FutureVerse

FutureVerse is a campus-connecting application built during an inter-college hackathon organized by Future Institute of Engineering and Management. It aims to provide a platform for students and departments to connect, share resources, and stay informed. Using FutureVerse, students can post about selling or buying academic materials like books, notes, organizers, and educational kits. It also serves as a hub for department notices, club announcements, and a lost-and-found section. The application is developed using the MERN stack.

Features

• Buy/Sell Academic Resources: Students can post listings to sell or buy used books, notes, organizers, educational kits, and more.
• Notices from Departments and Clubs: Departments and student clubs can post important updates and announcements.
• Lost and Found: Users can report lost or found items within the campus.
• Campus Feed: A common feed where students can post or engage with various campus-related activities and resources.
• User Authentication: Secure sign-up and login functionality using JWT (JSON Web Tokens).
• Interactive and User-friendly UI: A smooth and intuitive interface that enhances user experience.

Tech Stack

FutureVerse is developed using the MERN stack, consisting of the following technologies:

• MongoDB: NoSQL database for storing user posts, notices, and lost-found items.
• Express.js: Backend framework for building the RESTful API and managing routes.
• React.js: Frontend JavaScript library for building the user interface.
• Node.js: JavaScript runtime for the backend server.
• JWT (JSON Web Tokens): Used for user authentication and session management.

Installation and Setup

Follow these steps to set up the project on your local machine.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v14 or above)
• MongoDB
• Git

Steps to Set Up the Project

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/Explore13/Future_Verse.git
   cd Future_Verse

2. Install Dependencies

   Navigate to both the client and server directories to install dependencies.

   # For backend
   cd server
   npm install
   
   # For frontend
   cd ../client
   npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

   In the server directory, create a .env file and add the following variables:

   NODE_ENV=development
   PORT=4000
   DATABASE=<YOUR_MONGODB_URL>
   JWT_SECRET_KEY=<SET_YOUR_JWT_SECRET_KEY>

   • NODE_ENV: Set the environment to development or production.
   • PORT: The port where the backend server will run.
   • DATABASE: The remote MongoDB connection string for production.
   • JWT_SECRET_KEY: Secret key for JWT-based authentication.

4. Start the Application

   Open two terminal windows or tabs:

   • For running the backend server:

     cd server
     npm start

   • For running the frontend development server:

     cd client
     npm run dev

   The backend will run on http://localhost:4000 and the frontend will run on http://localhost:5173.

Project Structure

Future_Verse/
│
├── client/               # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/   # React components and Pages
│   │   ├── redux/        # Redux store and slices for state management
│   │   ├── utils/        # Utility functions and hooks
│   │   └── App.jsx       # Main app component
│   └── package.json      # Client dependencies
│
├── server/               # Node.js/Express backend
│   ├── models/           # Mongoose schemas and models
│   ├── routes/           # API routes
│   ├── controllers/      # Route controllers
│   ├── public/           # Folder to store static files
│   ├── app.js            # Express app setup and middleware configuration
│   └── server.js         # Entry point for running the server
│
├── README.md             # Project documentation
└── package.json          # Root project metadata and scripts

Usage

• Buy/Sell Items: Create a post by selecting the "Sell" option. Users can browse through the listings and contact sellers directly.
• Lost and Found: Use the "Lost/Found" section to post lost or found items, helping students retrieve their belongings.
• Notices: Departments and clubs can publish important notices or announcements, which will appear on the feed.
• Profile Management: Users can edit their profile and manage their posts under their dashboard.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve FutureVerse! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new feature branch (git checkout -b feature-name).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some feature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature-name).
5. Open a pull request.

License

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

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Future Institute of Engineering and Management for organizing the hackathon and providing a platform for building this project.

A special thanks to Shankar022 for guiding us throughout the development process and providing valuable insights and support.

---