Mess Backend

A Node.js/Express backend API for the Messconnect application - a hostel/mess management system that connects hosts with students for meal services.

Overview

This backend provides REST API endpoints for managing hosts, students, orders, and mess-related operations. It uses MongoDB for data persistence and includes features like user authentication, file uploads, and order management.

Features

• Authentication: JWT-based authentication with password encryption (bcryptjs)
• User Management: Separate models for hosts and students
• Order Management: Track and manage student orders
• File Uploads: Support for document/image uploads via multer
• CORS Support: Configured for cross-origin requests
• Environment Configuration: Secure configuration using environment variables

Tech Stack

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
• Authentication: JWT, bcryptjs
• File Upload: multer
• Development: nodemon for auto-reload

Project Structure

├── db.js              # MongoDB connection setup
├── server.js          # Express server configuration
├── upload.js          # File upload configuration
├── package.json       # Project dependencies
├── models/
│   ├── Host.js        # Host schema
│   ├── Stud.js        # Student schema
│   └── Order.js       # Order schema
├── routes/
│   ├── hosts.js       # Host-related endpoints
│   └── students.js    # Student-related endpoints
└── uploads/           # Directory for uploaded files

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd messbackend_new

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

   PORT=3000
   MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:3000
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
   

Running the Application

Development Mode

npm run dev

or

npm start

The server will start on the port specified in .env (default: 3000).

Production Mode

node server.js

API Endpoints

Hosts

• GET /host - Retrieve all hosts
• POST /host - Create a new host
• GET /host/:id - Get specific host details
• PUT /host/:id - Update host information
• DELETE /host/:id - Delete a host

Students

• GET /student - Retrieve all students
• POST /student - Register a new student
• GET /student/:id - Get specific student details
• PUT /student/:id - Update student information
• DELETE /student/:id - Delete a student

Uploads

• Files are served from /uploads endpoint
• Upload functionality is configured in upload.js

Dependencies

• express - Web framework
• mongoose - MongoDB object modeling
• mongodb - MongoDB driver
• cors - Cross-Origin Resource Sharing middleware
• jwt - JSON Web Token for authentication
• bcryptjs - Password hashing
• multer - Middleware for handling file uploads
• dotenv - Environment variable management
• body-parser - Middleware for parsing request bodies
• nodemon - Development tool for auto-restarting

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Required
PORT	Server port (default: 3000)	No
MONGO_URI	MongoDB connection string	Yes
CORS_ORIGIN	Allowed CORS origin	Yes
JWT_SECRET	Secret key for JWT signing	Yes

Contributing

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

License

ISC

Notes

• Ensure MongoDB is running and accessible before starting the server
• Keep .env file secure and never commit it to version control
• Use nodemon during development for automatic server restart on file changes