Skip to content

readme.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
166 lines (126 loc) · 7.02 KB

readme.md

File metadata and controls

166 lines (126 loc) · 7.02 KB
Raw

Zerely - Anonymous Emotional Venting Platform

Zerely Icon

Zerely is a safe, anonymous space where you can pour your heart out without fear of judgment. It is a full-stack web application designed to help users express their emotions, receive support from the community, and find relief through anonymous sharing.

"A problem shared is a problem halved."

🚀 Features

  • Anonymous Venting: Share your thoughts and feelings without revealing your identity.
  • Mood Tagging: Categorize your posts by mood (Happy, Sad, Angry, Anxious, etc.) to help others understand your state of mind.
  • Community Support: Receive supportive reactions (❤️) and comments from empathetic users.
  • Auto-Deletion: Optional self-destruct timer for posts (1h, 24h, etc.) for enhanced privacy.
  • Token System: Earn virtual tokens for engaging with the community (posting, commenting, reacting).
  • Safe Environment: Moderation tools to keep the community positive and supportive.
  • Responsive Design: Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile devices.

🛠️ Technology Stack

Frontend

Backend

  • Runtime: Node.js
  • Framework: Express.js 5
  • Database: MongoDB (with Mongoose 9)
  • Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
  • Security: Helmet, Express Rate Limit, Express Validator, BCryptJS
  • Scheduling: Node-cron (for auto-deleting posts)

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

  • Node.js: v18.0.0 or higher
  • npm (Node Package Manager)
  • MongoDB: A local instance or a cloud database (MongoDB Atlas)

🔧 Installation & Setup

Cloning the repository and setting up the project takes just a few minutes.

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/aravindanirudh/zerely-emotional-venting-website.git
cd zerely-emotional-venting-website

2. Backend Setup

Navigate to the backend directory, install dependencies, and configure environment variables.

cd backend
npm install

Create a .env file in the backend directory with the following variables:

PORT=5000
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/zerely  # Or your MongoDB Atlas URI
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_here
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:5173
NODE_ENV=development

Start the backend server:

npm run dev
# Server will start on http://localhost:5000

3. Frontend Setup

Open a new terminal, navigate to the frontend directory, and install dependencies.

cd frontend
npm install

Create a .env file in the frontend directory (optional if using defaults, but recommended):

VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

Start the frontend development server:

npm run dev
# Application will run on http://localhost:5173

📂 Project Structure

zerely-website/
├── backend/                 # Node.js/Express backend
│   ├── config/              # Database connection file
│   ├── controllers/         # Request logic - each controller processes incoming data, interacts with models, and sends responses back to the client
│   ├── middleware/          # Functions that execute between receiving a request and sending a response. Includes authentication checks (verifying JWT tokens), error handling, rate limiting to prevent abuse
│   ├── models/              # Mongoose schemas (User, Post, Comment) that define what fields each document can have and their validation rules
│   ├── routes/              # API Routes - Maps HTTP endpoints to controller functions. Defines API structure (like /api/users, /api/posts) and connects URLs to the appropriate controller logic
│   ├── utils/               # Helper functions such as token generation, password hashing helpers, or email validation functions
│   └── server.js            # Entry point that starts Express server, connects middleware, routes, and initializes the database connection
│
├── frontend/                # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/      # Reusable UI components
│   │   │   ├── comments/    # CommentCard, CommentSection components
│   │   │   ├── common/      # Navbar, ProtectedRoute components
│   │   │   ├── posts/       # MoodSelector, PostCard, PostList components
│   │   ├── context/         # React Context providers for global state management. Auth context manages user login state
│   │   ├── pages/           # Full page components representing different routes in website (Home, Login, Venting Wall...)
│   │   ├── services/        # API integration layer where Axios is set up and contains functions to make HTTP requests to the backend endpoints
│   │   ├── App.jsx          # Main App component
│   │   └── main.jsx         # Entry point that renders React app into the DOM and includes any global setup
│   └── index.html
│
└── Exhale_PRD.md            # Product Requirements Document

🔌 API Endpoints

Method Endpoint Description
Auth
POST /api/auth/register Register a new anonymous user
POST /api/auth/login Login user
GET /api/auth/me Get current user's profile
Posts
GET /api/posts Get all posts (paginated)
POST /api/posts Create a new post
GET /api/posts/:id Get a specific post
DELETE /api/posts/:id Delete own post
POST /api/posts/:id/react React to a post
Comments
GET /api/comments/post/:id Get comments for a post
POST /api/comments Add a comment

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you'd like to improve Zerely, please follow these steps:

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

📧 Contact