🌐 Relier – Social Media Website

Relier is a full-stack social media application built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js). It includes real-time chat functionality via Socket.io, responsive UI with Material UI, and secure authentication using RESTful APIs. Users can register, log in, post content, view profiles, and message others privately — just like a real social platform! 💬🚀

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🚀 Deployment

🔗 Live site coming soon... Stay tuned!

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📸 Screenshots

Feature	Preview
🏠 Home Page
➕ New Post
👤 Profile Page
🔐 Login Page
📝 Register Page
💬 Messenger
💭 Chats

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⚙️ Prerequisites

• ✅ Install Node.js
• ✅ Install Postman to test APIs and seed the database
• ✅ Ensure MongoDB is accessible (via MongoDB Atlas or local setup)

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🔧 Setup Instructions

1. Environment Setup

api/.env

MONGO_URL=mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@cluster0.nb0sm.mongodb.net/<database-name>?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Replace <username>, <password>, and <database-name> accordingly. Make sure options are URL encoded.

client/.env

REACT_APP_PUBLIC_FOLDER=http://localhost:8800/images/

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2. Install Dependencies

In each folder (api, client, and socket), run:

npm install

or

yarn install

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3. Start the App

Open three terminals (or use a process manager like concurrently) and run the following in each:

API Server

cd api
yarn start

Client (Frontend)

cd client
yarn start

WebSocket Server

cd socket
yarn start

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4. Seed Initial Data (Optional)

• Open Postman
• Import the social.postman_collection.json file
• Use the provided endpoints to register users, create initial posts, etc.

Make sure your backend server is running while using Postman.

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🧠 Features at a Glance

✨ Detailed synopsis coming soon... But here’s a quick teaser:

• 🛡️ Auth: Register/Login via secure REST API
• 📝 CRUD: Create/Edit/Delete posts
• 💬 Realtime chat via Socket.io
• 📸 Upload and serve media using Multer
• 👤 View other users' profiles
• ❤️ Like posts and interact with others
• 📱 Responsive design with Material UI

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📚 References & Tech Stack

• Node.js → nodejs.org
• React.js → reactjs.org
• React Router → reactrouter.com
• Express → expressjs.com
• MongoDB → mongodb.com
• Material UI → mui.com
• Socket.io → socket.io/docs
• Multer (File Uploads) → GitHub
• timeago.js → GitHub