Social Network Project

This README provides an overview of the frontend and backend components of the Social Network project. The project is designed as a modern web application that mimics the core functionalities of popular social networking platforms.

Features

Followers

Follow/unfollow users
Send follow requests
Accept/decline follow requests

Profile

View user information, activity, and posts
Manage public and private profile settings
Display followers and following lists

Posts

Create and comment on posts
Include images or GIFs in posts
Set post privacy: public, private, or almost private

Groups

Create and manage groups
Invite users and handle group requests
Post and comment within groups
Create and manage group events

Notifications

Receive notifications for follow requests, group invitations, and group events
Differentiate between new notifications and private messages

Chats

Private messaging with followers
Group messaging with members
Real-time messaging using WebSockets

Frontend

The frontend of the Social Network project is built using Next.js.

Key Features:

User Interface: Modern and responsive design for an engaging user experience.
Routing: Utilizes Next.js routing to manage navigation within the application.
State Management: Manages state using Redux.
API Calls: Communicates with the backend services to fetch and display data using RTK Query.
Authentication: Handles user authentication, allowing for secure access to the application.

Development:

Node.js: The frontend is developed with Node.js, ensuring a fast and scalable environment.
Docker: Containerized using Docker to simplify deployment and ensure consistency across different environments.

Refer to the frontend Dockerfile-frontend for the container setup and the package.json file for the list of dependencies and available scripts.

Backend

The backend of the Social Network project is developed using Go (Golang), providing a robust and efficient server-side solution.

Key Features:

RESTful API: Offers a RESTful API for the frontend to interact with, facilitating operations like CRUD actions on posts, user profiles, and more.
WebSocket Support: Implements Gorilla WebSockets for real-time communication features such as chat and notifications.
Database Integration: Utilizes SQLite for data storage, with the flexibility to switch to more scalable solutions as needed.
Database migrations: Utilize migrations to manage and version database schema changes efficiently, ensuring consistency and facilitating updates across different environments.
Authentication and Authorization: Manages user sessions and permissions securely.

Development:

Go Modules: Leverages Go modules for dependency management, ensuring easy project setup and reproducible builds.
Docker: The backend is also containerized with Docker, streamlining the development and deployment process.

For more details on the backend setup, refer to the Dockerfile-backend and the Go module file go.mod.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Docker should be installed on your system Get Docker

Clone project

git clone https://github.com/karlthomaas/social-network.git
cd social-network

Build project

make docker

Authors

Karl-Thomas: Frontend and backend development.
kveber: Backend development and database management.

This project is a collaborative effort aimed at creating a comprehensive social networking platform using modern web technologies.