Social Media API

This project aims to develop a RESTful API for a social media platform that allows users to register, log in, create posts, communicate, follow other users, and receive their activity feed.

Requirements

1. Authentication and Authorization:

• Users can register by providing a username, email, and password.
• Users can log in with correct credentials.
• User data should be protected, including password hashing and JWT usage.

2. Post Management:

• Users can create posts with text, title, and images.
• Users can view posts of other users.
• Users can update and delete their own posts.

3. User Interaction:

• Users can send friend requests to others, becoming subscribers until accepted or declined.
• Accepted friend requests result in both users becoming friends.
• Users can unfriend others, with the recipient becoming a subscriber.
• Friends can exchange messages.

4. Subscriptions and Activity Feed:

• User activity feeds show recent posts from followed users.
• Activity feed supports pagination and time-based sorting.

5. Error Handling:

• Clear error messages should be returned for invalid requests or server issues.
• Input data should be validated, returning informative messages for incorrect formats.

6. API Documentation:

• API should be well-documented using tools like Swagger or OpenAPI.
• Documentation should include endpoint descriptions, request/response formats, and authentication requirements.

Technologies and Tools

• Programming Language: Java 1.8 and higher (was tested on Java 17)
• Framework: Spring, Spring Boot
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Authentication and Authorization: Spring Security
• API Documentation: Swagger or OpenAPI

Expected Outcomes

• A well-developed RESTful API that fulfills the specified requirements.
• Well-structured and documented codebase.
• Comprehensive tests covering major API functionalities.
• API documentation describing available endpoints and their usage.

How to Run

1. Install Java and Maven.
2. Clone the repository.
3. Configure your database settings in application.properties.
4. Build and run the project using Maven:

mvn spring-boot:run

5. Access the API documentation (Swagger UI) at http://localhost:8080/swagger-ui.html.

Evaluation Criteria

• Adherence to requirements.
• Code scalability and adherence to development principles.
• Code readability.