Connectly - Social Media App

Connectly is a full-stack social media application built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) with JWT authentication and Redux Toolkit for state management.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure user registration and login with JWT authentication.
• Create Posts: Users can create, edit, and delete posts.
• Like and Comment: Users can like and comment on posts.
• User Profiles: View and edit user profiles with avatar images.
• Follow and Unfollow: Users can follow and unfollow other users.
• Feed: See a feed of posts from followed users.
• Notifications: Receive real-time notifications for likes and comments.
• Search Users: Find and connect with other users.
• Responsive Design: The app is optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.

Technologies Used

• Frontend:

  • React
  • Redux Toolkit for state management
  • Axios for HTTP requests
  • Material-UI for UI components

• Backend:

  • Node.js
  • Express.js
  • MongoDB and Mongoose for database
  • JWT for authentication

Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/connectly.git
   cd connectly

2. Install Dependencies:

   # Install server dependencies
   cd server && npm install
   
   # Install client dependencies
   cd ../client && npm install

3. Set Environment Variables:

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

   MONGO_URI=your_mongo_db_uri
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   

4. Start the Development Server:

   In separate terminals, run:

   # Start server
   cd server && npm start
   
   # Start client
   cd client && npm start

5. Open in Browser:

   Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000 to view the app.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please fork this repository and create a pull request with your changes. Make sure to follow the Contributing Guidelines.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Remember to provide clear instructions for contributors and adhere to licensing terms.