Polling App

A real-time polling application built with Node.js, Express, MongoDB, React, and Socket.io.

Features

• ✅ Create polls with custom questions and multiple options
• ✅ Vote on polls with instant results
• ✅ Real-time updates using WebSockets
• ✅ Beautiful, responsive UI with modern design
• ✅ Live results with bar charts
• ✅ Poll management and listing

Data Model

Poll

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  userId: ObjectId,
  question: string,
  options: [{ text: string, votes: number }],
  createdAt: Date
}

Vote

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  pollId: ObjectId,
  userId: ObjectId,
  optionIndex: number
}

API Endpoints

• POST /api/polls - Create a new poll
• GET /api/polls - Get all polls
• GET /api/polls/:id - Get a specific poll
• POST /api/polls/:id/vote - Vote on a poll

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• MongoDB (running locally or MongoDB Atlas)

Installation

1. Clone and install dependencies:

   npm install
   cd client && npm install
   cd ..

2. Set up MongoDB:

   • Make sure MongoDB is running on mongodb://localhost:27017
   • Or update the connection string in config.js

3. Start the application:

   # Development mode (runs both server and client)
   npm run dev
   
   # Or run separately:
   npm run server  # Backend on port 5000
   npm run client  # Frontend on port 3000

4. Access the application:

   • Frontend: http://localhost:3000
   • Backend API: http://localhost:5000

Project Structure

polling-app/
├── server.js              # Express server
├── config.js              # Configuration
├── models/                # MongoDB models
│   ├── Poll.js
│   └── Vote.js
├── routes/                # API routes
│   └── polls.js
├── client/                # React frontend
│   ├── public/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/    # React components
│   │   ├── pages/         # Page components
│   │   ├── services/      # API and socket services
│   │   └── App.js
│   └── package.json
└── package.json

Usage

1. Create a Poll:

   • Click "Create Poll" in the navigation
   • Enter your question
   • Add options (minimum 2, maximum 10)
   • Click "Create Poll"

2. Vote on Polls:

   • Browse polls on the home page
   • Click on any poll to view details
   • Select an option and click "Vote"
   • See live results update in real-time

3. View Results:

   • Results are displayed as both custom bars and charts
   • Updates happen instantly when new votes are cast
   • Total vote counts and percentages are shown

Technologies Used

Backend

• Node.js & Express.js
• MongoDB & Mongoose
• Socket.io for real-time communication
• CORS for cross-origin requests

Frontend

• React 18
• React Router for navigation
• Socket.io-client for real-time updates
• Recharts for data visualization
• Axios for API calls
• Modern CSS with responsive design

Development

The app uses concurrent development with:

• Backend server with nodemon for auto-restart
• React development server with hot reload
• Socket.io for real-time features

Production Deployment

1. Build the React app:

   npm run build

2. Set environment variables:

   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   PORT=5000

3. Start the production server:

   npm start

License

MIT License