Cheers

Cheers is a modern matchmaking and chat web application built with React (client) and Node.js/Express (server). It allows users to create profiles, match with others based on preferences, and chat in real time with message limits and fun features.

Features

• User authentication (signup/login)
• Profile creation with image upload
• Matchmaking based on gender, age, and drink preferences ("Cheers To")
• Like (favourite) and dislike users
• Real-time chat with Socket.IO
• Emoji picker in chat
• Automated suggestions and message limits in chat
• Profile editing
• Responsive, modern UI with Tailwind CSS

Project Structure

cheers/
  client/    # React frontend
  server/    # Node.js/Express backend

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+ recommended)
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB database (local or cloud, e.g. MongoDB Atlas)

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Running the Server

1. Open a terminal and navigate to the server directory:

   cd server

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Create a .env file in the server directory with the following:

   MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

4. Start the server:

   node index.js

   The server will run on http://localhost:5000

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Running the Client

1. Open a new terminal and navigate to the client directory:

   cd client

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

   The client will run on http://localhost:5173 by default.

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Usage

• Visit the client URL in your browser.
• Sign up, create your profile, and start matching and chatting!

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Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, Vite, Tailwind CSS, React Router, Socket.IO Client
• Backend: Node.js, Express, MongoDB, Mongoose, Socket.IO

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License

This project is for educational/demo purposes.