Wander - A Collaborative Social App for Travelers

Wander is a collaborative social application designed for travelers to share their experiences, stories, and adventures with a community of fellow travelers. The platform allows users to create blog posts, interact with other users through comments and likes, discover new destinations, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Overview

Wander aims to provide a comprehensive platform for travelers to:

• Share their travel experiences through blog posts
• Interact with other users by commenting on posts and liking content
• Discover new destinations and get inspired for their next adventure
• Connect with a community of fellow travelers to exchange tips, recommendations, and stories

Key Features

User Authentication and Authorization

Wander implements user authentication and authorization using JSON Web Tokens (JWT), ensuring secure access to user accounts and protected resources.

Blog Post Management

Users can create, edit, and delete blog posts, including uploading images and categorizing posts based on destination or theme.

Interactive Features

Wander includes interactive features such as commenting on posts, liking content, and signaling inappropriate or offensive posts for moderation.

Real-time Updates (Optional)

The platform supports real-time updates using Socket.IO, enabling live chat and notifications for users.

Chatbot Integration

Wander integrates a chatbot powered by Google Generative AI, providing users with personalized recommendations, travel tips, and answers to common questions.

API Documentation

The project includes comprehensive API documentation using the OpenAPI Specification, facilitating easy integration with external services and clients.

Technologies Used

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• bcrypt
• dotenv
• multer
• Chart.js
• Google Generative AI
• Socket.IO (optional)
• OpenAPI Specification

Getting Started

To get started with Wander, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/abdeLKabir-56/wander

2. Install dependency using npm or yarn:

   npm install
   OR
   yarn install

3. Set up environment variables using a .env file. Refer to the section below for the required variables.
4. Run the application using npm or yarn :

   npm run dev
   OR
   yarn start

Environment Variables

To ensure the application runs smoothly, please configure the following environment variables in your .env file.

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Required Environment Variables

Variable	Description
COOKIE_KEY	A secret key used for signing cookies. It ensures the integrity and security of the cookie data exchanged between the client and the server.
CLIENT_SECRET_FACEBOOK	The client secret provided by Facebook for OAuth authentication. It is used to authenticate requests to Facebook's API when users log in.
CLIENT_ID_FACEBOOK	The client ID assigned by Facebook for your application. This ID is used to identify your app when making requests to the Facebook API.
CLIENT_SECRET_GOOGLE	The client secret provided by Google for OAuth authentication. It is required to authenticate and authorize users through Google Sign-In.
CLIENT_ID_GOOGLE	The client ID assigned by Google for your application. It is used to identify your app in requests made to Google APIs.
MONGO_LOCAL_URL	The connection string for your local MongoDB database. This URL is used to connect the application to your MongoDB instance.
JWT_SECRET_KEY	A secret key used for signing JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). This key is crucial for creating and verifying JWTs for user authentication.
CHAT_API_KEY	The API key used to authenticate requests to the chat service. It is necessary for enabling chat functionalities within the application.
PORT	The port number on which the application will run. By default, it is often set to 3000 but can be configured to any other available port.

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Important Notes

• Ensure to replace any placeholders with the actual values when setting up your .env file.
• It is a good practice to keep your .env file out of version control (e.g., using .gitignore) to protect sensitive information.

Contributing

Contributions to Wander are welcome! If you'd like to contribute, please follow these guidelines:

• Fork the repository.
• Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
• Make your changes and ensure tests pass.
• Submit a pull request with a detailed description of your changes.