CareToShare 📚

A modern file-sharing platform for students to share study materials with their classmates. Built with React, Node.js, and Google Drive integration.

✨ Features

• 🔐 Google Authentication - Secure login with Google accounts
• ☁️ Google Drive Storage - Files automatically uploaded to user's Google Drive
• 📁 Multiple File Types - Support for PDF, DOC, PPT, TXT, ZIP, Images, Videos
• 🔍 Search - Search files by name, description, or search users by name/username
• 📂 Categories - Browse files by type (Documents, Presentations, Images, Videos, Archives)
• 👤 User Profiles - View user profiles and their uploaded files
• 📊 Statistics - Track downloads, views, and file counts
• 💅 Modern UI - Clean, responsive design with smooth animations

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 18 with Vite
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• Framer Motion for animations
• React Router for navigation
• Axios for API calls

Backend

• Node.js with Express
• MongoDB with Mongoose
• Google Drive API for file storage
• JWT for authentication

📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js 18+ installed
• MongoDB installed locally or a MongoDB Atlas account
• A Google Cloud Console account

🚀 Setup Instructions

1. Clone and Install Dependencies

cd CareToShare

# Install all dependencies (root, client, and server)
npm run install:all

2. Set Up Google Cloud Console

1. Go to Google Cloud Console

2. Create a new project or select an existing one

3. Enable the following APIs:

   • Google Drive API
   • Google+ API (for OAuth)

4. Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials:

   • Go to APIs & Services > Credentials
   • Click Create Credentials > OAuth client ID
   • Select Web application
   • Add authorized JavaScript origins:
     • http://localhost:3000 (development)
     • Your production URL
   • Add authorized redirect URIs:
     • http://localhost:3000 (development)
     • Your production URL
   • Copy the Client ID

5. Configure OAuth Consent Screen:

   • Go to APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen
   • Fill in the required information
   • Add scopes:
     • ../auth/userinfo.email
     • ../auth/userinfo.profile
     • ../auth/drive.file

3. Configure Environment Variables

Client (.env in /client folder):

cd client
cp .env.example .env

Edit .env:

VITE_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-google-client-id

Server (.env in /server folder):

cd server
cp .env.example .env

Edit .env:

PORT=5000
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/caretoshare
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-generate-a-random-string
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-google-client-id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-google-client-secret

4. Start MongoDB

If using local MongoDB:

mongod

Or use MongoDB Atlas and update the MONGODB_URI in your .env file.

5. Run the Application

From the root directory:

npm run dev

This will start both the client (port 3000) and server (port 5000) concurrently.

Or run them separately:

# Terminal 1 - Server
cd server
npm run dev

# Terminal 2 - Client
cd client
npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 to see the application!

📁 Project Structure

CareToShare/
├── client/                 # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/     # Reusable components
│   │   ├── context/        # React context (Auth)
│   │   ├── pages/          # Page components
│   │   ├── utils/          # Utility functions
│   │   ├── App.jsx         # Main app component
│   │   └── main.jsx        # Entry point
│   └── ...
├── server/                 # Node.js backend
│   ├── models/            # MongoDB models
│   ├── routes/            # API routes
│   ├── middleware/        # Express middleware
│   └── index.js           # Server entry point
└── package.json           # Root package.json

🌐 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/google/token - Login with Google

Files

• GET /api/files/recent - Get recent files
• GET /api/files/popular - Get popular files
• GET /api/files/category - Get files by category
• GET /api/files/my-files - Get user's files (auth required)
• GET /api/files/:id - Get single file
• POST /api/files/upload - Upload file (auth required)
• POST /api/files/:id/download - Record download
• DELETE /api/files/:id - Delete file (auth required)

Users

• PUT /api/users/profile - Update profile (auth required)
• GET /api/users/:id - Get user profile

Search

• GET /api/search?q=query - Search files and users

Stats

• GET /api/stats - Get platform statistics

🚀 Deployment

Frontend (Vercel, Netlify, etc.)

1. Build the client: cd client && npm run build
2. Deploy the dist folder
3. Set environment variable VITE_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID

Backend (Railway, Render, Heroku, etc.)

1. Deploy the server folder
2. Set environment variables:
   • MONGODB_URI
   • JWT_SECRET
   • GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID
   • GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET

Free Hosting Options

• Frontend: Vercel, Netlify, GitHub Pages
• Backend: Railway, Render, Cyclic
• Database: MongoDB Atlas (free tier)

📝 Usage

1. Sign In: Click "Continue with Google" to sign in
2. Upload: Click "Upload" and drag/drop or select a file
3. Browse: Explore files by category or use search
4. Download: Click on any file to view details and download
5. Profile: Update your display name and username

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Made with ❤️ for students everywhere!