🎓 MentorLink - Connect, Learn, Grow

Your Gateway to Expert Mentorship and Collaborative Learning

📚 Table of Contents

📸 Platform Showcase
✨ Features
🛠️ Tech Stack
🏗️ Architecture
🚀 Getting Started
📁 Project Structure
🔌 API Endpoints
🗄️ Database Schema
🎨 Key Features Explained
🔧 Configuration
🧪 Testing
🧯 Common Setup Errors & Fixes
🚢 Deployment
🤝 Contributing
📄 License

📸 Platform Showcase

🎯 Mentor Dashboard

👨‍🎓 Student Dashboard

🤝 Connect & Collaborate

✨ Features

🎯 For Students

🔍 Smart Mentor Discovery - Find mentors based on skills, expertise, and ratings
📅 Session Booking - Schedule 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with ease
💬 Real-time Chat - Instant messaging with mentors using Stream Chat
🎥 Video Conferencing - High-quality video sessions powered by ZegoCloud
📝 Task Management - Track assignments and progress with your mentor
🏆 Karma System - Earn points for profile completion, sessions, and engagement
💭 Community Forum - Ask questions and get answers from the community
📊 Progress Tracking - Monitor your learning journey and achievements

👨‍🏫 For Mentors

📋 Mentee Management - Manage all your students in one place
⏰ Session Scheduling - Control your availability and bookings
💰 Earnings Dashboard - Track your income and payment history
📈 Analytics - View session stats and student progress
✍️ Profile Customization - Showcase your skills, experience, and social links
🎯 Task Assignment - Create and track tasks for your mentees
⭐ Reviews & Ratings - Build your reputation through student feedback
💬 Direct Messaging - Stay connected with your mentees

🌟 Platform Highlights

🔐 Secure Authentication - JWT-based auth with Google OAuth integration
🎨 Modern UI/UX - Beautiful dark theme with smooth animations
📱 Responsive Design - Works seamlessly on desktop, tablet, and mobile
⚡ Real-time Updates - Live notifications and instant messaging
🔔 Smart Notifications - Stay updated on bookings, messages, and tasks
💳 Payment Integration - Secure payment processing with Razorpay
🎓 Skill-based Matching - Connect with mentors in your field of interest

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

Technology	Purpose	Version
React	UI Framework	19.1.1
Vite	Build Tool	7.1.7
TailwindCSS	Styling	3.4.18
React Router	Navigation	7.9.6
Axios	HTTP Client	1.13.2
Socket.io Client	Real-time Communication	4.8.1
Stream Chat	Messaging Service	9.26.1
ZegoCloud	Video Conferencing	2.17.1
Framer Motion	Animations	12.23.26
Lucide React	Icons	0.553.0
React Toastify	Notifications	11.0.5
JWT Decode	Token Management	4.0.0
Date-fns	Date Utilities	4.1.0

Backend

Technology	Purpose	Version
Node.js	Runtime	>=18.0.0
Express	Web Framework	5.1.0
MongoDB	Database	8.19.3
Mongoose	ODM	8.19.3
Socket.io	WebSocket Server	4.7.5
JWT	Authentication	9.0.2
Bcrypt	Password Hashing	6.0.0
Cloudinary	Image Storage	2.8.0
Razorpay	Payment Gateway	2.9.6
Nodemailer	Email Service	6.9.16
Zod	Validation	4.1.12

🏗️ Architecture

System Architecture Overview

graph TB
    %% User Layer
    subgraph "Users"
        Student[👨‍🎓 Student]
        Mentor[👨‍🏫 Mentor]
    end
    
    %% Frontend Layer
    subgraph "Frontend (React + Vite)"
        Web[🌐 Web App<br/>Responsive UI<br/>Dark Theme]
        ChatUI[💬 Chat Interface<br/>Stream Chat]
        VideoUI[🎥 Video Conference<br/>ZegoCloud]
        Notifications[🔔 Real-time Notifications<br/>Socket.io]
    end
    
