A modern, full-stack intelligent content aggregation platform that brings together news, academic papers, and books with AI-powered summaries and personalized recommendations. Built with Next.js + TypeScript on the frontend and Node.js on the backend.

• 📰 News Aggregation - Real-time news from multiple reliable sources
• 📚 Academic Papers - Thousands of research papers and journals at your fingertips
• 📖 Book Discovery - Explore millions of books across all genres
• 🔍 Global Search - Powerful search functionality across all content types

• 🤖 AI Summaries - Instant AI-generated summaries powered by Google Gemini
• 🎯 Smart Recommendations - Personalized content suggestions based on your reading history
• 📅 Daily Briefing - Tailored daily briefing with trending topics in your interests
• 💡 Intelligent Insights - Context-aware information extraction

• 💾 Save & Organize - Save content and organize into custom collections
• 💬 Community Engagement - Comment on content and discuss with other readers
• 👤 User Profiles - Customize preferences, reading habits, and notification settings
• 📊 Reading Analytics - Track your reading progress and statistics

• 📊 Admin Dashboard - Comprehensive analytics and platform statistics
• 👥 User Management - Monitor users and manage platform health
• 📈 Performance Metrics - Real-time performance monitoring

• Next.js 14 - Modern React framework with App Router and Server Components
• React 18 - Declarative UI library
• TypeScript 5.0 - Static type safety and enhanced developer experience
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework for responsive design
• Framer Motion - Smooth, performant animations and transitions
• Glassmorphism UI - Modern frosted glass design patterns
• ESLint - Code quality and consistency

• Node.js 18+ - JavaScript runtime
• Express.js - Lightweight and flexible web framework
• MongoDB Atlas - Scalable NoSQL cloud database
• Mongoose - Elegant MongoDB object modeling
• JWT (JSON Web Tokens) - Secure authentication mechanism
• Google Gemini AI - Advanced AI capabilities for content summarization 6

• Node.js 18+ and npm/yarn package manager
• MongoDB Atlas account (free tier available at mongodb.com/cloud)
• Google AI Studio API key (free at aistudio.google.com)
• Git installed on your machine

git clone https://github.com/vedant21-ctr/readLife.git
cd readLife

cd readstream-backend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Create environment file
cp .env.example .env

# Edit .env with your credentials (MongoDB URI, API keys, etc.)
nano .env

cd ../readstream-frontend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Create environment file
cp .env.example .env.local

# Update API endpoint if needed
nano .env.local

Terminal 1 - Backend Server:

cd readstream-backend
npm run dev
# Server runs on http://localhost:5001

Terminal 2 - Frontend Server (TypeScript + Next.js):

cd readstream-frontend
npm run dev
# Frontend runs on http://localhost:3000

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:3000

# Server Configuration
PORT=5001

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/readlife?retryWrites=true

# Authentication
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-here
JWT_EXPIRE=7d

# AI Service
GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY=your-google-gemini-api-key

# CORS & Frontend
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000
NODE_ENV=development

# API Endpoint
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:5001/api

# Optional: Analytics, third-party services can be added here

Note: Never commit .env files to version control. They should be in .gitignore.

