SimplePolls

SimplePolls is a full‑stack polling application built with a React frontend and an Express backend. Users can use the app to ask each other productive or fun questions and vote on them.

It has the following features:

• Users can create new polls and edit existing polls in their ownership
• Users can share their polls to other users
• Users can participate in polls created by other users
• The frontend is available in English, German & French
• The frontend's responsive design allows it to be used on mobile and desktop
• The backend offers a public API

You can have a look and play around with the frontend here: simplepolls.julius-busch.com

And view the API documentation here: apisimplepolls.julius-busch.com/docs

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Frontend:
  • Language: TypeScript
  • Framework: React
  • Routing: React Router (Data Mode)
  • Build Tool: Vite
  • Internationalization: i18next
• Backend:
  • Language: TypeScript
  • Framework: Express
  • ORM: Prisma with PostgreSQL
  • API Documentation: Swagger UI (OpenAPI)
  • Tests: Supertest & Vitest

🧩 Project Structure

client/ # Frontend (React)
    dist/ # Where the built frontend will be output
    public/ # Contains static files
        locales/ # Translation files
    src/
        components/ # Contains reusable components
        config/ # Type definition and defaults for .env
        customHooks/ # Custom hooks
        pages/ # Contains components, loader, action, and child components for routes
        services/ # Services that communicate with the backend
        types/ # TS types
        main.tsx # Application entry point
    package.json
    .env
server/ # Backend (Express)
    dist/ # Where the built backend will be output
    prisma/ # Contains the Prisma database schema and migrations
    scripts/ # Contains scripts for the setup
    src/ 
        config/ # Type definition and defaults for .env
        controllers/ # Route handlers
        db/ # Prisma client
        middlewares/ # Middleware (error handling, rate limiter, user validation)
        openapi/ # Swagger router and OpenAPI schema definition
        repositories/ # Database access
        routes/ # Route definitions
        services/ # Logic used by controllers
        types/ # TS types
        server.ts # Server bootstrapper
    tests/ # Backend tests
    types/ # Type extension for Express types
    docker-compose.yml # PostgreSQL docker file
    package.json
    .env

📦 Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (recommended: 24)
• Docker

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/julii-b/SimplePolls.git
cd SimplePolls

1. Backend Setup

1.1 Copy environment file

On Linux:

cd server
cp .env.example .env

On Windows:

cd server
copy .env.example .env

Then open server/.env and set your own values for DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD.

1.2 Start the database

docker compose up -d

Wait until Postgres is ready.

1.3 Install dependencies, run database migrations, and start server

npm install
npm run setup-prisma
npm run dev

If you want, you can now have a look at the API routes documentation at localhost:3000/docs or at apisimplepolls.julius-busch.com/docs

2. Frontend Setup

2.1 Copy environment file

Open another terminal window in SpimplePolls/client.

On Linux:

cp .env.example .env

On Windows:

copy .env.example .env

2.2 Install dependencies and start the client

npm install
npm run dev

Now you can access the frontend at localhost:5173 or at simplepolls.julius-busch.com