Uprophet Backend

A Modernized Social Networking API for Expressive Quotes

Overview

Uprophet is a full-stack social networking platform that provides users a dedicated space to express themselves by creating and sharing quotes. Originally developed in 2015 using PHP, this backend has been entirely re-engineered into a modern, type-safe Node.js and Express 5 architecture to improve scalability, security, and developer experience.

Key Features

• Quote Engine: Complete CRUD functionality for managing user-generated quotes with image upload support.
• JWT Authentication: Secure user sessions using JSON Web Tokens (Access & Refresh tokens) with specialized middleware.
• Zod Validation: Strict schema validation for all incoming requests ensuring data integrity and type safety.
• Email Integration: Automated transactional emails (like welcome messages) powered by Resend.
• Modern ORM: Type-safe database interactions using Drizzle ORM with automated migrations.
• Production Reliability: Architected for modern cloud environments like Railway.

Technical Stack

• Language: TypeScript 6
• Server: Express 5
• Database: MySQL (via mysql2)
• ORM: Drizzle ORM
• Validation: Zod
• Authentication: JWT (JsonWebToken)
• Email Service: Resend
• File Handling: Express-FileUpload
• Middleware: CORS, Cookie-Parser, Nodemon
• Hosting: Railway

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Installation & Setup

1. Prerequisites

• Node.js: Version 20 or higher.
• MySQL: A running local or remote instance.
• Railway Account: Optional, for cloud deployment.

2. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/uprophet-backend.git
cd uprophet-backend

3. Install Dependencies

Run the following command to install the project dependencies:

npm install

4. Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory. This project requires the following variables:

# Server Setup
PORT=3001
HOST=localhost
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3000,https://uprophet.com

# Security & JWT
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_secret
ACCESS_TOKEN_LIFE=120s
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=your_refresh_secret
REFRESH_TOKEN_LIFE=365d

# Database (Development)
DATABASE_DEV=uprophet
USER_DEV=your_db_user
PASSWORD_DEV=your_db_password

# External Services
RESEND_API_KEY=your_resend_api_key
SITE_KEY=your_site_key
NONCE_SALT=your_nonce_salt

5. Database Migrations

Initialize your database schema using Drizzle Kit. Ensure your MySQL server is running before executing:

# Push schema to database
npx drizzle-kit push

6. Start the Application

To launch the server in development mode with automatic restarts:

npm run dev

To build and start for production:

npm run build
npm start