Reddit Clone

A reddit clone.

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1. Project Purpose

The Reddit-clone aims to replicate core Reddit functionalities:

• User registration and authentication
• Creating and managing posts
• Upvoting and downvoting posts
• Browsing posts and sub-communities (if implemented)
• Commenting and/or replying to posts

This project provides a foundation for learning full-stack development, user management, and CRUD operations in a social-media-like environment.

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2. Repository Structure

Although the exact structure can vary, a typical layout for a full-stack project might look like this:

Common Directories

• server/

  • config/: Environment and database configuration files.
  • controllers/: Handles request logic (e.g., user auth, creating posts).
  • models/: Database schemas and relationships (e.g., User, Post).
  • routes/: Defines HTTP endpoints and attaches them to controllers.

• client/

  • src/components/: Reusable UI components (e.g., Post, Comment, Navbar).
  • src/pages/ or src/views/: Feature pages (e.g., feed, subreddit, profile).
  • src/services/: Shared logic for external requests or utilities.
  • App.js: Main entry point, configures routing and global state.

• package.json: Lists project dependencies and scripts.

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3. Core Features

1. User Authentication

   • Sign up, log in, session handling (via JWT or cookies).

2. Posts Management

   • Create, read, edit, or delete posts.
   • Posts typically track title, body, user, timestamps.

3. Voting Mechanism

   • Upvote/downvote functionality.
   • Vote counts update accordingly.

4. Comments

   • Users can add comments to posts.
   • May support nested replies.

5. Sub-Communities (Optional)

   • Some clones include “subreddits” for topic organization.

6. Frontend UI

   • React (or similar) for a single-page application.
   • Forms for creating posts.
   • Voting and comment interfaces.

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4. Technology Stack

Choices for a Reddit-style clone include:

1. Frontend

   • React for UI (using JSX and Hooks).
   • Redux or for state management.
   • React Router for navigation.

2. Backend

   • Node.js + Express for RESTful APIs.
   • Firestore Database for data storage.

3. Authentication

   • Firebase strategies for sessions.

4. Styling & UI Framework

   • Chakra for layout and design.

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5. Application Flow

1. Registration & Login

   • Users register with username/password and log in.
   • Server issues a session token (JWT or cookie).

2. Creating a Post

   • Authenticated users send a title and body to the server.
   • Post is stored in the database with a reference to the user.

3. Viewing Posts

   • A feed is rendered by fetching posts from the database.
   • Posts can be sorted by creation date or vote score.

4. Voting

   • Users send upvote or downvote actions.
   • Vote counts are stored in the database and displayed in real-time or on refresh.

5. Commenting

   • Similar to posts, comments are stored in the database and linked to both the user and the post.

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6. Installation & Setup (General Steps)

Note: These steps assume the typical structure with separate server and client folders. The specific instructions may differ based on the repo’s actual setup.

1. Clone the Repo

   git clone https://github.com/mlshere/Reddit-clone.git
   

2. Install Dependencies

Server

cd server
npm install

Client

cd ../client
npm install

3. Environment Variables

Create or modify your .env file(s) to include database credentials, JWT secrets, or any other required configurations.

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Run the Backend

cd server
npm start

Run the Frontend

cd ../client
npm start
Copy code

Open in Browser

Access the application at http://localhost:3000 (or whichever port is configured).

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7. Potential Improvements

1. Pagination or Infinite Scrolling
   Handle large numbers of posts efficiently by chunking results or lazy-loading new data.

2. Search & Filtering
   Improve discoverability of posts by implementing keyword or category-based search.

3. Subreddit/Community Creation
   Organize and group posts into user-created communities or categories.

4. User Profiles
   Personalize user pages with bios, karma points, or saved posts.

5. Realtime Updates
   Use libraries like Socket.IO for dynamic commenting, voting, or post updates.

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8. Conclusion

The Reddit-clone tries to demonstrate a full-stack application that mirrors Reddit’s essential features. Through this project I gain a solid foundation for learning about:

• Database integration (e.g., MongoDB/PostgreSQL + ORM)
• RESTful API development with Node.js/Express
• User authentication and authorization (JWT or similar)
• Front-end frameworks like React, including state management and routing