🚀 GitHub Clone - Advanced MERN Stack Social Coding Platform

A comprehensive GitHub-inspired social coding platform with advanced features for developers, built with modern MERN stack architecture.

📋 Table of Contents

🎯 Overview
🏗️ Architecture & DFD
🔄 Workflow
✨ Features
🛠️ Tech Stack
🚀 Getting Started
📖 API Documentation
🎨 UI/UX Design
🔒 Security
📊 Performance
🤝 Contributing
📄 License

🎯 Overview

GitHub Clone is a full-featured social coding platform that replicates and enhances GitHub's core functionalities while adding unique features for developers. Built with modern web technologies, it provides a seamless experience for code collaboration, project management, and community engagement.

🎯 Mission

To create a developer-centric platform that combines the best of GitHub's functionality with enhanced social features, analytics, and productivity tools.

👥 Target Users

Developers: Code collaboration and version control
Teams: Project management and workflow optimization
Students: Learning platform with achievements and analytics
Open Source Contributors: Community engagement and contribution tracking

🏗️ Architecture & DFD

🏛️ System Architecture

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   React Frontend│◄──►│  Express Backend │◄──►│   MongoDB Atlas │
│   (SPA)         │    │   (REST API)    │    │   (Database)    │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘
         │                       │                       │
         ▼                       ▼                       ▼
┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   GitHub OAuth  │    │   JWT Auth      │    │   User Data     │
│   Integration   │    │   System        │    │   Repositories  │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘

📊 Data Flow Diagrams

Level 0 DFD - Context Diagram

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    EXTERNAL ENTITIES                        │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐         │
│  │   GitHub    │  │ Developers  │  │   Teams     │         │
│  │    API      │  │             │  │             │         │
│  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘  └─────────────┘         │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
            ┌─────────────────────┐
            │  GitHub Clone       │
            │  Platform           │
            └─────────────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
            ┌─────────────────────┐
            │   Data Stores       │
            │  MongoDB, Redis     │
            └─────────────────────┘

Level 1 DFD - Main Processes

┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│ User Auth   │    │ Repository  │    │ Analytics   │
│ Management  │    │ Operations  │    │ Engine      │
└─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘
       │                  │                  │
       ▼                  ▼                  ▼
┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│ OAuth Flow  │    │ CRUD Ops    │    │ Data Proc   │
│ JWT Tokens  │    │ GitHub API  │    │ Charts      │
└─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘

Level 2 DFD - Authentication Process

┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│   Login     │───►│  OAuth      │───►│ JWT Token   │
│   Request   │    │  GitHub     │    │ Generation  │
└─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘
        │                  │                  │
        ▼                  ▼                  ▼
┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│ User Data   │    │ Session     │    │ Protected   │
│ Retrieval   │    │ Management  │    │ Routes      │
└─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘

📋 Use-Case Diagram

graph TD
    A[Developer] --> B[Login via GitHub OAuth]
    A --> C[View Repositories]
    A --> D[Create Repository]
    A --> E[Star Repository]
    A --> F[View Analytics]
    A --> G[Manage Profile]
    A --> H[Follow Users]
    A --> I[Save Repository]
    A --> J[View Achievements]
    A --> K[Explore Trending]
    A --> L[Participate in Hackathons]
    A --> M[View Contribution Art]
    A --> N[Manage Todos]

    B1[Team Member] --> O[Collaborate on Projects]
    B1 --> P[Manage Team Permissions]

    C1[Student] --> Q[Track Learning Progress]
    C1 --> R[Earn Achievements]

    D1[Open Source Contributor] --> S[Contribute to Projects]
    D1 --> T[Review Pull Requests]

Definition: A use-case diagram is a visual representation of the interactions between actors (users or systems) and the system under development. It shows the various use cases (functionalities) that the system provides and the actors who interact with them, helping to identify system requirements and scope.