    %% Backend Layer
    subgraph "Backend (Node.js + Express)"
        API[🔌 REST API<br/>Authentication<br/>Business Logic]
        SocketServer[📡 Socket.io Server<br/>Real-time Events]
        Auth[JWT Auth<br/>Google OAuth]
        FileUpload[📁 File Upload<br/>Cloudinary]
        Payment[💳 Payment Gateway<br/>Razorpay]
        Email[📧 Email Service<br/>Nodemailer]
    end
    
    %% Database Layer
    subgraph "Database"
        MongoDB[(📊 MongoDB<br/>User Data<br/>Sessions<br/>Messages)]
    end
    
    %% External Services
    subgraph "External Services"
        Stream[💬 Stream Chat<br/>Messaging API]
        Zego[🎥 ZegoCloud<br/>Video SDK]
        Google[🔐 Google OAuth<br/>Authentication]
        Razorpay[💰 Razorpay<br/>Payments]
        Cloudinary[🖼️ Cloudinary<br/>Image Storage]
    end
    
    %% Connections
    Student --> Web
    Mentor --> Web
    
    Web --> API
    Web --> ChatUI
    Web --> VideoUI
    Web --> Notifications
    
    ChatUI --> Stream
    VideoUI --> Zego
    Notifications --> SocketServer
    
    API --> Auth
    API --> FileUpload
    API --> Payment
    API --> Email
    
    Auth --> Google
    Payment --> Razorpay
    FileUpload --> Cloudinary
    
    API --> MongoDB
    SocketServer --> MongoDB

Architecture Components

🎨 Frontend Architecture

Single Page Application (SPA) built with React 19
Component-based architecture with reusable UI components
State management using React Context and hooks
Real-time communication via Socket.io and WebSocket connections
Responsive design with TailwindCSS for mobile-first approach

⚙️ Backend Architecture

RESTful API design with Express.js framework
Microservices-ready structure with modular controllers
Real-time capabilities using Socket.io for live updates
Authentication & Authorization with JWT tokens and OAuth
File handling with Cloudinary integration for media uploads

🗄️ Data Architecture

Document-based database using MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
Schema validation with Zod for input validation
Indexing strategy for optimal query performance
Data relationships managed through references and population

🔗 Integration Architecture

Third-party services integration (Stream Chat, ZegoCloud, Razorpay)
OAuth 2.0 flow for Google authentication
Webhook handling for payment confirmations
Email service integration for notifications

📡 Real-time Architecture

WebSocket connections for instant messaging and notifications
Room-based communication for video conferencing
Event-driven updates for live dashboard data
Connection management with automatic reconnection

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Node.js (v18 or higher) - Download
MongoDB (v6 or higher) - Download
Git - Download

Installation

1️⃣ Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/arshchouhan/MentorLink.git
cd MentorLink

2️⃣ Backend Setup

cd Backend
npm install

Create a .env file in the Backend directory:

# Server Configuration
PORT=4000
NODE_ENV=development

# Database
MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/mentorlink

# Authentication
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_here

# Cloudinary (Image Upload)
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

# Payment Gateway
RAZORPAY_KEY_ID=your_razorpay_key
RAZORPAY_KEY_SECRET=your_razorpay_secret

# Email Service
EMAIL_USER=your_email@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASS=your_app_password

# Stream Chat
STREAM_API_KEY=your_stream_api_key
STREAM_API_SECRET=your_stream_api_secret

# Google OAuth
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_google_client_secret

# Java Microservices (Optional)
JAVA_KARMA_API=http://localhost:8081/api/karma

3️⃣ Frontend Setup

cd ../Frontend
npm install

Create a .env.local file in the Frontend directory:

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:4000/api
VITE_STREAM_CHAT_API_KEY=your_stream_api_key
VITE_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id
VITE_RAZORPAY_KEY_ID=your_razorpay_key

