NodeSocial

Welcome to the NodeSocial repository! This project is a GraphQL-powered social media platform built with Node.js. It supports core social features such as user authentication, post creation, and post management — all handled through a clean API architecture with JWT-based security.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Tech Stack
• Architecture
• Installation

Features

• User Authentication

  • Sign up and login with secure credential handling.
  • JWT token generation upon login (valid for 1 hour).
  • Protected routes using token verification via request headers.

• Post Management

  • Create a post (title, content, image upload) — requires authentication.
  • Edit or delete your own posts — requires authentication.
  • View all posts across the platform (public access).

• GraphQL API

  • All interactions handled via GraphQL queries and mutations.
  • Modular resolver structure for scalability and separation of concerns.

Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• API Layer: GraphQL using express-graphql
• Authentication: JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose
• File Uploads: Multer for image uploads

Architecture

This project follows a modular, API-first architecture:

• GraphQL Schema: Defines types, queries, and mutations for users and posts.
• Resolvers: Handle business logic for each GraphQL operation.
• Authentication: JWT middleware used to protect and authorize sensitive operations.
• Database Layer: MongoDB collections defined via Mongoose models.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/mohamedzeina/NodeSocial.git
   cd NodeSocial

2. Install dependencies for both backend and frontend:

    cd backend
    npm install --legacy-peer-deps
   
    cd ../app
    npm install 

3. Set up your environment variables: In the backend/ folder, create a nodemon.json file and add the following:

    {
      "env": {
        "MONGODB_URI": "your-mongodb-uri",
        "JWT_SECRET": "your-jwt-secret-key"
      }
    }

4. Start the development servers: Open two terminal windows — one for the backend and one for the frontend.

   • In the first terminal:

   cd backend
   npm start

   • In the second terminal:

     cd app
     npm start

5. Access the app and GraphQL API:

   • Frontend App: http://localhost:3000
   • GraphQL Playground (Backend): http://localhost:8080/graphql