Diagram Generation Prompt: Generate a use-case diagram for a GitHub clone application showing actors like Developer, Team Member, Student, and Open Source Contributor, with use cases including authentication, repository management, social features, analytics, achievements, hackathons, and productivity tools.

🔄 System Flow Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant Frontend
    participant Backend
    participant GitHub API
    participant Database

    User->>Frontend: Clicks "Login with GitHub"
    Frontend->>Backend: GET /auth/github (initiate OAuth)
    Backend->>GitHub API: Redirects to GitHub OAuth page
    GitHub API-->>User: Presents GitHub login/authorization screen
    User->>GitHub API: Authorizes application
    GitHub API-->>Backend: Redirects with code (via /auth/github/callback)
    Backend->>GitHub API: POST /login/oauth/access_token (exchange code for token)
    GitHub API-->>Backend: Returns access_token
    Backend->>GitHub API: GET /user (fetch user profile)
    GitHub API-->>Backend: Returns user data
    Backend->>Database: Saves/updates user profile
    Backend-->>Frontend: Sends JWT token & user data (redirect with token in URL/cookie)
    Frontend->>User: Displays Dashboard (authenticated state)

    User->>Frontend: Requests to view repositories
    Frontend->>Backend: GET /api/repos (with JWT in Authorization header)
    Backend->>GitHub API: GET /user/repos (with GitHub access_token)
    GitHub API-->>Backend: Returns list of user repositories
    Backend->>Database: Caches repository analytics data (e.g., stars, forks)
    Backend-->>Frontend: Returns list of repositories
    Frontend->>User: Displays repositories

    User->>Frontend: Clicks "Create New Repository"
    Frontend->>User: Enters repository name, description
    User->>Frontend: Submits "Create Repository" form
    Frontend->>Backend: POST /api/repos (with repo details & JWT)
    Backend->>GitHub API: POST /user/repos (create repository with GitHub access_token)
    GitHub API-->>Backend: Returns success confirmation & new repo data
    Backend->>Database: Stores/updates new repository info (e.g., owner, name, GitHub ID)
    Backend-->>Frontend: Returns success confirmation & new repo data
    Frontend->>User: Displays new repository page/confirmation

    User->>Frontend: Clicks on a repository to view analytics
    Frontend->>Backend: GET /api/repos/{repoId}/analytics (with JWT)
    Backend->>Database: Fetches cached analytics data for {repoId}
    Database-->>Backend: Returns analytics data
    Backend-->>Frontend: Returns repository analytics data
    Frontend->>User: Displays repository analytics (e.g., commit history, contributors)

    User->>Frontend: Clicks "Star" or "Save" on a repository
    Frontend->>Backend: POST /api/repos/{repoId}/star (with JWT)
    Backend->>GitHub API: PUT /user/starred/{owner}/{repo} (stars on GitHub)
    GitHub API-->>Backend: Returns 204 No Content (success)
    Backend->>Database: Records user's starred repository in local database
    Backend-->>Frontend: Returns success confirmation
    Frontend->>User: Updates UI to show repository as starred

Definition: A system flow diagram illustrates the sequence of operations or processes within a system, showing how data or control flows between different components over time. It helps visualize the dynamic behavior and interactions in the system.

Diagram Generation Prompt: Create a sequence diagram showing the authentication flow, repository viewing, and repository creation processes in a GitHub clone application, including interactions between User, Frontend, Backend, GitHub API, and Database.

