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https://github.com/jdegand/chat-group-backend

Devchallenges - Legacy - Full-Stack Developer - Chat Group
https://github.com/jdegand/chat-group-backend

devchallenges devchallenges-legacy express mongoose multer

Last synced: about 1 year ago
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Devchallenges - Legacy - Full-Stack Developer - Chat Group

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README 

          
Chat Group Backend





   Solution for a challenge from  Devchallenges.io.




## Table of Contents



- [Overview](#overview)

  - [Built With](#built-with)

- [Features](#features)

- [Thoughts](#thoughts)

- [Continued Development](#continued-development)

- [How to use](#how-to-use)

- [Useful Resources](#useful-resources)



## Overview



### Built With



- express generator

- bcrypt

- cookie-parser

- cors

- express

- jsonwebtoken

- mongoose

- multer



## Features



This application/site was created as a submission to a [DevChallenges](https://devchallenges.io/challenges) challenge. The [challenge](https://web.archive.org/web/20231130042247/https://legacy.devchallenges.io/challenges/UgCqszKR7Q7oqb4kRfI0) was to build an application to complete the given user stories. **Note**: The previous design document may be incomplete, as you need to find an archived version of the challenge as all `legacy` challenges have had their documentation removed from DevChallenges.



## Thoughts



- I left many routes open - could add `JWTVerifys` to all routes vs. just the mutate routes (post, put, delete).

- Messages and Channels are open. You can see the chat before signing in.

- Need another server, `socket.io`, to have chat group be realtime across users - don't think so - because useEffect will update the view when channels and messages change

- `Promise.all()` might be needed for multiple route calls in some functions - async - have to worry about order of results.

- Design choice: seeding the database vs. using my hacky way of creating a welcome channel if it doesn't exist.

- "select: false" in model vs removing field with `.select('-password')` vs removing field in `populate` call - what is best approach?

- Password field may be sent back in some calls - intermediate step - password forwarded along with userInfo then removed later - should exlude first and then forward or overly concerned - password is hashed and protected by jwt

- You can't pass two parameters to the same route because Express can't differentiate between them. You need to add an extra word in between i.e. `/:channel/:id` vs. `/:channel/id/:id`.

- `Channel` controller has a very convoluted route because of that and it could be cleaned up.

- Design choice: sorting with Mongoose vs. sorting `response.data` in the client. In React, use `memo` on the data.

- Multer and controllers don't mix.

- Getting file path is difficult - fakepath issues - can't get the file to save - the folder will be created - dir name in Multer middleware.

- I had issues with the Multer callback syntax. `console.logs` need to be inside functions inside the callbacks.

- Added `fs.unlink` logic to remove photos that are no longer tied to user profiles.

- Profile pictures are sourced from [freepik](https://freepik.com).  Check for links below - the majority of pictures belong to the same series.

- Added `public/uploads` to `.gitignore`.



## Continued Development



- Adding `helmet` will give better security for the server.

- Testing

- Multer (2.0) may require significant changes.

- To upgrade application to Express 5, some other changes may be needed.  I removed `maxAge` from the cookie used and move may need to be done.



## How To Use



To clone and run this application, you'll need [Git](https://git-scm.com) and [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) (which comes with [npm](http://npmjs.com)) installed on your computer. From your command line:



```bash

# Clone this repository

$ git clone https://github.com/jdegand/chat-group-backend.git



# Install dependencies

$ npm install



# Add env variables (PORT, MONGO_URI, REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET, ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET) and connect to mongo



# Run the app

$ npm start

```



## Useful Resources



- [Steps to replicate a design with only HTML and CSS](https://devchallenges-blogs.web.app/how-to-replicate-design/)

- [Mafia vector created by pikisuperstar - www.freepik.com](https://www.freepik.com/vectors/mafia)

- [Cute cat vector created by catalyststuff - www.freepik.com](https://www.freepik.com/vectors/cute-cat)

- [3d avatar psd created by freepik - www.freepik.com](https://www.freepik.com/psd/3d-avatar)

- [Github](https://github.com/piyush-eon/notezipper) - Notezipper

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/60323551/how-to-exclude-password-field-in-the-response-in-mongodb) - exclude password field in response

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40370363/express-routes-with-same-path-but-different-parameters) - express routes with same path but different parameters

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12096262/how-to-protect-the-password-field-in-mongoose-mongodb-so-it-wont-return-in-a-qu) - populate and exclude fields

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/44860181/mongoose-findbyidandupdate-not-adding-item-in-array) - findByIdAndUpdate and arrays

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/36193289/moongoose-aggregate-match-does-not-match-ids) - mongoose matching ids

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11637353/comparing-mongoose-id-and-strings) - compare mongoose ids

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70899119/filter-an-array-to-return-matching-ids-of-a-nested-array-in-javascript) - filter nested array

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21069813/mongoose-multiple-query-populate-in-a-single-call) - mutiple query populates in single call

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/67264632/mongoose-sorting-by-createdat) - mongoose sorting by createdAt

- [Express Docs](http://expressjs.com/en/resources/middleware/multer.html) - multer middleware

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27213418/node-js-and-multer-handle-the-destination-of-the-uploaded-file-in-callback-fun) - destination of uploaded file multer

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58474765/how-to-call-multer-middleware-inside-a-controller-in-nodejs) - multer and controllers

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52206055/nodejs-multer-diskstorage-not-working-why-destination-targeting-temp-folder-an) - destination troubleshooting multer

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/69347579/multer-didnt-work-for-me-not-storing-image-in-local-folder-or-database) - storing image in local folder

- [Positronx](https://www.positronx.io/react-file-upload-tutorial-with-node-express-and-multer/) - file upload tutorial with express & multer

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/33976006/multer-wont-recognize-files-with-put) - multer & put

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4851595/how-to-resolve-the-c-fakepath) - fakepath in image file name

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29317045/why-i-cant-directly-set-console-log-as-callback-function) - console.log and callback functions

- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34697502/how-to-limit-the-file-size-when-uploading-with-multer) - limit file size 

- [CodingShisha](https://codingshiksha.com/javascript/node-js-multer-file-upload-type-validation-filters-and-limit-file-size-and-error-handling-using-express-full-tutorial-for-beginners-with-examples/) - multer validation

- [Blog](https://sebhastian.com/node-check-if-file-exists/#:~:text=In%20NodeJS%2C%20You%20can%20check,%3D%20require(%22fs%22)%3B) - node check if file exists

- [Geeks for Geeks](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/node-js-fs-readdir-method/) - node fs readdir method