4️⃣ Run the Application

Start Backend Server:

cd Backend
npm run dev
# Server runs on http://localhost:4000

Start Frontend Development Server:

cd Frontend
npm run dev
# App runs on http://localhost:5173

📁 Project Structure

Frontend Structure

Frontend/
├── src/
│   ├── assets/              # Images, logos, and static files
│   │   ├── Logo.png
│   │   ├── MentorDahboard.png
│   │   ├── studentdashbaordimage.png
│   │   └── connect*.png
│   ├── components/          # Reusable React components
│   │   ├── Chat/           # Chat components
│   │   ├── Forum/          # Forum components
│   │   ├── StudentChat/    # Student chat components
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── config/             # Configuration files
│   │   ├── apiConfig.js    # Backend switcher (Node.js/Java)
│   │   └── zegoConfig.js   # Video conference config
│   ├── context/            # React Context providers
│   ├── hooks/              # Custom React hooks
│   ├── pages/              # Page components
│   │   ├── MentorDashboard.jsx
│   │   ├── StudentDashboard.jsx
│   │   ├── MeetingRoomZego.jsx
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── services/           # API service layer
│   │   ├── authService.js
│   │   ├── messageService.js
│   │   ├── forumService.js
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── utils/              # Utility functions
│   ├── App.jsx             # Main app component
│   └── main.jsx            # Entry point
├── package.json
└── vite.config.js

Backend Structure

Backend/
├── config/
│   └── db.js               # MongoDB connection
├── controllers/            # Route controllers
│   ├── auth.controller.js
│   ├── mentor.controller.js
│   ├── user.controller.js
│   ├── message.controller.js
│   ├── forum.controller.js
│   └── ...
├── models/                 # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── user.model.js
│   ├── mentorProfile.model.js
│   ├── booking.model.js
│   ├── message.model.js
│   └── ...
├── routes/                 # API routes
│   ├── auth.routes.js
│   ├── mentor.routes.js
│   ├── message.routes.js
│   └── ...
├── middleware/
│   └── auth.middleware.js  # JWT authentication
├── socket/                 # Socket.IO handlers
│   ├── socketHandlers.js   # Meeting rooms
│   └── chatSocketHandlers.js # Chat messaging
├── utils/
│   └── generateToken.js
├── index.js                # Server entry point
└── package.json

🔌 API Endpoints

Authentication

POST   /api/auth/register          # Register new user
POST   /api/auth/login             # Login user
POST   /api/auth/google            # Google OAuth login
POST   /api/auth/logout            # Logout user
POST   /api/auth/forgot-password   # Request password reset
POST   /api/auth/reset-password    # Reset password

Users

GET    /api/user/me                # Get current user
PUT    /api/user/student           # Update student profile
GET    /api/user/:id               # Get user by ID

Mentors

GET    /api/mentors                # Get all mentors (with filters)
GET    /api/mentors/:id            # Get mentor by ID
POST   /api/mentors                # Create/update mentor profile
POST   /api/mentors/upload-photo   # Upload profile photo
DELETE /api/mentors/upload-photo   # Remove profile photo

Bookings/Sessions

POST   /api/bookings               # Create booking
GET    /api/bookings               # Get user's bookings
GET    /api/bookings/mentor        # Get mentor's bookings
POST   /api/bookings/:id/join      # Join session
PUT    /api/bookings/:id/status    # Update booking status

Messages

GET    /api/messages/conversations         # Get all conversations
GET    /api/messages/conversations/:id/messages  # Get messages
POST   /api/messages/send                  # Send message
PUT    /api/messages/conversations/:id/read      # Mark as read

Forum

GET    /api/forum/questions        # Get all questions
POST   /api/forum/questions        # Create question
GET    /api/forum/questions/:id    # Get question by ID
POST   /api/forum/questions/:id/answer    # Answer question
POST   /api/forum/questions/:id/upvote    # Upvote question

