TechCollab - The All-in-One Platform for Events, Freelancers, and Communities

A comprehensive platform connecting talented freelancers with exciting projects, managing tech events, and building vibrant communities

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Tech Stack
• Quick Start
• Installation
• Environment Setup
• Usage
• AI Features
• API Documentation
• Deployment
• Theme System
• Contributing
• License

Features

Core Features

• Smart Marketplace: Browse and post freelance gigs with advanced filtering
• AI-Powered Search: Natural language search using Google Gemini AI
• Real-time Chat: Instant messaging between clients and freelancers
• Event Management: Create and discover tech events, workshops, and meetups
• Community Building: Connect with like-minded professionals and build networks
• User Profiles: Comprehensive profiles with skills, portfolios, and ratings
• Proposal System: Submit and manage project proposals

Advanced Features

• Dark/Light Theme: System-wide theme toggle with persistent preferences
• File Uploads: Cloudinary integration for images and documents
• Real-time Notifications: Live updates for messages, proposals, and events
• Google OAuth: Secure authentication with Google Sign-In
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first design that works on all devices
• Save Functionality: Bookmark gigs and events for later

AI Integration

• Smart Search: "I need a React developer under $500" → Automatically filters and sorts
• Auto-suggestions: AI-powered search suggestions as you type
• Query Interpretation: Explains how your search was processed
• Fallback System: Graceful degradation if AI services are unavailable

Tech Stack

Frontend

• Framework: React 18.2+ with TypeScript
• Build Tool: Vite 4.0+
• Styling: Tailwind CSS 3.0+
• UI Components: Custom component library with Radix UI primitives
• Icons: Lucide React
• Routing: React Router Dom 6.0+
• State Management: React Context API
• HTTP Client: Axios

Backend

• Runtime: Node.js 18.0+
• Framework: Express.js 4.18+
• Database: MongoDB 6.0+ with Mongoose ODM
• Authentication: JWT + Google OAuth 2.0
• File Storage: Cloudinary
• Real-time: Socket.IO
• AI Integration: Google Gemini API
• Validation: Express Validator

Development Tools

• Language: TypeScript 5.0+
• Code Quality: ESLint + Prettier
• Version Control: Git
• Package Manager: npm

Quick Start

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/techcollab.git
cd techcollab

# Install dependencies
npm run install:all

# Set up environment variables
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
cp project/.env.example project/.env

# Start development servers
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 to view the app and http://localhost:5000 for the API.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18.0 or higher
• npm 8.0 or higher
• MongoDB 6.0+ (local or Atlas)
• Git

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Clone the Repository

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

2. Install Backend Dependencies

   cd backend
   npm install

3. Install Frontend Dependencies

   cd ../project
   npm install

4. Build the Backend

   cd ../backend
   npm run build

Environment Setup

Backend Environment (.env)

Create backend/.env file:

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/techcollab
# Or use MongoDB Atlas: mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/techcollab

# JWT Secret (generate a secure random string)
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secure_jwt_secret_here

# Cloudinary Configuration (for file uploads)
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret

# AI Configuration
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_google_gemini_api_key

# Server Configuration
PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development

Frontend Environment (.env)

Create project/.env file:

# API Configuration
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

Getting API Keys

1. MongoDB Atlas (Free):

   • Sign up at MongoDB Atlas
   • Create cluster → Get connection string

2. Cloudinary (Free tier available):

   • Sign up at Cloudinary
   • Dashboard → Account Details → Copy credentials

3. Google Gemini API (Free tier available):

   • Visit Google AI Studio
   • Create API key

Usage

Development Mode

# Start backend server (Terminal 1)
cd backend
npm run dev

# Start frontend server (Terminal 2)  
cd project
npm run dev

Production Build

# Build backend
cd backend
npm run build

# Build frontend
cd project
npm run build

Key Features Guide

1. AI Search: Type natural language queries like "React developer under $300"
2. Create Gig: Post your services with detailed descriptions and pricing
3. Event Management: Create tech events and workshops
4. Community Building: Connect with professionals in your field
5. Real-time Chat: Communicate instantly with other users
6. Theme Toggle: Switch between light and dark modes
7. File Uploads: Add images to your gigs and profile

AI Features

Natural Language Search

User Input: "I need a mobile app developer under $500"
AI Processing: 
- Category: mobile
- Price: 0-500
- Sort: relevance
Result: Filtered gigs matching criteria

Smart Suggestions

• Auto-complete based on popular searches
• Context-aware recommendations
• Skill-based filtering

Search Examples

• "cheap web developer" → Web category, price low to high
• "experienced UI designer" → Design category, rating sorted
• "React expert urgent project" → Web category, newest first

API Documentation

Authentication Endpoints

POST /api/auth/register    - User registration
POST /api/auth/login       - User login
POST /api/auth/google      - Google OAuth login
GET  /api/auth/me          - Get current user

Marketplace Endpoints

GET    /api/gigs           - Get all gigs (with filters)
POST   /api/gigs           - Create new gig
GET    /api/gigs/:id       - Get gig by ID
PUT    /api/gigs/:id       - Update gig
DELETE /api/gigs/:id       - Delete gig

AI Search Endpoints

POST /api/ai/search        - AI-powered search
GET  /api/ai/suggestions   - Get search suggestions

Events Endpoints

GET    /api/events         - Get all events
POST   /api/events         - Create new event
GET    /api/events/:id     - Get event by ID
PUT    /api/events/:id     - Update event
DELETE /api/events/:id     - Delete event

Chat Endpoints

GET    /api/chat/conversations  - Get user conversations
POST   /api/chat/send          - Send message
GET    /api/chat/:id           - Get conversation

Deployment

Quick Deploy with Railway + Vercel

1. Deploy Backend to Railway

   cd backend
   npm install -g @railway/cli
   railway login
   railway project create techcollab-backend
   railway up

2. Deploy Frontend to Vercel

   cd project
   npm install -g vercel
   vercel login
   vercel --prod

3. Set Environment Variables

   • Railway: Set all backend env vars in dashboard
   • Vercel: Set VITE_API_URL to your Railway backend URL

Alternative Platforms

• Backend: Render, DigitalOcean, AWS, Heroku
• Frontend: Netlify, GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages
• Database: MongoDB Atlas (recommended)

Theme System

The app features a comprehensive dark/light theme system:

Theme Colors

/* Light Theme */
--background: #fafafa
--card-bg: #ffffff
--text: #1f2937

/* Dark Theme */  
--background: #232323
--card-bg: #171717
--text: #f9fafb
--accent: #219653

Theme Toggle

• Persistent theme preferences
• System preference detection
• Smooth transitions
• Component-level theme support

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

3. Make your changes
4. Commit your changes

   git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'

5. Push to the branch

   git push origin feature/amazing-feature

6. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Follow TypeScript best practices
• Use conventional commit messages
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation
• Ensure responsive design

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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