URide - University Ridesharing Platform

URide is a modern ridesharing platform designed specifically for university students. It connects drivers and riders within the university community, helps organize community events, and promotes sustainable transportation options.

Features

• Ridesharing: Connect drivers with riders for campus commutes
• Community Events: Discover and join university events
• Progress Tracking: Track savings and achievements
• Real-time Chat: Communicate with drivers or riders
• Interactive Maps: View routes and locations with Google Maps integration
• User Profiles: Manage your profile and preferences

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• UI Components: Shadcn UI
• Maps: Google Maps API
• Authentication: Firebase Auth
• Database: Firebase Firestore
• Analytics: Firebase Analytics

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve URide! Here's how you can help:

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

Development Guidelines

• Follow the existing code style and naming conventions
• Write meaningful commit messages
• Add appropriate comments for complex logic
• Update documentation for significant changes

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16.8 or later
• npm or yarn
• Firebase account
• Google Maps API key

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/uride.git
   cd uride

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install

3. Set up environment variables:

   # Copy the example environment file
   cp .env.example .env.local
   
   # Edit the .env.local file with your actual credentials

4. Run the development server:

   npm run dev
   # or
   yarn dev

5. Open http://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the application.

Environment Setup

This project uses environment variables to store sensitive information like API keys. Follow these steps to set up your environment:

1. Copy .env.example to .env.local
2. Replace the placeholder values with your actual API keys and configuration

IMPORTANT: Never commit your .env.local file to version control. It contains sensitive information.

Firebase Configuration

The Firebase configuration requires the following environment variables in your .env.local file:

NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_API_KEY=
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_AUTH_DOMAIN=
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID=
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_STORAGE_BUCKET=
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID=
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_APP_ID=
NEXT_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_MEASUREMENT_ID=

Google Maps API

For the map functionality to work, you need to provide a Google Maps API key:

NEXT_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=

Project Structure

• /components - Reusable UI components
• /contexts - React context providers
• /lib - Utility functions and service configurations
• /public - Static assets
• /services - API and service integrations
• /src/app - Next.js app router pages
• /utils - Helper functions

Deployment

The easiest way to deploy URide is to use the Vercel Platform from the creators of Next.js.

1. Push your code to a GitHub repository
2. Import the project into Vercel
3. Add your environment variables in the Vercel dashboard
4. Deploy!

License

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

Acknowledgments

• Next.js - The React framework
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
• Shadcn UI - UI component library
• Firebase - Backend services
• Google Maps Platform - Maps and location services