HackConnect - Hackathon & Event Collaboration Platform

A comprehensive platform for hackathon participants and organizers to discover events, form teams, and collaborate on projects.

🚀 Features

Core Features

• User Authentication - Secure registration and login with JWT
• Event Discovery - Browse and search hackathons and events
• Team Formation - Create teams, find teammates, and manage team requests
• Real-time Chat - WebSocket-based messaging for teams and direct messages
• User Profiles - Showcase skills, bio, and social links
• Event Management - Create and manage hackathons and events

Advanced Features

• Skill-based Matching - Find teammates with complementary skills
• Location-based Discovery - Find local events and teams
• Real-time Notifications - Stay updated with team activities
• Responsive Design - Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile

🛠 Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js 15 - React framework with App Router
• TypeScript - Type-safe development
• TailwindCSS - Utility-first CSS framework
• Lucide React - Beautiful icons
• Socket.io Client - Real-time communication
• React Hook Form - Form management
• Axios - HTTP client

Backend

• Node.js - JavaScript runtime
• Express.js - Web framework
• MongoDB - NoSQL database
• Mongoose - MongoDB object modeling
• Socket.io - Real-time communication
• JWT - Authentication
• bcryptjs - Password hashing
• Passport.js - Authentication strategies

📁 Project Structure

hackconnect/
├── frontend/                 # Next.js frontend application
│   ├── app/                 # App Router pages
│   │   ├── auth/           # Authentication pages
│   │   ├── dashboard/      # User dashboard
│   │   ├── events/        # Event management
│   │   └── teams/          # Team management
│   ├── components/          # Reusable UI components
│   └── lib/                # Utility functions
├── backend/                 # Express.js backend API
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── models/         # Database models
│   │   ├── routes/         # API routes
│   │   ├── middleware/     # Custom middleware
│   │   └── socket/         # Socket.io handlers
│   └── env.example         # Environment variables template
└── README.md               # This file

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• MongoDB (local or cloud)
• pnpm (recommended) or npm

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd hackconnect

2. Install dependencies

   pnpm install

3. Set up environment variables

   # Backend
   cp backend/env.example backend/.env
   # Edit backend/.env with your configuration

4. Start the development servers

   pnpm dev

This will start:

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

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/hackconnect

# JWT
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-here

# Server
PORT=5000
NODE_ENV=development

# Frontend URL
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

📱 Usage

For Participants

1. Register/Login - Create an account or sign in
2. Browse Events - Discover hackathons and events
3. Join Teams - Find or create teams for events
4. Collaborate - Use real-time chat and team tools
5. Build Projects - Work together on amazing projects

For Organizers

1. Create Events - Set up hackathons and events
2. Manage Participants - Track registrations and teams
3. Monitor Activity - See team formations and progress
4. Engage Community - Foster collaboration and networking

🔧 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user
• PUT /api/auth/profile - Update user profile

Events

• GET /api/events - Get all events
• GET /api/events/:id - Get event by ID
• POST /api/events - Create event
• PUT /api/events/:id - Update event
• DELETE /api/events/:id - Delete event

Teams

• GET /api/teams/event/:eventId - Get teams for event
• GET /api/teams/:id - Get team by ID
• POST /api/teams - Create team
• POST /api/teams/:id/join - Join team request
• GET /api/teams/:id/requests - Get team requests
• PUT /api/teams/:id/requests/:requestId - Handle team request

Messages

• GET /api/messages/team/:teamId - Get team messages
• GET /api/messages/direct/:userId - Get direct messages
• POST /api/messages/team/:teamId - Send team message
• POST /api/messages/direct/:userId - Send direct message

🚀 Deployment

Frontend (Vercel)

1. Connect your GitHub repository to Vercel
2. Set environment variables in Vercel dashboard
3. Deploy automatically on push to main branch

Backend (Railway/Heroku)

1. Create a new project on Railway or Heroku
2. Connect your GitHub repository
3. Set environment variables
4. Deploy automatically

Database (MongoDB Atlas)

1. Create a MongoDB Atlas cluster
2. Get connection string
3. Update MONGODB_URI in environment variables

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Next.js team for the amazing framework
• TailwindCSS for the utility-first CSS
• MongoDB for the flexible database
• Socket.io for real-time communication
• All contributors and the open-source community

📞 Support

If you have any questions or need help, please:

• Open an issue on GitHub
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation

---

Happy Hacking! 🚀