Tasks

GET    /api/tasks                  # Get mentor's tasks
POST   /api/tasks                  # Create task
PUT    /api/tasks/:id              # Update task
DELETE /api/tasks/:id              # Delete task
GET    /api/tasks/mentee/:id       # Get mentee's tasks

🗄️ Database Schema

Core Models

User Model

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  name: String (required),
  email: String (required, unique),
  password: String (required, hashed),
  role: String (enum: ['student', 'mentor']),
  profilePicture: String (Cloudinary URL),
  isVerified: Boolean (default: false),
  karmaPoints: Number (default: 0),
  createdAt: Date,
  updatedAt: Date
}

Mentor Profile Model

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  userId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  bio: String,
  skills: [String],
  experience: Number (years),
  hourlyRate: Number,
  availability: [{
    day: String,
    slots: [{
      startTime: String,
      endTime: String,
      isBooked: Boolean
    }]
  }],
  socialLinks: {
    linkedin: String,
    github: String,
    portfolio: String
  },
  rating: Number (1-5),
  reviewCount: Number,
  totalEarnings: Number
}

Booking Model

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  studentId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  mentorId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  sessionDate: Date,
  startTime: String,
  endTime: String,
  status: String (enum: ['pending', 'confirmed', 'completed', 'cancelled']),
  topic: String,
  meetingRoomId: String (ZegoCloud),
  paymentId: String (Razorpay),
  amount: Number,
  createdAt: Date
}

Message Model

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  conversationId: String (Stream Chat),
  senderId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  receiverId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  content: String,
  messageType: String (enum: ['text', 'question', 'insight', 'advice', 'action']),
  isRead: Boolean (default: false),
  createdAt: Date
}

Task Model

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  mentorId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  menteeId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  title: String,
  description: String,
  status: String (enum: ['not_started', 'in_progress', 'pending_review', 'completed']),
  priority: String (enum: ['low', 'medium', 'high']),
  dueDate: Date,
  progress: Number (0-100),
  createdAt: Date,
  updatedAt: Date
}

Review Model

{
  _id: ObjectId,
  bookingId: ObjectId (ref: 'Booking'),
  reviewerId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  revieweeId: ObjectId (ref: 'User'),
  rating: Number (1-5),
  comment: String,
  createdAt: Date
}

🎨 Key Features Explained

🎥 Video Conferencing

ZegoCloud Integration - Professional video/audio quality
Screen Sharing - Share your screen during sessions
Real-time Chat - Text chat during video calls
Custom Branding - Themed to match platform design

💬 Real-time Messaging

Stream Chat SDK - Enterprise-grade messaging
Message Types - Normal, questions, insights, advice, action items
Read Receipts - Know when messages are read
Typing Indicators - See when others are typing
Message History - All conversations saved to database

🏆 Karma System

Earn karma points for various activities:

✅ Profile Completion - 50 points
✅ Session Completed - 30 points
✅ Message Sent - 5 points
✅ Skill Added - 10 points
✅ Goal Set - 15 points

📊 Task Management

Create Tasks - Mentors assign tasks to mentees
Track Progress - Monitor completion percentage
Status Updates - Not Started → In Progress → Pending Review → Completed
Priority Levels - High, Medium, Low

🔧 Configuration

Backend Switching

The platform supports switching between Node.js and Java backends. Edit Frontend/src/config/apiConfig.js:

const ACTIVE_BACKEND = 'nodejs'; // or 'java'

const BACKEND_URLS = {
  nodejs: 'http://localhost:4000/api',
  java: 'http://localhost:8081/api'
};

ZegoCloud Theme

Customize video conference theme in Frontend/src/config/zegoConfig.js:

Colors, branding, and UI elements
Matches platform's dark theme with indigo accents

🧪 Testing

Run Frontend Tests

cd Frontend
npm run lint

Run Backend Tests

cd Backend
npm run dev

Test Video Conferencing

Create a booking between mentor and student
Click "Join Session" when session time arrives
Both users should connect to the same room

Test Real-time Chat

Open mentor and student dashboards in separate windows
Send messages from either side
Messages should appear instantly

🚢 Deployment

Frontend Deployment (Vercel/Netlify)

cd Frontend
npm run build
# Deploy the 'dist' folder

Backend Deployment (Heroku/Railway)

cd Backend
# Set environment variables on hosting platform
npm start

🧯 Common Setup Errors & Fixes

This section helps contributors quickly diagnose common issues encountered during local setup.