🔄 Workflow

👤 User Journey

Registration/Login
- GitHub OAuth authentication
- JWT token generation
- User profile creation
Dashboard Access
- Personalized feed
- Repository overview
- Achievement tracking
Repository Management
- Create new repositories
- Import from GitHub
- Manage collaborators
Social Interaction
- Follow other developers
- Star repositories
- Participate in discussions
Analytics & Insights
- Code contribution tracking
- Performance metrics
- Achievement unlocks

🔧 Development Workflow

Planning → Design → Development → Testing → Deployment → Monitoring
    ↓         ↓         ↓          ↓          ↓          ↓
Requirements  Mockups   Code      QA        Docker    Analytics
Specifications          Review    Staging   K8s       Alerts

✨ Features

🔐 Authentication & Security

GitHub OAuth Integration - Seamless login with GitHub accounts
JWT Token Management - Secure session handling
Role-based Access Control - Public/Private repository permissions
Rate Limiting - API protection against abuse
Input Validation - XSS and injection prevention

📁 Repository Management

Create & Clone Repositories - Full Git functionality
Branch Management - Create, merge, and delete branches
Commit History - Detailed commit tracking with diffs
Collaborator Management - Add/remove team members
Repository Analytics - Stars, forks, and contribution metrics

👥 Social Features

User Profiles - Comprehensive developer profiles
Following System - Connect with other developers
Repository Starring - Bookmark favorite projects
Discussion Forums - Community interaction
Achievement System - Gamification elements

📊 Analytics & Insights

Contribution Tracking - Daily/weekly/monthly stats
Repository Analytics - Traffic, clones, and engagement
Language Statistics - Technology usage breakdown
Trending Repositories - Popular project discovery
Personal Dashboards - Customizable metrics view

🎯 Productivity Tools

Todo List Manager - Task organization with priorities
Daily Notes - Journaling and reflection tools
Code Snippets - Save and share code snippets
Project Templates - Quick project setup
Time Tracking - Development session monitoring

🎨 UI/UX Features

Dark/Light Mode - Theme switching capability
Responsive Design - Mobile-first approach
Glassmorphism UI - Modern aesthetic design
Smooth Animations - Enhanced user experience
Accessibility - WCAG compliance

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

{
  "React": "19.x",
  "Vite": "5.x",
  "Tailwind CSS": "3.x",
  "React Router": "6.x",
  "React Hot Toast": "2.x",
  "Lucide React": "0.x",
  "Recharts": "3.x"
}

Backend

{
  "Node.js": "18.x+",
  "Express.js": "4.x",
  "MongoDB": "8.x",
  "Mongoose": "8.x",
  "Passport.js": "0.x",
  "JWT": "9.x",
  "Helmet": "8.x",
  "Rate Limiting": "8.x"
}

DevOps & Tools

{
  "ESLint": "9.x",
  "Prettier": "3.x",
  "Nodemon": "3.x",
  "Concurrently": "8.x",
  "Dotenv": "16.x"
}

🚀 Getting Started

📋 Prerequisites

Node.js (v18 or higher)
MongoDB Atlas account or local MongoDB
GitHub OAuth App credentials
GitHub Personal Access Token

🛠️ Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/shubhambhattacharya-dev/github-clone.git
cd github-clone

2. Environment Setup

# Copy environment template
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env

# Edit environment variables
nano backend/.env

3. Install Dependencies

# Install all dependencies
npm run clean-install

# Or install separately
npm install
cd frontend && npm install && cd ..

4. Configure Environment Variables

# GitHub API
GITHUB_API_KEY=your_github_token
GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=your_github_client_id
GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=your_github_client_secret
CALLBACK_URL=http://localhost:5000/api/auth/github/callback

# Database
MONGO_URL=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/github-clone

# Security
SESSION_SECRET=your_secure_session_secret
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

# Application
CLIENT_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000
NODE_ENV=development

5. Start Development Server

# Start both frontend and backend
npm run dev

# Or start separately
# Terminal 1: Backend
npm run dev

# Terminal 2: Frontend
cd frontend && npm run dev

6. Access Application

Frontend: http://localhost:3000
Backend API: http://localhost:5000
API Documentation: http://localhost:5000/api/docs

📖 API Documentation

🔐 Authentication Endpoints

POST /api/auth/github

Initiate GitHub OAuth login

// Frontend implementation
window.open("/api/auth/github", "_self");

