Threads Clone

This project is a clone of Instagram Threads with added chatting functionality. It is built using the MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js) stack. The application allows users to create threads, post updates, follow/unfollow users and chat with friends in real-time.

Features

• User Authentication: Users can sign up, log in, and log out securely.
• Thread Creation: Users can create threads to group their friends and post replies within those threads.
• Real-time Chatting: Users can engage in real-time chat conversations within threads.
• Image Sharing: Users can post images in threads.
• Follow Users: Users can follow/unfollow any user.
• Responsive Design: The application is designed to be responsive and work seamlessly across various devices.

Technologies Used

• MongoDB: Database to store user data, threads, and messages.
• Express.js: Backend framework for handling server-side logic and routing.
• React.js: Frontend library for building the user interface.
• Node.js: JavaScript runtime environment for server-side scripting.
• Socket.io: Library for enabling real-time, bidirectional communication between web clients and servers.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm installed on your machine.
• MongoDB installed locally or accessible remotely.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/instagram-threads-clone.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd threads

3. Install dependencies:

   cd backend
   npm install
   cd ..
   cd frontend
   npm install

4. Set up environment variables:

   Create a .env file in the root backend directory of the project and add the following variables:

   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_uri
   PORT=8080
   CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_credentials
   CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_credentials
   CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_credentials
   JWT_SECRET=your_secret
   

5. [If you are on windows]:

   Change these two scripts in package.json file at the root location of project to:

   "scripts": {
       ...
       "dev": "SET NODE_ENV=development & nodemon backend/app.js",
       "start": "SET NODE_ENV=production & node backend/app.js",
       ...
     },
   

6. Start the backend server:

   cd backend
   npm run dev

7. Start the frontend:

   cd frontend
   npm run dev

8. Navigate to http://localhost:3000 in your browser to use the application.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you want to contribute to this project, please fork the repository and submit a pull request with your changes.