TaskTrackr

A full-stack task manager with an Express/MongoDB backend and a Vite/React frontend. This guide captures everything needed to run the project locally and ship it safely.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• npm 10+
• MongoDB Atlas cluster or accessible MongoDB instance

Local Development

Backend (/backend)

cd backend
npm install
npm run dev          # runs ts-node with nodemon

Environment variables live in backend/.env (see .env.example for the required keys).

Frontend (/frontend)

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev          # starts Vite on http://localhost:5173

Create a .env file (see .env.example) so the client knows where to find the API.

Production Builds

• Backend: npm run build --prefix backend produces ESM output in backend/dist, then start with npm run start --prefix backend.
• Frontend: npm run build --prefix frontend outputs static assets to frontend/dist (serve via Netlify/Vercel or any static host).

Environment Variables

Scope	Key	Description
Backend	MONGO_URI	Connection string for MongoDB
Backend	PORT	Port for Express (defaults to 5000)
Frontend	VITE_API_URL	URL the client uses for API requests

Deployment Checklist

• Copy .env.example files to real .env files with production secrets.
• Run npm run build --prefix backend and npm run build --prefix frontend.
• Start the backend using npm start --prefix backend (or Docker/host equivalent) and verify /health.
• Serve frontend/dist from your hosting provider, pointing VITE_API_URL at the production backend URL.
• Configure CI (e.g., GitHub Actions) to run the build commands on each push before deploying.
• Monitor logs/metrics for the backend process after deploy.

Useful Commands

• npm test --prefix frontend (placeholder – add tests when ready)
• npm run lint --prefix frontend
• npm run dev --prefix backend / npm run dev --prefix frontend

Update this file as your deployment process evolves so future deploys stay repeatable.