PlacePrep - Online Placement Preparation Platform

A comprehensive online platform for placement preparation with contests, practice tests, and resource management.

🚀 Features

For Students

• Practice Tests: Take practice tests with questions from various categories
• Contests: Participate in timed contests with real-time monitoring
• Bookmarks: Save important questions for later review
• Results & Analytics: View detailed performance analytics
• Resources: Access study materials, PDFs, and videos
• Real-time Notifications: Get notified about new contests and results

For Administrators

• User Management: Manage students and moderators
• Question Bank: Add, edit, and manage questions
• Contest Creation: Create and manage contests
• Analytics Dashboard: View platform statistics and user performance
• Resource Management: Upload and manage study materials

For Moderators

• Question Management: Add and edit questions
• Contest Management: Create contests and monitor participation
• Content Moderation: Review and approve content

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js with Express.js
• PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
• Socket.IO for real-time features
• JWT for authentication
• Multer for file uploads
• Nodemailer for email notifications
• Cron jobs for automated tasks

Frontend

• React 18 with Vite
• React Router for navigation
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• Lucide React for icons
• React Toastify for notifications
• Socket.IO Client for real-time features
• Chart.js for analytics
• Recharts for data visualization

📋 Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• PostgreSQL (v12 or higher)
• npm or yarn

🚀 Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd PlacePrep

2. Install dependencies

# Install backend dependencies
cd backend
npm install

# Install frontend dependencies
cd ../frontend
npm install

3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

# Database Configuration
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/placeprep_db"

# JWT Configuration
JWT_SECRET="your-super-secret-jwt-key-here"

# Server Configuration
PORT=5001
NODE_ENV="development"

# Google OAuth Configuration
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID="your-google-client-id-here"

# Email Configuration (for password reset)
EMAIL_USER="your-email@gmail.com"
EMAIL_PASS="your-app-password"

# Cloudinary Configuration (for file uploads)
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME="your-cloud-name"
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY="your-api-key"
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET="your-api-secret"

4. Set up the database

cd backend
npx prisma generate
npx prisma db push
npx prisma db seed

5. Start the development servers

# Start backend server (from backend directory)
npm run dev

# Start frontend server (from frontend directory)
npm run dev

The application will be available at:

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173
• Backend API: http://localhost:5001

📁 Project Structure

PlacePrep/
├── backend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── controllers/     # API controllers
│   │   ├── middleware/      # Authentication & authorization
│   │   ├── routes/          # API routes
│   │   ├── lib/             # Utilities
│   │   └── server.js        # Main server file
│   ├── prisma/
│   │   ├── schema.prisma    # Database schema
│   │   └── migrations/      # Database migrations
│   └── uploads/             # File uploads
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/      # Reusable components
│   │   ├── pages/           # Page components
│   │   ├── contexts/        # React contexts
│   │   └── main.jsx         # App entry point
│   └── public/              # Static assets
└── README.md

🔧 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/signup - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• POST /api/auth/logout - User logout
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user
• POST /api/auth/forgot-password - Password reset request
• POST /api/auth/reset-password - Reset password

Questions

• GET /api/questions - Get all questions
• POST /api/questions - Add new question (admin/moderator)
• PUT /api/questions/:id - Update question
• DELETE /api/questions/:id - Delete question

Contests

• GET /api/testseries - Get all contests
• POST /api/testseries - Create contest (admin/moderator)
• GET /api/testseries/:id - Get contest details
• POST /api/testseries/:id/join - Join contest
• POST /api/testseries/:id/submit - Submit contest answers

Practice

• POST /api/free-practice/start - Start practice test
• POST /api/free-practice/:id/practice-submit - Submit practice test
• GET /api/free-practice/student/stats - Get student statistics

Resources

• GET /api/resources - Get all resources
• POST /api/resources - Add resource (admin/moderator)
• PUT /api/resources/:id - Update resource
• DELETE /api/resources/:id - Delete resource

Notifications

• GET /api/notifications - Get user notifications
• PUT /api/notifications/:id/read - Mark notification as read
• DELETE /api/notifications/:id - Delete notification

🔐 Authentication & Authorization

The application uses JWT tokens for authentication. Users are assigned roles:

• user: Regular students
• moderator: Can manage questions and contests
• admin: Full access to all features

📊 Database Schema

Core Models

• User: Students, moderators, and admins
• Question: MCQ questions with categories and difficulty levels
• TestSeries: Contests with start/end times
• Participation: User participation in contests
• StudentActivity: User answers and performance tracking
• Bookmark: User bookmarked questions
• Notification: Real-time notifications
• Resource: Study materials (PDFs, videos, MCQs)

🚀 Deployment

Backend Deployment

1. Set up a PostgreSQL database
2. Configure environment variables
3. Run database migrations
4. Deploy to your preferred hosting service

Frontend Deployment

1. Build the application: npm run build
2. Deploy the dist folder to your hosting service

🐛 Known Issues & Fixes

Backend Issues Fixed

1. Missing nodemon dependency - Added to devDependencies
2. Missing cors dependency - Added to dependencies
3. Field name inconsistency - Fixed fullname vs fullName
4. Missing environment variables - Created env.example file
5. Error handling improvements - Added proper error logging

Frontend Issues Fixed

1. API endpoint mismatches - Fixed route paths
2. Missing error handling - Added proper catch blocks
3. Authentication flow - Improved session management

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

🆘 Support

For support, please contact the development team or create an issue in the repository.

🔄 Updates

• v1.0.0: Initial release with core features
• v1.1.0: Added real-time notifications
• v1.2.0: Added resource management
• v1.3.0: Added bookmark functionality
• v1.4.0: Added comprehensive analytics

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Note: Make sure to update the environment variables with your actual values before running the application.