SocialSphere - Modern Social Media Platform

A comprehensive social media platform built with Flask, featuring real-time interactions, ephemeral stories, and modern glass morphism design.

🌟 Features

Core Social Features

• User Authentication: Secure login/register with password reset functionality
• Real-time Messaging: Direct messages between users
• Post Creation: Text posts with image upload support
• Social Interactions: Like, comment, and reshare posts
• Follow System: Follow/unfollow users with notifications
• Ephemeral Stories: 24-hour disappearing stories with views tracking
• Notifications: Real-time notifications for all social interactions

Advanced Features

• Public Feed: Discover content from all users
• Profile Management: Customizable user profiles with avatars
• Search & Discovery: Find users and explore content
• Testimonials: User testimonials with authentic photos
• Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach with dark/light themes
• Glass Morphism UI: Modern 3D effects and animations

🚀 Live Demo

Experience SocialSphere live: https://socialsphere.replit.app

Demo Credentials

• Username: Trinityu
• Email: bluesmugri@gmail.com
• Password: Mugabe

🛠️ Technology Stack

• Backend: Flask, SQLAlchemy, Flask-Login
• Frontend: Bootstrap 5, Tailwind CSS, Vanilla JavaScript
• Database: PostgreSQL (production) / SQLite (development)
• Authentication: Flask-Login with session management
• File Upload: PIL for image processing
• Styling: Glass morphism design with 3D effects

📦 Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+
• PostgreSQL (for production)

Local Development

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/socialsphere.git
   cd socialsphere

2. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set environment variables

   export SESSION_SECRET="your-secret-key"
   export DATABASE_URL="sqlite:///socialsphere.db"  # or PostgreSQL URL

4. Run the application

   python main.py

5. Access the application Open http://localhost:5000 in your browser

Replit Deployment

1. Fork this repository to your GitHub account
2. Create a new Replit project and import from GitHub
3. Set environment variables in Replit Secrets:
   • SESSION_SECRET: Your session secret key
   • DATABASE_URL: PostgreSQL connection string (auto-provided by Replit)
4. Run the project

🏗️ Project Structure

socialsphere/
├── app.py              # Flask application configuration
├── main.py             # Application entry point
├── models.py           # Database models
├── routes.py           # Application routes
├── forms.py            # WTForms definitions
├── utils.py            # Utility functions
├── templates/          # Jinja2 templates
│   ├── base.html
│   ├── index.html
│   ├── profile.html
│   └── ...
├── static/             # Static assets
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   └── uploads/
└── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies

🎨 Design Features

• Glass Morphism: Modern translucent design elements
• 3D Effects: Hover animations and depth perception
• Dark/Light Themes: Automatic theme switching
• Responsive Layout: Mobile-first responsive design
• Smooth Animations: CSS transitions and hover effects

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

• SESSION_SECRET: Required for session management
• DATABASE_URL: Database connection string
• FLASK_ENV: Set to 'development' for debug mode

Database Setup

The application automatically creates all necessary tables on first run.

📱 Usage

1. Register: Create a new account or use demo credentials
2. Profile Setup: Upload avatar and fill profile information
3. Create Posts: Share text and images with the community
4. Social Interaction: Like, comment, and reshare posts
5. Follow Users: Build your social network
6. Stories: Share ephemeral 24-hour content
7. Messaging: Send direct messages to other users

🤝 Contributing

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

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with ❤️ using modern web technologies
• Stock photos from Unsplash for testimonials
• Icons from Font Awesome
• UI components from Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS

📞 Support

For support, create an issue on GitHub or contact the development team.

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SocialSphere - Connect, Share, Discover ✨