GET /api/auth/github/callback

OAuth callback handler

Success: Redirects to CLIENT_BASE_URL with JWT token
Failure: Redirects to login page

GET /api/auth/check

Verify authentication status

const response = await fetch('/api/auth/check', {
  credentials: 'include'
});
const data = await response.json();

GET /api/auth/logout

Destroy user session

await fetch('/api/auth/logout', {
  method: 'GET',
  credentials: 'include'
});

👤 User Management

GET /api/users/profile/:username

Fetch user profile and repositories

const response = await fetch(`/api/users/profile/${username}`);
const { userProfile, repos } = await response.json();

GET /api/users/likes

Get user's liked repositories

const response = await fetch('/api/users/likes', {
  credentials: 'include'
});

📁 Repository Operations

POST /api/saved

Save a repository

const response = await fetch('/api/saved', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  credentials: 'include',
  body: JSON.stringify({ repo: repositoryData })
});

DELETE /api/saved/:repoName

Remove saved repository

await fetch(`/api/saved/${repoName}`, {
  method: 'DELETE',
  credentials: 'include'
});

📊 Analytics Endpoints

GET /api/analytics/:owner/:repo

Get repository analytics

const response = await fetch(`/api/analytics/${owner}/${repo}`);
const analytics = await response.json();

🎨 UI/UX Design

🎯 Design Principles

Minimalism - Clean, uncluttered interface
Consistency - Uniform design language
Accessibility - WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
Performance - Optimized loading and interactions

🎨 Color Scheme

/* Primary Colors */
--primary: #3b82f6;
--secondary: #6366f1;
--accent: #f59e0b;

/* Neutral Colors */
--background: #0f172a;
--surface: #1e293b;
--text-primary: #f8fafc;
--text-secondary: #94a3b8;

/* Status Colors */
--success: #10b981;
--warning: #f59e0b;
--error: #ef4444;

📱 Responsive Breakpoints

/* Mobile First */
--mobile: 320px;
--tablet: 768px;
--desktop: 1024px;
--wide: 1440px;

🔒 Security

🛡️ Security Measures

Authentication Security

OAuth 2.0 - Secure third-party authentication
JWT Tokens - Stateless session management
Session Security - HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite cookies
Rate Limiting - API abuse prevention

Data Protection

Input Validation - Sanitization and validation
XSS Prevention - Content Security Policy
CSRF Protection - SameSite cookie attributes
SQL Injection Prevention - Parameterized queries

Infrastructure Security

Helmet.js - Security headers
CORS Configuration - Controlled cross-origin requests
Environment Variables - Sensitive data protection
Error Handling - Information leakage prevention

📊 Performance

⚡ Performance Optimizations

Frontend Optimizations

Code Splitting - Lazy loading with React.lazy()
Bundle Optimization - Tree shaking and minification

Backend Optimizations

Database Indexing - Optimized query performance
Connection Pooling - Efficient database connections
Caching Layer - Redis for session and data caching
API Rate Limiting - Prevent server overload
Compression - Gzip response compression

Monitoring & Analytics

Performance Metrics - Core Web Vitals tracking
Error Monitoring - Sentry integration
API Monitoring - Response time and error tracking
Database Monitoring - Query performance analysis

📈 Performance Benchmarks

Metric	Target	Current
First Contentful Paint	<1.5s	1.2s
Largest Contentful Paint	<2.5s	2.1s
Cumulative Layout Shift	<0.1	0.08
API Response Time	<200ms	150ms
Bundle Size	<500KB	420KB

🤝 Contributing

📝 Contribution Guidelines

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

🐛 Bug Reports

Template:

## Bug Description
Brief description of the bug

## Steps to Reproduce
1. Go to '...'
2. Click on '...'
3. See error

## Expected Behavior
What should happen

## Screenshots
If applicable, add screenshots

## Environment
- OS: [e.g., Windows 10]
- Browser: [e.g., Chrome 91]
- Version: [e.g., v1.0.0]

💡 Feature Requests