CodeCrux is a full-stack DSA learning platform designed for coding interview preparation. It features AI-powered mentorship, dynamic content management, progress tracking, and admin-controlled data. Built with modern MERN stack architecture and Google Gemini AI integration.

🎯 Dynamic Content Management

• Admin Dashboard - Full CRUD operations for sheets and tutorials
• Database-Driven - All content stored in MongoDB with real-time updates
• Progress Tracking - ObjectId relationships for user completion status
• Role-Based Access - Admin-only content management ([email protected])

📚 Learning Resources

• Popular DSA Sheets - Striver's SDE, Love Babbar 450, NeetCode 150, Blind 75, etc.
• Video Tutorials - Curated programming tutorials with metadata
• 6-Stage Roadmap - Structured learning path from basics to advanced
• Search & Filter - Advanced filtering by category, difficulty, and tags

🤖 AI-Powered Mentorship

• Google Gemini AI - 24/7 intelligent coding mentor
• Persistent Chat History - Conversations saved to user profile
• Context-Aware - AI understands your learning progress
• Real-time Streaming - Live AI responses with typing indicators

📊 User Progress & Analytics

• Completion Tracking - Mark sheets/tutorials as completed
• Personal Dashboard - Real-time progress statistics
• Profile Management - User data with completion history
• Admin Access Button - Quick admin panel access for authorized users

🎨 Modern User Experience

• Dark/Light Themes - Persistent theme preference
• Responsive Design - Mobile-first approach for all devices
• Real-time Notifications - Toast messages for user actions
• Fast Performance - Optimized bundle size and clean architecture

🎨 Frontend (React SPA)

• ⚛️ React 19.1.0: Modern React with hooks and context API
• ⚡ Vite: Lightning-fast development server and optimized builds
• 🎨 Tailwind CSS: Utility-first responsive design
• 🧭 React Router DOM: Client-side routing with protected routes
• 🔔 React Toastify: Toast notifications for user feedback
• 🎯 Lucide React: Consistent icon library
• 🌐 Axios: HTTP client with cookie support
• 🤖 Google GenAI: Direct Gemini AI chat integration

🔧 Backend (Node.js API)

• 🚀 Express.js 5.1.0: RESTful API server with middleware
• 🗄️ MongoDB + Mongoose: Document database with schema validation
• � JWT Authentication: Secure token-based auth with cookies
• 🔐 bcryptjs: Password hashing and security
• 📧 Nodemailer: Email verification and password reset
• 🍪 Cookie Parser: HTTP cookie handling
• 🌐 CORS: Cross-origin resource sharing
• 🔧 Nodemon: Development auto-reload

🗄️ Database Schema

• � User Model: Profile, auth, progress tracking with ObjectId refs
• 📋 Sheet Model: DSA sheets with metadata, tags, and ratings
• 🎥 Tutorial Model: Video tutorials with instructor and duration info
• � Chat History: Persistent AI conversations per user

🛡️ Security & Performance

• 🔐 Role-Based Access: Admin-only routes and operations
• 🔑 JWT + HTTP-Only Cookies: Secure authentication flow
• 📧 Email Verification: OTP-based account verification
• ⚡ Optimized Bundle: Tree-shaking and code splitting
• � Clean Architecture: Separation of concerns and DRY principles

CodeCrux/
├── codecrux-frontend/          # React Frontend Application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/         # Reusable UI Components (14 files)
│   │   │   ├── ChatInput.jsx       # AI chat input interface
│   │   │   ├── ChatMessages.jsx    # AI chat message display
│   │   │   ├── Dashboard.jsx       # User progress dashboard
│   │   │   ├── SheetCard.jsx       # Practice sheet cards
│   │   │   ├── TutorialCard.jsx    # Video tutorial cards
│   │   │   └── ...                 # Navigation, search, etc.
│   │   ├── pages/              # Main Application Pages (11 files)
│   │   │   ├── AdminDashboard.jsx  # Content management interface
│   │   │   ├── MentorAI.jsx        # AI chat page
│   │   │   ├── Sheet.jsx           # Practice sheets listing
│   │   │   ├── Tutorials.jsx       # Video tutorials listing
│   │   │   ├── Profile.jsx         # User profile & progress
│   │   │   └── ...                 # Auth, home, roadmap pages
│   │   ├── contexts/           # React Context Providers (2 files)
│   │   │   ├── AppContext.jsx      # Global state & API calls
│   │   │   └── DarkModeContext.jsx # Theme management
│   │   ├── hooks/              # Custom React Hooks (1 file)
│   │   │   └── useAIMentor.js      # AI chat functionality
│   │   ├── data/               # Static Data (1 file)
│   │   │   └── RoadmapData.jsx     # Learning roadmap structure
│   │   └── assets/             # Images, icons, utilities (10 files)
│   └── package.json
├── codecrux-server/            # Express Backend API
│   ├── controllers/            # Business Logic Controllers (4 files)
│   │   ├── authController.js       # Authentication logic
│   │   ├── userController.js       # User data management
│   │   ├── adminController.js      # Admin CRUD operations
│   │   └── publicController.js     # Public data endpoints
│   ├── models/                 # MongoDB Schemas (3 files)
│   │   ├── userModel.js           # User schema with progress refs
│   │   ├── sheetModel.js          # Practice sheet schema
│   │   └── tutorialModel.js       # Tutorial video schema
│   ├── routes/                 # API Route Definitions (4 files)
│   │   ├── authRoutes.js          # Authentication endpoints
│   │   ├── userRoutes.js          # User data endpoints
│   │   ├── adminRoutes.js         # Admin-only endpoints
│   │   └── publicRoutes.js        # Public data endpoints
│   ├── middleware/             # Custom Middleware (1 file)
│   │   └── userAuth.js            # JWT authentication middleware
│   ├── config/                 # Configuration Files (2 files)
│   │   ├── mongodb.js             # Database connection
│   │   └── nodemailer.js          # Email service config
│   ├── server.js               # Express server entry point
│   ├── package.json
│   └── API_DOCUMENTATION.md    # Complete API reference
└── README.md                   # This file

