LinkUp-GP

Table of Contents

• Project Overview
• Features
• Tech Stack
• Project Structure
• Backend Setup
• Frontend Setup
• API Endpoints
• Socket.IO Usage
• Authentication
• File Uploads
• Environment Variables
• Deployment Notes
• Contributing
• License

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Project Overview

LinkUp-GP is a real-time collaboration and messaging platform designed for teams and workspaces. It supports channels, direct messages, file sharing, reactions, and more, with a modern web interface and robust backend.

Features

• User authentication (JWT, cookies)
• Workspaces, channels, and direct conversations
• Real-time messaging with Socket.IO
• File uploads and sharing (Cloudinary integration)
• Message threads, reactions, and pinning
• User presence and status
• Search functionality
• Role-based access and workspace membership

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, Vite, Redux Toolkit, Axios, Socket.IO-client
• Backend: Node.js, Express, MongoDB (Mongoose), Socket.IO
• File Storage: Cloudinary
• Deployment: Vercel (frontend), [Use a WebSocket-friendly host for backend]

Project Structure

Backend/
  app.js, server.js, package.json, config.env
  config/           # Cloudinary and other configs
  controllers/      # Route controllers (auth, user, channel, etc.)
  middlewares/      # Express and custom middlewares
  models/           # Mongoose models
  public/           # Static files for testing
  routes/           # Express route definitions
  servers/          # Socket.IO server and handlers
  utils/            # Utility functions (JWT, error handling, etc.)
FrontEnd/
  src/
    App.jsx, main.jsx
    API/            # API services and hooks
    components/     # React components
    layouts/        # Layout components
    pages/          # Page components
    routes/         # Route definitions
    styles/         # CSS/SCSS
    utils/          # Frontend utilities
  public/           # Static assets
  vite.config.js, package.json

Backend Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   cd Backend
   npm install

2. Create a .env file (see Environment Variables).
3. Start the server:

   npm run dev

4. The backend runs on http://localhost:5000 by default.

Frontend Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   cd FrontEnd
   npm install

2. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

3. The frontend runs on http://localhost:3000 by default.

API Endpoints

• Auth: /api/v1/auth/register, /api/v1/auth/login, /api/v1/auth/logout
• User: /api/v1/users/me, /api/v1/users/, /api/v1/users/:id
• Workspace: /api/v1/workspaces/, /api/v1/workspaces/:id
• Channel: /api/v1/channels/, /api/v1/channels/:id
• Conversation: /api/v1/conversations/, /api/v1/conversations/:id
• Message: /api/v1/messages/, /api/v1/messages/:id
• File: /api/v1/files/, /api/v1/files/upload
• Reaction: /api/v1/reactions/, /api/v1/reactions/:id
• Search: /api/v1/search/

All protected routes require authentication via JWT (cookie or Authorization header).

Socket.IO Usage

• The backend exposes a Socket.IO server for real-time features.
• Connection example (frontend):

  import { io } from "socket.io-client";
  const socket = io("https://your-backend-domain.com", {
    withCredentials: true,
  });

• Events include: message, typing, presence, reaction, pin, etc.
• See servers/socketHandlers/ for all event handlers.

Authentication

• JWT tokens are issued on login and stored in HTTP-only cookies.
• Protected routes use the protect middleware to verify tokens.
• Token expiration and invalidation are handled with clear error messages.

File Uploads

• Files are uploaded via /api/v1/files/upload using multipart/form-data.
• Multer is used for handling uploads; files are stored on Cloudinary.
• The field name for file uploads must match the backend Multer config (e.g., file or files).

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the Backend/ directory with the following:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d
JWT_COOKIE_EXPIRES_IN=7
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
NODE_ENV=development
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

Deployment Notes

• Backend:
  • Do NOT deploy Socket.IO backend to Vercel. Use a host that supports WebSockets (Render, Railway, Fly.io, etc.).
  • Update CORS and allowed origins in servers/socketServer.js for production.
• Frontend:
  • Can be deployed to Vercel or Netlify.
  • Update API and Socket.IO URLs to point to your deployed backend.

Contributing

1. Fork the repo and create your branch.
2. Commit your changes with clear messages.
3. Open a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.