InstaClone

InstaClone is a simple Instagram clone built using Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB with server-side rendering using EJS templates. The application implements RESTful API design and features such as user authentication, image uploads, and dynamic content display.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Getting Started
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Running the Application
• Environment Variables
• Dependencies
• Contributing
• License

Features

• User authentication using Passport.js with local strategy
• RESTful API integration for seamless data interaction
• Image and video upload functionality using Multer
• MongoDB database integration for storing user data and posts
• Server-side rendering using EJS templates

Technologies Used

• Node.js: JavaScript runtime for building server-side applications
• Express.js: Fast, unopinionated web framework for Node.js
• MongoDB & Mongoose: NoSQL database and object data modeling (ODM) library
• EJS: Embedded JavaScript templating for server-side rendering
• Multer: Middleware for handling file uploads
• Passport.js: Authentication middleware for Node.js
• dotenv: Loads environment variables from a .env file

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16.x or higher)
• npm (Node Package Manager)
• MongoDB (Local installation or a cloud-based service like MongoDB Atlas)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

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

Key Sections Explained

• Environment Variables: Instructions on setting up the .env file with the required variables.
• Running the Application: Step-by-step guide to start the application locally.
• Dependencies: Detailed list of all dependencies with brief descriptions of their purposes.

Let me know if you need any more details or further customization!

Dependencies

Here is a list of the major dependencies used in the project:

• cookie-parser: Parses cookies attached to the client request object.
• debug: Small debugging utility for Node.js.
• dotenv: Loads environment variables from a .env file into process.env.
• ejs: Embedded JavaScript templating for rendering dynamic HTML.
• express: Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js.
• express-session: Session middleware for Express.
• http-errors: Creates HTTP errors for Express apps.
• mongodb: MongoDB driver for Node.js.
• mongoose: Elegant MongoDB object modeling for Node.js.
• morgan: HTTP request logger middleware for Node.js.
• multer: Middleware for handling multipart/form-data, primarily for file uploads.
• passport: Simple, unobtrusive authentication for Node.js.
• passport-local: Passport strategy for authenticating with a username and password.
• passport-local-mongoose: Mongoose plugin that simplifies building username and password login with Passport.

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory and add your environment variables:

MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
SESSION_SECRET=your_secret_key

Set up MongoDB

Ensure that your MongoDB service is running locally or connect to your MongoDB Atlas cluster.

Running the Application

Start the server using the following command:

npm start

Thank You!