MERN Blog Website

Welcome to the MERN Blog website! This repository contains the source code for a full-stack blog website built using the MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) stack. This README will guide you through the installation process and provide an overview of the website's features.

Installation

Follow these steps to set up the MERN Blog website on your local machine:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/mern-blog-website.git

2. Navigate to the project folder:

   cd mern-blog-website

3. Install server dependencies:

   cd server
   npm install

4. Install client dependencies:

   cd ../client
   npm install

5. Set up environment variables:

   Create a .env file in the server folder and specify the following variables:

   MONGODB_URI=<your-mongodb-connection-uri>
   SECRET_KEY=<your-secret-key-for-jwt>
   

6. Start the server:

   In the server folder, run:

   npm start

7. Start the client:

   In the client folder, run:

   npm start

8. Access the website:

   Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000 to view the MERN Blog website.

Features

User Authentication

• Users can sign up, log in, and log out securely.
• Passwords are hashed for security.
• JWT (JSON Web Tokens) are used for user authentication.

Creating Stories

• Registered users can create and publish their own stories/posts.
• Stories can include text, images, and other media.
• Markdown support for formatting content.

User Profiles

• Users have their own profiles displaying their stories, follower count, and other details.
• Users can update their profile information and profile picture.

Library and Favorites

• Users can save posts to their library for later reading.
• They can mark posts as favorites for quick access.

Following and Liking Posts

• Users can follow other users to see their posts in their feed.
• Users can like posts and see the total number of likes on a post.

Author Profiles

• Each author has a dedicated profile page displaying their bio and posts.

Comment CRUD

• Users can comment on posts.
• They can edit and delete their own comments.

Password Reset

• Users can request a password reset link via email if they forget their password.
• A secure link is sent to their registered email for password reset.

Post CRUD

• Users can edit and delete their own posts.
• Admin users may have additional privileges to manage all posts.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve and enhance this MERN Blog website. Please fork this repository, make your changes, and submit a pull request.