🔴 Backend server not starting

Cause:

Missing or incorrect .env values in Backend/.env

Fix:

Ensure all required variables (like MONGO_URI, JWT_SECRET) are defined
Restart server after updating env:

npm run dev

🔴 Frontend cannot connect to backend

Cause:

VITE_API_URL in Frontend/.env.local is incorrect

Fix:

Make sure it matches backend port:

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:4000/api

🔴 MongoDB connection error

Cause:

MongoDB not running locally

Fix:

Start MongoDB service:

mongod

🔴 Port already in use

Cause:

Another process using port 4000 or 5173

Fix:

Change port in .env

PORT=5000

Or kill existing process:

npx kill-port 4000

🔴 Build or install errors

Cause:

Old Node.js version

Fix:

Ensure Node.js ≥ 18:

node -v

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the ISC License.

👨‍💻 Author

Arsh Chauhan

GitHub: @arshchouhan
Email: arshchouhan004@gmail.com

🙏 Acknowledgments

React Team - For the amazing framework
Vite - For blazing fast build tool
TailwindCSS - For utility-first CSS
ZegoCloud - For video conferencing SDK
Stream - For chat infrastructure
MongoDB - For flexible database
All Contributors - For making this project better

🌟 Star this repo if you find it helpful!

Made with ❤️ by Arsh Chauhan

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 136 Commits
Backend		Backend
Frontend		Frontend
FIXES_APPLIED.md		FIXES_APPLIED.md
FRONTEND_FIXES.md		FRONTEND_FIXES.md
LOGIN_TROUBLESHOOTING.md		LOGIN_TROUBLESHOOTING.md
README.md		README.md
TODO.md		TODO.md

arshchouhan/Ment2Be

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🎓 MentorLink - Connect, Learn, Grow

Your Gateway to Expert Mentorship and Collaborative Learning

📚 Table of Contents

📸 Platform Showcase

🎯 Mentor Dashboard

👨‍🎓 Student Dashboard

🤝 Connect & Collaborate

✨ Features

🎯 For Students

👨‍🏫 For Mentors

🌟 Platform Highlights

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

Backend

🏗️ Architecture

System Architecture Overview

Architecture Components

🎨 Frontend Architecture

⚙️ Backend Architecture

🗄️ Data Architecture

🔗 Integration Architecture

📡 Real-time Architecture

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Installation

1️⃣ Clone the Repository

2️⃣ Backend Setup

3️⃣ Frontend Setup

4️⃣ Run the Application

📁 Project Structure

Frontend Structure

Backend Structure

🔌 API Endpoints

Authentication

Users

Mentors

Bookings/Sessions

Messages

Forum

Tasks

🗄️ Database Schema

Core Models

User Model

Mentor Profile Model

Booking Model

Message Model

Task Model

Review Model

🎨 Key Features Explained

🎥 Video Conferencing

💬 Real-time Messaging

🏆 Karma System

📊 Task Management

🔧 Configuration

Backend Switching

ZegoCloud Theme

🧪 Testing

Run Frontend Tests

Run Backend Tests

Test Video Conferencing

Test Real-time Chat

🚢 Deployment

Frontend Deployment (Vercel/Netlify)

Backend Deployment (Heroku/Railway)

🧯 Common Setup Errors & Fixes

🔴 Backend server not starting

🔴 Frontend cannot connect to backend

🔴 MongoDB connection error

🔴 Port already in use

🔴 Build or install errors

🤝 Contributing

📄 License

👨‍💻 Author

🙏 Acknowledgments

🌟 Star this repo if you find it helpful!

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