readLife/
├── readstream-backend/              # Express.js backend API
│   ├── config/                      # Database configuration
│   ├── controllers/                 # Request handlers & business logic
│   ├── middleware/                  # Custom middleware (auth, error handling)
│   ├── models/                      # Mongoose schemas & models
│   ├── routes/                      # API endpoint definitions
│   ├── services/                    # Core business logic & utilities
│   ├── utils/                       # Helper functions
│   ├── server.js                   # Express server entry point
│   ├── package.json                # Dependencies
│   └── nodemon.json                # Development configuration
│
├── readstream-frontend/             # Next.js + TypeScript frontend
│   ├── app/                        # Next.js App Router directory
│   │   ├── layout.tsx              # Root layout component
│   │   ├── page.tsx                # Home page
│   │   ├── login/                  # Authentication pages
│   │   ├── signup/                 # User registration
│   │   ├── news/                   # News feed
│   │   ├── trending/               # Trending content
│   │   ├── dashboard/              # User dashboard
│   │   ├── payment/                # Payment & subscription
│   │   └── subscription/           # Subscription management
│   ├── components/                 # Reusable React components (TypeScript)
│   │   ├── Navbar.tsx             # Navigation component
│   │   ├── NewsCard.tsx           # News article card
│   │   ├── HotNewsSlider.tsx      # Carousel component
│   │   ├── SmoothScroll.tsx       # Scroll utilities
│   │   └── ui/                    # UI components
│   ├── contexts/                   # React Context (TypeScript)
│   │   ├── AuthContext.tsx        # Authentication state
│   │   └── LanguageContext.tsx    # Localization state
│   ├── lib/                        # Utilities & helpers (TypeScript)
│   │   ├── api.ts                 # API client
│   │   ├── auth.ts                # Authentication utilities
│   │   └── utils.ts               # General utilities
│   ├── providers/                  # Context providers
│   ├── public/                     # Static assets
│   ├── globals.css                # Global styles
│   ├── tsconfig.json              # TypeScript configuration
│   ├── tailwind.config.ts         # Tailwind CSS configuration
│   ├── next.config.ts             # Next.js configuration
│   ├── eslint.config.mjs          # ESLint rules
│   └── package.json               # Dependencies
│
└── README.md                        # This file

POST   /auth/signup              - Register a new user account
POST   /auth/login               - Login and receive JWT token
GET    /auth/me                  - Get current authenticated user

GET    /news                     - Fetch news articles with pagination
GET    /news/:id                 - Get detailed news article
GET    /news/search              - Search news by keywords

GET    /saved                    - Retrieve all saved items
POST   /saved                    - Save a new item
DELETE /saved/:id               - Remove a saved item

GET    /collections              - Get user's collections
POST   /collections              - Create a new collection
PUT    /collections/:id          - Update collection
DELETE /collections/:id          - Delete collection

POST   /ai/summarize             - Generate AI summary for content
GET    /ai/recommendations       - Get personalized recommendations
GET    /ai/daily-brief           - Get daily AI briefing

GET    /admin/users              - Get all users (admin only)
GET    /admin/analytics          - Get platform analytics (admin only)
GET    /admin/stats              - Get system statistics (admin only)

• Utilizes Google Gemini AI to generate concise, accurate summaries
• Produces 3-4 sentence abstracts capturing key information
• Handles multiple content formats: articles, papers, and book descriptions
• Instant processing with caching to optimize API usage

• AI-generated daily digest tailored to user preferences
• Aggregates trending topics from reading history
• Summarizes multiple content pieces into cohesive briefing
• Delivered at user-configured time

• ML-powered suggestion engine analyzing user behavior
• Considers saved items, reading patterns, and engagement metrics
• Adapts to evolving user interests over time
• Surfaces high-quality, relevant content

# Start dev server with hot reload
cd readstream-frontend
npm run dev

# Type checking
npm run type-check

# Linting
npm run lint

# Build for production
npm run build

# Preview production build
npm run start

# Start with auto-reload (nodemon)
cd readstream-backend
npm run dev

# Run tests
npm test

# Build for production
npm run build

• Strict mode enabled for type safety
• ESLint configured for consistent code style
• Source maps for easier debugging
• Path aliases configured for clean imports

• Glassmorphism - Modern frosted glass effect for contemporary UI
• Color Palette - Clean neutrals (white, gray, soft black) with indigo accents
• Accent Color - Indigo (#6366f1) for interactive elements and CTAs
• Typography - Inter font family for optimal readability
• Spacing - Consistent 8px grid system for harmonious layouts

• Responsive Design - Mobile-first approach with Tailwind CSS breakpoints
• Smooth Animations - Framer Motion for polished interactions
• Skeleton Loading - UI placeholders for better perceived performance
• Accessibility - WCAG compliance for inclusive user experience

• 🔑 JWT Tokens - Industry-standard JSON Web Token authentication
• 🔒 Password Security - Bcrypt hashing with salt rounds for secure password storage
• 🛡️ Protected Routes - Middleware-based route protection both frontend and backend
• 👤 Role-Based Access Control - Admin-only endpoints with permission verification

