Social Media App API

A RESTful API for a social media platform with features like user authentication, post management, comments, protected routes, and real-time notifications using Socket.io.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Running the Application
• Project Structure
• Environment Variables
• API Endpoints
  • Authentication
  • Posts
  • Protected Routes
• Running Real-Time Chat
• Running the Deployed Link
  • Using Real-Time Chat
  • API Calls Using Postman
    • Authentication
    • Post Management
    • Comments
    • Protected Routes
    • Error Responses
• License

Features

• User Authentication: Secure JWT-based authentication.
• Post Management: Create, view, and manage posts.
• Comments: Add comments to posts with real-time notifications.
• Protected Routes: Access restricted resources securely.
• Real-time Chat: WebSocket-powered messaging and notifications.
• Frontend Integration: Serves static frontend files.

Technologies Used

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB (with Mongoose)
• Authentication: JSON Web Tokens (JWT), bcrypt
• Real-time: Socket.io
• Frontend: Static files served from /client
• Deployment: Deployed on AWS (access using the link https://www.chattydaadi.fun)

Running Locally

Prerequisites

• Node.js installed on your system.
• MongoDB Atlas or a locally installed MongoDB instance.
• A .env file with the necessary environment variables (see Environment Variables).

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/social-media-app-api.git
   cd social-media-app-api

2. Install dependencies:

   npm start

3. Set up environment variables (see Environment Variables).

Running the Application

1. Start the server

   npm start

2. Access the API at http://localhost:5000

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory and include the following:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your-mongodb-uri
JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret

Replace your-mongodb-uri and your-jwt-secret with your MongoDB connection string and a secret key for JWTs.

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/signup
  • Description: Register a new user.
  • Body:

  {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "johndoe@example.com",
    "password": "password123"
  }

• POST /api/auth/login
  • Description: Log in an existing user.
  • Body:

  {
    "email": "johndoe@example.com",
    "password": "password123"
  }

Posts

• GET /api/posts
  • Description: Get a list of all posts.
• POST /api/posts
  • Description: Create a new post (authenticated).
  • Headers:

  {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
  }

  • Body:

  {
    "text": "This is a new post",
    "mediaUrl": "http://example.com/image.jpg"
  }

• POST /api/comments
  • Description: Add a comment to a post (authenticated).
  • Headers:

  {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
  }

  • Body:

  {
    "text": "Great post!",
    "postId": "<post-id>"
  }

Protected Routes

• GET /api/protected
  • Description: Access protected route (authenticated).
  • Headers:

  {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
  }

Running Real-Time Chat Locally

1. Start the server
   Ensure the server is running using the command:

   npm start

2. Connect the client(s) using the Frontend:
   Use a simple HTTP server to serve the client folder.:

   npx serve

   Or use the Live Server extension in VS Code.

3. Open in Browser:

   • Navigate to http://localhost:5000 (or your hosting URL).
   • Use multiple clients (e.g., browser tabs or tools like Postman with a WebSocket add-on).

Running the deployed link

Using Real-Time Chat

1. Prerequisites:

   • Browser with multiple tabs/windows.

2. Steps to Test Real-Time Chat:

   1. Open Multiple Clients
      • Open two or more browser tabs/windows and navigate to https://www.chattydaadi.fun
   2. Navigate to the Chat Section.
   3. Send Messages:
      • In one browser tab, type a message in the chat interface and send it.
      • Check that the message appears instantly in all open tabs or browser windows.
   4. Test Notifications:
      • Ensure real-time notifications are displayed when comments are made on the post (through API testing softwares like Postman).
   5. Simulate Multi-User Interaction:
      • Open a third browser or session to simulate a new user joining the chat.
      • Send messages from all active clients and verify they sync in real time.

API Calls Using Postman

Authentication

1. Register a New User
   • Endpoint: POST https://www.chattydaadi.fun/api/auth/signup
   • Body (JSON):

     {
        "name": "Name Surname",
        "email": "name@example.com",
        "password": "password123"
     }
     

• Description: Registers a new user.

2. Log In an Existing User
   • Endpoint: POST https://www.chattydaadi.fun/api/auth/login
   • Body (JSON):

     {
        "email": "name@example.com",
        "password": "password123"
     }
     

• Description: Authenticates a user and returns a token.

Post Management

1. Get All Posts

   • Endpoint: GET https://www.chattydaadi.fun/api/posts
   • Description: Fetches all posts.

2. Create a New Post

   • Endpoint: POST https://www.chattydaadi.fun/api/posts
   • Headers:

     {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
     }

   • Body (JSON):

     {
        "text": "This is a new post",
        "mediaUrl": "http://example.com/image.jpg"
     }
     

• Description: Creates a new post (requires authentication).

Comments

1. Add a Comment
   • Endpoint: POST https://www.chattydaadi.fun/api/comments
   • Headers:

     {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
     }

   • Body (JSON):

     {
        "text": "Great post!",
        "postId": "<post-id>"
     }

   • Description: Adds a comment to a post (requires authentication).

Protected Routes

1. Access Protected Data
   • Endpoint: GET https://www.chattydaadi.fun/api/protected
   • Headers:

     {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <token>"
     }

   • Description: Fetches data from a protected route.

Error Responses

If you encounter any error:

• Ensure your Authorization header contains a valid JWT token.
• Verify the postId or mediaUrl values exist and are properly formatted.
• Check your environment variables on the server (for debugging authentication issues).

Licences

This project is licensed under the MIT License.