Steps to Set Up and Run the Project

1. Clone the Repository

If you haven't already cloned the repository, do so using the following command:

git clone <repository-url>
cd blogspace

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2. Backend Setup

a. Navigate to the Backend Directory

cd backend

b. Install Dependencies

Run the following command to install the required dependencies:

npm install

c. Create a .env File

Create a .env file in the backend directory with the following variables:

MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/blogspace
PORT=5000
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key

• MONGO_URI: The MongoDB connection string.
• PORT: The port on which the backend server will run.
• JWT_SECRET: A secret key for signing JSON Web Tokens (JWT). Replace your_jwt_secret_key with a secure random string.

d. Start the Backend Server

Run the following command to start the backend server:

node index.js

The backend server will start at http://localhost:5000.

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3. Frontend Setup

a. Navigate to the Frontend Directory

cd ../frontend

b. Install Dependencies

Run the following command to install the required dependencies:

npm install

c. Create a .env File

Create a .env file in the backend directory with the following variables:

(This will only work if you add the VITE_)

VITE_API_URL='http://localhost:5000/api'

d. Start the Frontend Development Server

Run the following command to start the frontend development server:

npm run dev

The frontend will start at http://localhost:5173 (or another port if 5173 is already in use).

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4. Access the Application

• Frontend: Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5173.
• Backend: The backend API is available at http://localhost:5000.

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5. Testing the Application

• Sign Up: Create a new account using the signup page.
• Sign In: Log in with the created account.
• Create Blog: Create a new blog post.
• View Blogs: View all blogs on the home page.
• Delete Blog: Delete a blog post from "My Posts."

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6. Additional Notes

• Ensure MongoDB is running locally on your machine. If not, start MongoDB using the following command:

  mongod

• If you encounter any issues, check the logs in the terminal for both the frontend and backend.

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Let me know if you need further assistance!