• 🚫 CORS Configuration - Restricted cross-origin requests for API security
• ✅ Input Validation - Comprehensive validation on all user inputs
• 🛡️ MongoDB Injection Prevention - Sanitized queries and parameterized statements
• 🔐 Environment Secrets - Sensitive keys never exposed in codebase

• Rate limiting on sensitive endpoints (planned)
• HTTPS enforcement in production deployments
• Regular security audits and dependency updates
• Error handling without revealing sensitive information

1. Push to GitHub - Ensure code is committed and pushed
2. Import in Vercel - Go to vercel.com, import repository
3. Configure Environment

   NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://your-backend.render.com/api
   

4. Deploy - Vercel automatically deploys on each push

1. Push to GitHub - Ensure code is committed and pushed
2. Create Web Service - Create new service on Render/Railway
3. Configure Environment - Add all variables from .env
4. Deploy - Choose branch and deploy
5. Verify - Test API endpoints from deployed URL

• Update API URLs in environment variables
• Enable HTTPS/SSL
• Configure database backups
• Set up monitoring and logging
• Review security settings
• Test all features in production
• Set up CI/CD pipeline

• Next.js Server Components for reduced client JS
• API response caching strategies
• Database indexing on frequently queried fields
• Image optimization via Next.js Image component
• Code splitting and lazy loading

Port Already in Use

# Find process using port
lsof -i :5001  # backend
lsof -i :3000  # frontend

# Kill process
kill -9 <PID>

MongoDB Connection Failed

• Verify MongoDB URI in .env
• Check IP whitelist in MongoDB Atlas
• Ensure cluster is active

TypeScript Errors

cd readstream-frontend
npm run type-check

API Not Responding

• Verify backend is running: curl http://localhost:5001/api
• Check CORS settings in backend
• Review browser console for errors

Build Failures

• Clear node modules: rm -rf node_modules && npm install
• Check Node.js version: node --version (should be 18+)
• Review build logs for specific errors

We welcome contributions! Whether it's bug fixes, features, or documentation improvements, your help is appreciated.

1. Fork the repository - Click the fork button on GitHub
2. Create a branch - git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
3. Make your changes - Edit files and commit with clear messages
4. Push to branch - git push origin feature/amazing-feature
5. Open Pull Request - Describe your changes and link related issues

• Follow existing code style and patterns
• Use TypeScript for all frontend components
• Write meaningful commit messages
• Add comments for complex logic
• Test changes before submitting PR
• Update documentation as needed

Please open an issue on GitHub including:

• Problem description and steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Environment details (OS, Node version, etc.)
• Screenshots or error messages if applicable

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Vedant Satbhai & Augustya Purohit — Backend Core

• Express server setup, middleware pipeline
• All 5 Mongoose models (User, Content, SavedItem, Collection, Comment)
• JWT authentication, bcrypt password hashing
• Auth middleware (protect, admin)
• Database configuration and connection

Prajjwal Tripathi & Mukund Mangla — Frontend

• All Next.js pages (Home, News, Dashboard, Login, Signup, Subscription, Payment)
• React components (Navbar, NewsCard, HotNewsSlider, SkeletonCard)
• AuthContext, LanguageContext, ThemeProvider
• Framer Motion animations, Tailwind CSS styling

Ram Bharadwaj — Report & Diagrams

• Full Technical Project Report
• ER Diagram, Sequence Diagram, Use Case Diagram, Class Diagram

Vedant Satbhai — Additional

• UML & Architecture Diagrams

• Next.js Documentation - Frontend framework
• TypeScript Handbook - Type-safe JavaScript
• Express.js API - Backend framework
• MongoDB Docs - Database documentation
• Google Gemini API - AI features

• React TypeScript Cheatsheet
• RESTful API Best Practices
• JWT Authentication Guide
• Tailwind CSS Docs

• Postman - API testing
• MongoDB Compass - Database GUI
• VS Code - Code editor
• Git - Version control