UniHostel

Full-stack hostel management: React (Vite) frontend + Node (Express) + MongoDB backend.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• MongoDB Atlas (connection string is configured by default)

Environment

Frontend – optional. Create frontend/.env to override API URL:

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5001/api

Setup & run

The frontend proxies /api to http://localhost:5001. If only the frontend is running, you may see http proxy error / ECONNREFUSED until the backend is up.

Option A – Backend + frontend together (recommended)

From the project root (ITPM-Project-HostelManagement):

npm install
npm run dev

Starts the API on 5001 and Vite on 3000.

Option B – Two terminals

1. Backend

cd backend
npm install
npm run seed    # creates admin@unihostel.com / admin123 and student@unihostel.com / student123
npm run dev     # or npm start

Server: http://localhost:5001.

2. Frontend

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev     # or npm start

App: http://localhost:3000 (see frontend/vite.config.js).

Test logins (after seed)

Role	Email	Password
Admin	admin@unihostel.com	admin123
Student	student@unihostel.com	student123

Students can also sign up at /signup; no seed needed for new accounts.

Wardens use /warden/login (Sign in / Register tabs) and land on /warden after success.

API overview

Path	Auth	Description
POST /api/auth/student-signup	No	Student registration
POST /api/auth/student-login	No	Student login
POST /api/auth/admin-login	No	Admin login
POST /api/auth/warden-signup	No	Warden registration
POST /api/auth/warden-login	No	Warden login
/api/users	Admin	CRUD users
/api/hostels	Yes	List/create hostels
/api/bookings	Yes	Bookings
/api/payments	Yes	Payments
/api/inquiry	Yes	Inquiries (POST /, GET /my student; GET /, PUT /:id/reply admin)
/api/latepass	Yes	Late passes
/api/complains	Yes	Complaints
/api/inventory	Admin	Inventory
/api/maintenance	Yes	Maintenance

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