your-spoonacular-api-key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key

# Server Configuration
HOST=127.0.0.1
PORT=5000
```

### Optional API Integration

For enhanced functionality, you can integrate with:

1. **Spoonacular API** (for real recipe data):
- Sign up at https://spoonacular.com/food-api
- Add your API key to `.env`

2. **OpenAI API** (for advanced AI responses):
- Sign up at https://openai.com/
- Add your API key to `.env`

## 📖 Usage

### Basic Chat

1. Open the web interface
2. Type your cooking-related question in the chat
3. Press Enter or click Send
4. Receive instant recipe suggestions, substitutions, or tips

### Example Queries

- "Give me a chicken recipe"
- "What can I substitute for eggs?"
- "Give me some baking tips"
- "Vegetarian pasta recipes"
- "How do I cook rice perfectly?"

### Quick Suggestions

Use the quick suggestion buttons for common queries:
- Chicken Recipe
- Egg Substitutes
- Baking Tips
- Vegetarian Options

## 🧪 Testing

Run the test suite:

```bash
# Install test dependencies
pip install pytest pytest-flask

# Run tests
pytest

# Run with coverage
pytest --cov=app
```

## 📚 API Endpoints

### Chat API
- **POST** `/api/chat` - Send message to chatbot
- **GET** `/api/recipes` - Get recipe suggestions
- **POST** `/api/substitutions` - Get ingredient substitutions
- **GET** `/api/tips` - Get cooking tips

### Request Examples

```javascript
// Chat endpoint
POST /api/chat
{
"message": "Give me a chicken recipe"
}

// Substitutions endpoint
POST /api/substitutions
{
"ingredient": "eggs"
}
```

## 🔒 Security Features

- CORS protection
- Input validation and sanitization
- Rate limiting (configurable)
- Secure session handling
- Environment variable configuration

## 🌟 Customization

### Adding New Recipes

Edit `app/chatbot.py` and add recipes to the `_load_recipes()` method:

```python
{
'name': 'Your Recipe Name',
'ingredients': ['ingredient1', 'ingredient2'],
'instructions': 'Step-by-step instructions',
'prep_time': '30 minutes',
'difficulty': 'easy',
'dietary': ['vegetarian']
}
```

### Adding New Substitutions

Edit the `_load_substitutions()` method:

```python
'your_ingredient': ['substitution1', 'substitution2', 'substitution3']
```

## 🚀 Deployment

### Production Deployment

1. **Set production environment:**
```bash
export FLASK_ENV=production
export FLASK_CONFIG=production
```

2. **Use a production server:**
```bash
gunicorn -w 4 -b 0.0.0.0:5000 run:app
```

3. **Set up reverse proxy (nginx recommended)**

### Docker Deployment

```dockerfile
FROM python:3.9-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
COPY . .
EXPOSE 5000
CMD ["gunicorn", "-w", "4", "-b", "0.0.0.0:5000", "run:app"]
```

## 🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`)
3. Commit your changes (`git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'`)
4. Push to the branch (`git push origin feature/amazing-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request

## 📄 License

This project is created for educational purposes by RSK World. Content used for educational purposes only.

## 📞 Support

- **Website:** https://rskworld.in
- **Email:** help@rskworld.in
- **Phone:** +91 93305 39277
- **Address:** Nutanhat, Mongolkote, Purba Burdwan, West Bengal, India - 713147

## 🙏 Acknowledgments

- **Founder:** Molla Samser
- **Designer & Tester:** Rima Khatun
- **RSK World** - Free Programming Resources & Source Code

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**© 2026 RSK World. All rights reserved.**
*Educational Purpose Project*