StudyHub - Notes & Assignment Sharing Platform

A comprehensive educational platform combining file sharing (notes/assignments), real-time messaging, anonymous study rooms, and collaborative learning features.

🚀 Features

Core Platform

• User Authentication - Role-based access (Admin, Teacher, Student)
• Notes & Assignment Sharing - Upload and share educational content
• Search & Discovery - Find relevant study materials
• Ratings & Comments - Community feedback on uploads
• Bookmarking - Save favorite resources

Messaging System

• Direct Messages - Private one-on-one messaging with real-time delivery
• Anonymous Chat Rooms - Subject-specific study groups with random anonymous identities
• Real-time Features - Typing indicators, read receipts, online status
• File Sharing - Share documents and images in conversations
• Message Management - Edit, delete, and search messages

Admin Features

• User Management - View, edit, and manage user accounts
• Content Moderation - Monitor and moderate uploads and messages
• Analytics Dashboard - Platform usage statistics
• Announcements - Platform-wide and targeted announcements
• Report System - Handle user reports and content takedowns

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js + Express - Server framework
• PostgreSQL - Database
• Socket.io - Real-time WebSocket communication
• JWT - Authentication
• Bcrypt - Password hashing

Frontend

• React 18 - UI framework
• Vite - Build tool
• TailwindCSS - Styling
• React Router - Routing
• Zustand - State management
• React Query - Data fetching
• Socket.io Client - Real-time messaging

📋 Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 18.x
• Database: PostgreSQL >= 14.x OR MySQL >= 8.0
• npm or yarn

Note: The application supports both PostgreSQL and MySQL. See MYSQL_SETUP.md for MySQL migration guide.

🏃 Quick Start

See SETUP.md for detailed installation instructions.

# 1. Install dependencies
npm install

# 2. Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your database credentials

# 3. Create database
createdb notes_platform

# 4. Run database setup
cd server
npm run db:setup

# 5. Start development servers
cd ..
npm run dev

The app will be available at:

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173
• Backend API: http://localhost:5000
• API Health: http://localhost:5000/api/health

📚 Documentation

• README.md - Project overview and quick start
• SETUP.md - Detailed setup instructions
• DEPLOYMENT.md - Production deployment guide
• PROJECT_SUMMARY.md - Complete project overview
• API_DOCUMENTATION.md - Complete API reference
• CONTRIBUTING.md - Contribution guidelines
• SECURITY.md - Security policy and best practices
• CHANGELOG.md - Version history and changes
• RELEASE_NOTES.md - Release notes v1.0.0
• PHASE3_COMPLETE.md - Phase 3 completion summary
• BRAND_GUIDELINES.html - Visual brand guidelines
• LICENSE - MIT License

🔑 Default Admin Access

After running the database setup, you can login with:

• Email: admin@notesplatform.com
• Password: admin123

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Change this password immediately in production!

📁 Project Structure

notes-assignment-platform/
├── client/                 # Frontend React app
├── server/                 # Backend Node.js app
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── config/        # Configuration files
│   │   ├── controllers/   # Route controllers
│   │   ├── models/        # Database models
│   │   ├── middleware/    # Express middleware
│   │   ├── routes/        # API routes
│   │   ├── socket/        # Socket.io handlers
│   │   └── database/      # Database schema & setup
│   └── package.json
├── package.json           # Root workspace config
└── README.md

🌟 Key Features Implementation Status

✅ Completed (Phase 1, 2, 3)

• Project setup with monorepo structure
• PostgreSQL database with comprehensive schema
• User authentication (register, login, JWT)
• Direct messaging API & UI
• Anonymous chat rooms API & UI
• Socket.io real-time messaging
• File upload system (AWS S3 / Local)
• Search functionality with filters
• Ratings and comments system
• Admin panel UI & Content Management
• Email verification & Password Reset
• User profiles and bookmarks
• File attachments in messages
• Privacy & Security (Blocking, Rate Limiting)

🚧 Future Enhancements

• Notifications system (UI integration)
• Mobile optimization
• Redis Caching

📱 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - Register new user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login user
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user
• PUT /api/auth/profile - Update profile
• PUT /api/auth/password - Change password
• GET /api/auth/search - Search users

Messages

• GET /api/messages/conversations - Get all conversations
• GET /api/messages/conversation/:userId - Get/create conversation
• GET /api/messages/:conversationId - Get messages
• POST /api/messages/send - Send message
• PUT /api/messages/:messageId - Edit message
• DELETE /api/messages/:messageId - Delete message

Anonymous Rooms

• GET /api/rooms - Get public rooms
• POST /api/rooms - Create room
• GET /api/rooms/:roomId - Get room details
• POST /api/rooms/:roomId/join - Join room
• POST /api/rooms/:roomId/leave - Leave room
• GET /api/rooms/:roomId/messages - Get room messages

🔒 Security Features

• JWT-based authentication
• Password hashing with bcrypt
• CORS protection
• Helmet security headers
• Rate limiting
• Input validation
• SQL injection prevention
• XSS protection

🤝 Contributing

This is an educational project. Contributions are welcome!

📄 License

MIT License - feel free to use this project for learning and development.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built with modern web technologies for educational collaboration and learning.