Notely Core

Smart Note-Taking System with Markdown Support and REST API

Notely is a robust Django-based application, engineered for seamless personal information management. It combines an intuitive user interface with powerful organizational tools like dynamic tagging, categorical filtering, and real-time search.

Key Technical Features

• Advanced Organization : Implemented a dual-layered organization system using dynamic Categories (one-to-many) and Tags (many-to-many) for maximum flexibility.
• Markdown Integration : Custom-built template filters to render Markdown content, allowing for rich-text notes with code blocks, lists, and formatting.
• Search Engine : Developed a comprehensive search logic that queries across titles, content, and tags simultaneously using Django Q objects.
• State Management : Added "Pinned Notes" functionality to keep information at the top of the dashboard using custom ordering logic.
• API : Built with Django REST Framework (DRF) endpoints, making the backend ready for future mobile or desktop client integrations.
• Responsive UX : Utilizes Bootstrap 5 with custom CSS animations featuring with a card layout for optimal readability.

Preview

Responsive Landing Page

Interactive Note Editor (Dynamic Focus & States)

Smart Dashboard (Pinned Notes & Categorical Filtering)

Tech Stack

• Backend : Python, Django
• Frontend : JavaScript, Bootstrap 5, Markdown-it, CSS
• Database : PostgreSQL ( for Production ) / SQLite ( for Development)
• API : Django REST Framework (DRF)

What I Learned

• Complex Querysets : Use a select_related and prefetch_related to optimize database hits when loading notes with categories and tags.
• Template Tags : Learning how to extend Django’s template engine to create custom filters for Markdown processing.
• Design : Focusing on "CRUD" operations from a UX perspective—ensuring that pinning, deleting, and editing are intuitive and fast.
• DRF Fundamentals : Understanding Serializers and Viewsets to expose data via a secure API.

Instructions to setup

• Clone or download the repository :
• git clone https://github.com/Ivailo-Iliev-89/Notely-Core.git
• Create a .env file and populate it with your DB credentials (see settings.py for required keys)
• pip install -r requirements.txt
• python manage.py makemigrations
• python manage.py migrate
• python manage.py createsuperuser
• python manage.py runserver

Usage

• Authentication : Register a new account to keep your notes private and synced.
• Organization : Create custom Categories and Tags via the /admin panel to structure your data.
• Markdown : Write notes using standard Markdown syntax (e.g., # Header, - List) for rich-text formatting.
• Filtering : Use the search bar or click on any Tag badge to instantly filter your collection.

Future Improvements

• Auto-Save Functionality : Implementing AJAX or Fetch API to save drafts automatically while typing.
• Reminders & Notifications : Adding a "Reminder" field with Celery and Redis to send email notifications for specific notes.
• Collaborative Notes : Allowing users to share specific notes or categories with other registered users via unique links.
• Dark Mode : A native UI toggle for better accessibility and night-time use.