Bookverse

A MERN stack web application for buying, selling, auctioning, and trading books.

Features

• AI-Powered Recommendations: Personalized book suggestions using Google Gemini
• Interactive AI Chat: Natural conversations about book preferences
• Auction System: Time-limited bidding on books
• Fixed-Price Sales: Immediate purchase options
• Book Trading: Exchange books without money
• Offer System: Negotiate prices on fixed-price items
• PDF Sharing: Share downloadable digital books
• Real-time Updates: Live auction bidding and notifications

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React 18 with TypeScript, Vite, React Router
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, Socket.io
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose
• Authentication: JWT tokens, Google OAuth 2.0
• AI: Google Gemini Pro for book recommendations

Local Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• MongoDB (local or cloud instance)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

2. Install all dependencies:

   npm run install:all

3. Set up environment variables:

   • Copy server/.env.example to server/.env
   • Update the MongoDB URI and JWT secret

Running the Application

Start both frontend and backend:

npm run dev

Open your browser to http://localhost:5173

Deployment

This application is configured for single-service deployment on Render, where both frontend and backend run together.

Quick Deploy to Render

1. Push to GitHub
2. Create Web Service on Render
3. Configure:
   • Build Command: npm run build
   • Start Command: npm start
4. Add Environment Variables (see below)
5. Deploy!

📚 Deployment Guides

• Quick Start: RENDER_QUICK_START.md - Deploy in 5 minutes
• Step-by-Step: RENDER_STEP_BY_STEP.md - Detailed visual guide
• Full Guide: RENDER_DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md - Complete documentation
• FAQ: DEPLOYMENT_FAQ.md - Common questions answered
• Architecture: DEPLOYMENT_ARCHITECTURE.md - How it works

Required Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
NODE_ENV	✅	Set to production
PORT	✅	Set to 10000 (Render default)
MONGODB_URI	✅	MongoDB Atlas connection string
JWT_SECRET	✅	Random 32+ character string
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID	⚠️	For Google Sign-In (optional)
GEMINI_API_KEY	⚠️	For AI features (optional)

Google OAuth Setup

To enable Google Sign-In:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Enable the Google+ API
4. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials (Web application)
5. Add authorized JavaScript origins:
   • http://localhost:5173 (development)
   • Your production domain
6. Add authorized redirect URIs:
   • http://localhost:5173 (development)
   • Your production domain
7. Copy the Client ID to:
   • server/.env as GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID
   • client/src/config/env.ts as GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• GET /api/auth/profile - Get user profile

Books

• GET /api/books - Get all books
• POST /api/books - Create book listing
• GET /api/books/:id - Get book details

Auctions & Trading

• POST /api/auctions/:bookId/bid - Place bid
• POST /api/trades - Propose trade
• POST /api/offers - Make offer

AI Recommendations

• GET /api/ai/recommendations - Get personalized book recommendations
• POST /api/ai/chat - Chat with AI about books
• GET /api/ai/preferences - Get user preferences
• PUT /api/ai/preferences - Update preferences
• GET /api/ai/similar/:bookId - Get similar books

AI Features Setup

See GEMINI_SETUP_GUIDE.md for detailed instructions on setting up AI recommendations.

Quick Start:

1. Get API key from https://makersuite.google.com/app/apikey
2. Add to server/.env: GEMINI_API_KEY=your-key
3. Restart server
4. Visit /ai-recommendations in your app

Cost: FREE for most use cases (60 requests/minute)

License

MIT License