Memory Garden 🌱

A therapeutic web application that combines journaling with AI-powered emotional coaching. Users can express their thoughts and feelings through a beautiful, plant-themed interface while receiving supportive guidance from an AI coach.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure signup and login system
• AI-Powered Coaching: Get supportive responses from an AI coach based on your mood and messages
• Session Summaries: Automatic conversation summaries saved to your personal garden
• Beautiful UI: Plant-themed interface with calming colors and animations
• Mood Tracking: Express and track your emotional state
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices

Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js with Express.js
• MongoDB with Mongoose
• JWT for authentication
• OpenAI API for AI coaching
• bcrypt for password hashing
• CORS enabled for cross-origin requests

Frontend

• Vanilla JavaScript (no frameworks)
• HTML5 with semantic markup
• CSS3 with modern styling
• Local Storage for session management

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v16 or higher) - Download here
• MongoDB - Either:
  • MongoDB Atlas (cloud) - Sign up here
  • MongoDB Community Server (local) - Download here
• Git - Download here

Installation & Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd HackMidwest

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory:

cp .env.example .env

Edit the .env file with your configuration:

# Server Configuration
PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/memory-garden?retryWrites=true&w=majority

# Authentication
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-here

# OpenAI Configuration
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-openai-api-key-here

# CORS Configuration (for development)
CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5500,http://127.0.0.1:5500

4. Get Required API Keys

OpenAI API Key

1. Go to OpenAI Platform
2. Sign up or log in to your account
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy the key and paste it in your .env file

MongoDB Database

Option A: MongoDB Atlas (Recommended)

1. Go to MongoDB Atlas
2. Create a free account
3. Create a new cluster
4. Get your connection string and update MONGODB_URI in .env

Option B: Local MongoDB

1. Install MongoDB Community Server
2. Start MongoDB service
3. Use MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/memory-garden

5. Start the Application

Start Backend Server

npm run dev

The backend will start on http://localhost:5000

Start Frontend Server

You can use any static file server. Here are a few options:

Option A: Live Server (VS Code Extension)

1. Install "Live Server" extension in VS Code
2. Right-click on index.html and select "Open with Live Server"

Option B: Python HTTP Server

# Python 3
python -m http.server 5500

# Python 2
python -m SimpleHTTPServer 5500

Option C: Node.js HTTP Server

npx http-server -p 5500

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:5500

Usage

1. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5500
2. Create an account or login with existing credentials
3. Start journaling by clicking on the confession page
4. Express your feelings and get AI-powered coaching responses
5. View your session summaries in your personal garden

Project Structure

HackMidwest/
├── src/                    # Backend source code
│   ├── app.js             # Express app configuration
│   ├── server.js          # Server entry point
│   ├── db.js              # Database connection
│   ├── models/            # Database models
│   │   ├── User.js        # User model
│   │   ├── entry.js       # Entry model
│   │   └── summary.model.js
│   ├── routes/            # API routes
│   │   ├── auth.routes.js # Authentication routes
│   │   └── ai.routes.js   # AI coaching routes
│   └── middleware/        # Custom middleware
│       └── auth.js        # Auth middleware
├── public/                # Frontend files
│   ├── index.html         # Login/Signup page
│   ├── home.html          # Main dashboard
│   ├── confession.html    # Journaling interface
│   ├── mood_progression.html
│   ├── app.js             # Frontend JavaScript
│   ├── home.js            # Home page logic
│   └── styles.css         # Styling
├── .env                   # Environment variables
├── .env.example           # Environment template
├── package.json           # Dependencies
└── README.md              # This file

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /auth/signup - Create new user account
• POST /auth/login - User login
• GET /auth/me - Get current user info

AI Coaching

• POST /ai/coach - Get AI coaching response
• POST /ai/summarize - Generate session summary

Health Check

• GET /health - Server health status

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "AI Service error" or 500 errors

• Check OpenAI API key: Ensure it's valid and has credits
• Check console logs: Look for specific error messages
• Verify API key format: Should start with sk-

2. CORS errors

• Check CORS_ORIGIN: Ensure your frontend URL is included
• Verify port numbers: Make sure frontend and backend ports match
• Check browser console: Look for CORS error messages

3. Database connection issues

• Check MongoDB URI: Ensure connection string is correct
• Verify network access: For Atlas, check IP whitelist
• Check credentials: Ensure username/password are correct

4. Authentication issues

• Check JWT_SECRET: Ensure it's set and consistent
• Clear browser storage: Clear localStorage if having login issues
• Check token expiration: Tokens expire after 7 days

5. Port conflicts

• Check if port 5000 is in use: lsof -ti:5000
• Kill existing processes: kill -9 $(lsof -ti:5000)
• Change port: Update PORT in .env file

Debug Mode

To enable debug logging:

NODE_ENV=development npm run dev

Reset Database

To clear all data:

# Connect to MongoDB and drop database
mongo
use memory-garden
db.dropDatabase()

Development

Adding New Features

1. Backend: Add routes in src/routes/
2. Frontend: Add pages and update app.js
3. Database: Create models in src/models/

Code Style

• Use ES6+ features
• Follow async/await pattern
• Add error handling to all routes
• Use meaningful variable names

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name
3. Commit changes: git commit -m 'Add feature'
4. Push to branch: git push origin feature-name
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the ISC License.

Support

If you encounter any issues:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Look at the console logs for error messages
3. Verify all environment variables are set correctly
4. Ensure all dependencies are installed

Acknowledgments

• OpenAI for the AI coaching capabilities
• MongoDB for the database solution
• Express.js community for the web framework
• All contributors who helped build this project

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Happy Gardening! 🌱✨