DevConnect

A modern web platform for college students to connect, collaborate, and showcase their projects.

Features

• User Authentication: JWT-based login/signup with college email validation
• Project Showcase: Upload and showcase projects with tech stacks and collaboration features
• Discussion Board: Community forum for tech discussions and collaboration invites
• Events Management: Admin-managed hackathons, workshops, and tech events
• User Profiles: Detailed profiles with skills, social links, and project portfolios
• Admin Dashboard: Complete moderation tools for managing content and users

Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js 13
• React 18
• Tailwind CSS (CDN)
• Axios for API calls
• JWT decode for token handling

Backend

• Node.js + Express.js
• MongoDB with Mongoose
• JWT for authentication
• bcryptjs for password hashing
• CORS enabled

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16+)
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• npm or yarn

Installation

1. Clone and setup backend:

   cd backend
   npm install
   cp .env.example .env  # Edit with your values
   npm run dev

2. Setup frontend:

   cd frontend
   npm install
   cp .env.local.example .env.local  # Edit with your values
   npm run dev

3. Environment Variables:

   • Update backend/.env with MongoDB URI and JWT secret
   • Update frontend/.env.local with API URLs

Project Structure

devconnect/
├── backend/
│   ├── models/          # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── routes/          # API endpoints
│   ├── controllers/     # Business logic
│   ├── middleware/      # Auth & validation
│   └── server.js        # Main server
├── frontend/
│   ├── pages/           # Next.js pages
│   ├── components/      # Reusable components
│   ├── contexts/        # React contexts
│   └── styles/          # Global styles
└── docs/                # Documentation

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• GET /api/auth/profile - Get profile
• PUT /api/auth/profile - Update profile

Projects

• GET /api/projects - List projects
• POST /api/projects - Create project
• GET /api/projects/:id - Get project details
• PUT /api/projects/:id - Update project
• DELETE /api/projects/:id - Delete project

Discussions & Events

• Similar CRUD operations for discussions and events
• Admin endpoints for moderation

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Support

For questions or issues, please create an issue in the repository.