Next Write

A full-stack tech blog built with Node.js, Express, PostgreSQL (backend) and Next.js, Radix UI (frontend).

You can find a live version HERE

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Features

• Use authentication with email and password
• Blog posts with infinite scrolling
• Edit and Delete posts (auth required)
• Create comments and reply to other comments!

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Monorepo Structure

.
├── backend/         # Express.js + PostgreSQL API
└── next-write/     # Next.js + Radix UI

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Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+ recommended)
• npm or yarn
• PostgreSQL instance (local or cloud)

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Getting Started

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/Redesu/NextWrite
cd NextWrite

2. Setup the Backend

cd backend
cp .env.example .env   # Create your .env file

npm install
npm run dev            # or: npm start

Warning

Make sure your PostgreSQL instance is running! Check the schematic script in the last step.

Backend Environment Variables (backend/.env):

DB_HOST=your_db_host
DB_USER=your_db_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password
DB_NAME=your_db_name
DB_PORT=your_db_port

JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=how_long_the_token_expires
REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRES_IN=how_long_the_refresh_token_expires
COOKIE_EXPIRES_IN=how_long_the_cookie_expires

3. Setup the Frontend

cd ../next-write
cp .env.local.example .env.local   # Create your .env.local file
npm install
npm run dev

Frontend Environment Variables (next-write/.env.local):

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=your_api_url

4. Create the Schematic in your PostgreSQL instance

The database uses the following schematic

Create the database schema using the script in script.sql in the root of the backend folder.

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Usage

• Visit http://localhost:3000 to use the app.
• Login or register to start posting and commenting.

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API Endpoints

See backend/routes for all available endpoints.

• POST /api/auth/register – Register user

• POST /api/auth/login – Login user

• POST /api/auth/logout – Logout user

• POST /api/auth/refresh-token – Refresh token (auth required)

• GET /api/auth/me – Get user info (auth required)

• POST /api/comments/:postSlug – Add comment (auth required)

• GET /api/comments/:postSlug – List comments from a post

• POST /api/posts/:postSlug - Add a new post (auth required)

• GET /api/posts - List all posts

• GET /api/posts/:postSlug - Get a single post

• PUT /api/posts/:postSlug - Edit a post (auth required)

• DELETE /api/posts/:postSlug - Delete a post (auth required)

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Testing

The backend is covered by automated tests using Jest. The test suite includes both unit tests for controllers and integration tests for routes.

Test Structure

└───test
    ├───integration
    │   └───routes
    └───unit
        └───controllers
            ├───auth
            ├───comments
            ├───middleware
            └───posts

Running Tests

To run the full test suite, navigate to the backend directory and run the test command:

cd backend
npm test

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Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

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License

MIT