UReduce

A lightning-fast, containerized URL shortening service built with modern web technologies. Transform long URLs into short, shareable links using a clean React frontend, a robust Go backend, and a PostgreSQL database.

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🚀 Features

• Fast URL Shortening: MD5-based hash generation for deterministic and repeatable short URLs
• Clean UI: Modern React interface styled with Tailwind CSS
• Containerized Architecture: Seamless deployment using Docker Compose
• URL Validation: Client-side validation ensures correct input before processing
• One-Click Copy: Instantly copy shortened links to your clipboard

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##Architecture Overview

UReduce follows a modular three-tier architecture:

• Frontend: React 19 with Vite (Runs on port 3000)
• Backend: Go HTTP server using PostgreSQL driver (Runs on port 8080)
• Database: PostgreSQL with auto-initialized schema (Runs on port 5432 internally, 5433 externally)

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker & Docker Compose installed
• .env file configured with PostgreSQL credentials

Environment Setup

Create a .env file in the /backend directory:

DB_HOST=localhost  
DB_PORT=5432  
DB_USER=<your-username>  
DB_PASSWORD=<your-password>  
DB_NAME=<your-db-name>  
FRONTEND_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000

Running the Application

docker-compose up --build

Access points:

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:8080
• Database: localhost:5433 (if you need to connect manually)

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API Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/home	GET	Health check
/shorten	POST	Generate a shortened URL
/{id}	GET	Redirect to original URL

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Database Schema

CREATE TABLE urls (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,           -- 8-character MD5 hash
    original_url TEXT NOT NULL,    -- Full source URL  
    short_url TEXT NOT NULL,       -- Generated short ID
    creation_date TIMESTAMP NOT NULL
);

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Technology Stack

• Frontend: React 19, Vite 6.2, Tailwind CSS 4.1
• Backend: Go 1.24, github.com/lib/pq PostgreSQL driver
• Database: PostgreSQL (latest version)
• Infrastructure: Docker Compose (bridge network)

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🛠 Development Guide

Backend Development

• URL hashing, validation, and redirection logic implemented in Go
• Includes automatic retry for database connectivity and CORS configuration

Frontend Development

• Built with React and Tailwind CSS
• Handles client-side validation and API communication via environment variables

Database Initialization

• PostgreSQL container auto-creates the necessary schema at runtime

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Design Considerations

• Deterministic Hashing: Uses MD5 for generating consistent short URLs from identical inputs
• Collision Handling: Managed with ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING to ignore duplicate hash insertions
• User Experience: Error boundaries and user feedback mechanisms ensure a smooth UX across devices

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