A web-based file sharing platform that allows users to upload files and generate unique share codes for instant file distribution. No account required for recipients.
| Field | Student 1 | Student 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Smitkumar Jayendrakumar Velani | Zhiteng Guo |
| velanismitkumar@gmail.com | guo.zhit@northeastern.edu | |
| GitHub | Smit-Velani | zhitengg7898-design |
| Published | June 2026 | June 2026 |
CS5610 — Web Development Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University 🔗 Course Page
CloudBox is a full-stack file sharing platform built with Node.js, Express, MongoDB, and vanilla ES6 JavaScript. Users can upload files, generate unique share codes, and send them to anyone — no account required for recipients. The platform supports file expiration, download tracking, and complete file management.
The problem we solve: Sharing files with others is often more complicated than it should be. Existing solutions require multiple steps, account access, or permission settings. CloudBox lets users upload a file, get a share code, and share it in seconds.
nodeExpressMongoES6_cloudBox/
├── 📄 backend.js # Main Express server
├── 📁 backend/
│ ├── db.js # MongoDB connection module
│ └── filesRoutes.js # All API routes (files + share codes)
├── 📁 frontend/
│ ├── index.html # Home page
│ ├── upload.html # File upload and management page
│ ├── share.html # Share code generation and access page
│ ├── 📁 css/
│ │ ├── main.css # Global styles
│ │ ├── home.css # Home page styles
│ │ ├── upload.css # Upload page styles
│ │ └── share.css # Share page styles
│ └── 📁 js/
│ ├── frontend.js # Home page JS
│ ├── upload.js # Upload page JS
│ └── share.js # Share page JS
├── 📁 uploads/ # Uploaded files (gitignored)
├── 📄 seed.js # Database seeding script (1000+ records)
├── 📄 .env.example # Environment variables template
├── 📄 .gitignore # Git ignore rules
├── 📄 eslint.config.mjs # ESLint configuration
├── 📄 .prettierrc # Prettier configuration
├── 📄 package.json # Project dependencies
├── 📄 LICENSE # MIT License
└── 📄 README.md # This file
File Upload and Management (Smitkumar Velani)
- Drag and drop or click to upload any file up to 10MB
- View all uploaded files with metadata
- Edit file descriptions
- Delete files with custom confirmation modal
- Client side rendering with vanilla ES6
File Sharing and Access (Zhiteng Guo)
- Generate unique 8-character share codes for any uploaded file
- Set custom expiry time (1 to 168 hours)
- Access shared files using share code — no account needed
- Download shared files directly
- Auto-expiry prevents access after expiration
Technical
- 2 MongoDB collections:
filesandshareCodes - RESTful API with full CRUD on both collections
- ES6 modules throughout — no CommonJS require
- CSS organized in separate module files
- No Mongoose, no template engines, no React
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/zhitengg7898-design/nodeExpressMongoES6_cloudBox.git
# Navigate into the project
cd nodeExpressMongoES6_cloudBox
# Install dependencies
npm install# Copy the example env file
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your MongoDB connection string
# MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/cloudbox
# PORT=3000# Development mode with auto-reload
npm run dev
# Production mode
npm startOpen your browser and go to: http://localhost:3000
# Add 1000+ sample records to the database
node seed.js# Run ESLint
npx eslint .
# Format with Prettier
npm run format| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
| POST | /api/upload |
Upload a new file |
| GET | /api/files |
Get all files |
| GET | /api/files/:id |
Get single file details |
| PUT | /api/files/:id |
Update file description |
| DELETE | /api/files/:id |
Delete a file |
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
| POST | /api/files/:id/share |
Generate share code for a file |
| GET | /api/share/:code |
Get file details by share code |
| GET | /api/share/:code/download |
Download file by share code |
| PUT | /api/share/:code |
Update share code settings |
| DELETE | /api/share/:code |
Delete a share code |
MongoDB with 2 collections:
files collection:
{
"_id": "ObjectId",
"originalName": "document.pdf",
"storedName": "1234567890-document.pdf",
"size": 102400,
"mimetype": "application/pdf",
"uploadedAt": "2026-06-21T00:00:00Z",
"description": "My document"
}shareCodes collection:
{
"_id": "ObjectId",
"fileId": "ObjectId",
"shareCode": "Ab3Xy7Zk",
"shareEnabled": true,
"shareCreatedAt": "2026-06-21T00:00:00Z",
"expiresAt": "2026-06-22T00:00:00Z",
"downloadCount": 0
}- MongoDB credentials stored in
.envfile (never committed to GitHub) .env.exampleprovided as a template with no real credentials- File size limited to 10MB to prevent abuse
- Share codes expire automatically to reduce storage
uploads/folder is gitignored
| Tool | Version | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Claude | claude-sonnet-4-6 (Anthropic) | UI design, CSS styling, README structure, Design Document |
How it was used:
- Home Page UI — Claude helped design the home page layout including ticker animation, hero section, how-it-works steps, and features grid
- CSS Styling — Claude assisted with CSS module files including responsive grid layouts and hover animations
- Upload Page — Claude helped design the drag and drop upload zone, file cards, details modal, and custom delete confirmation modal
- Share Page — Claude helped design the two-card layout for share code generation and file access
- README — Claude helped structure the README with all required sections
- Design Document — Claude assisted in writing user personas, user stories, and wireframe descriptions
What was NOT AI generated:
- MongoDB connection module and collection setup
- Express REST API routes for files and share codes
- File upload implementation using Multer
- Share code generation algorithm
- Seed script for 1000+ records
- Render deployment configuration
This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for details.
The full design document including project description, user personas, user stories, and design mockups is available here:
Built by Smitkumar Jayendrakumar Velani and Zhiteng Guo · CS5610 Web Development · Northeastern University · June 2026