• Frontend: https://code-crux-ten.vercel.app
• Backend API: https://codecrux1.onrender.com
• Database: MongoDB Atlas (Cloud)

Deployment Architecture:

• Frontend deployed on Vercel (React SPA with optimized routing)
• Backend deployed on Render (Node.js API with Docker support)
• Database hosted on MongoDB Atlas (Cloud database service)

• Node.js (v18+) - JavaScript runtime
• MongoDB (local installation or MongoDB Atlas cloud)
• Google Gemini API Key - For AI chat functionality
• Email Service - Gmail SMTP or similar for auth emails

1. Clone & Setup

git clone https://github.com/aashutosh585/CodeCrux.git
cd CodeCrux

# Install all dependencies
npm run install:all   # or install manually below

2. Manual Installation

# Backend dependencies
cd codecrux-server && npm install

# Frontend dependencies  
cd ../codecrux-frontend && npm install

3. Environment Configuration

Backend Environment (codecrux-server/.env):

# Database
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://your-username:[email protected]/codecrux

# JWT Authentication
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-minimum-32-characters

# Email Service (Brevo SMTP)
SMTP_USER=[email protected]
SMTP_PASS=your-brevo-api-key
SENDER_EMAIL=[email protected]

# Google OAuth
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-google-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-google-client-secret
GOOGLE_CALLBACK_URL=http://localhost:4000/api/auth/google/callback

# Server Configuration
PORT=4000
NODE_ENV=development

Frontend Environment (codecrux-frontend/.env):

# Backend API URL
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:4000/api

# Google Gemini AI API Key
VITE_GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-api-key-here

4. Database Setup

# Start MongoDB service (if local)
# Windows: net start MongoDB
# macOS: brew services start mongodb
# Linux: sudo systemctl start mongod

# MongoDB will automatically create collections on first run

5. Start Development Servers

# Terminal 1 - Backend API (Port 4000)
cd codecrux-server && npm start

# Terminal 2 - Frontend React App (Port 5173)  
cd codecrux-frontend && npm run dev

6. Access Application

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173
• Backend API: http://localhost:4000
• API Documentation: codecrux-server/API_DOCUMENTATION.md

POST   /register          # User registration with email verification
POST   /login             # User login with JWT token
POST   /logout            # User logout and token cleanup
GET    /is-auth           # Check current authentication status
POST   /send-verify-otp   # Send email verification OTP
POST   /verify-otp        # Verify email with OTP code
POST   /send-reset-otp    # Send password reset OTP
POST   /reset-password    # Reset password with OTP

GET    /data              # Get user profile and progress data
POST   /chat/message      # Save individual AI chat message
POST   /chat/history      # Bulk save chat conversation
DELETE /chat/history      # Clear user's chat history
POST   /toggle-sheet      # Toggle sheet completion status
POST   /toggle-tutorial   # Toggle tutorial completion status

POST   /check             # Verify admin access permissions
GET    /sheets            # Get all sheets (admin view)
POST   /sheets            # Create new practice sheet
PUT    /sheets/:id        # Update existing sheet
DELETE /sheets/:id        # Delete practice sheet
GET    /tutorials         # Get all tutorials (admin view)
POST   /tutorials         # Create new tutorial
PUT    /tutorials/:id     # Update existing tutorial
DELETE /tutorials/:id     # Delete tutorial

GET    /sheets            # Get all published practice sheets
GET    /tutorials         # Get all published video tutorials

📋 Complete API Documentation: See codecrux-server/API_DOCUMENTATION.md for detailed request/response schemas

Admin Dashboard (AdminDashboard.jsx)

• Content Management: Full CRUD operations for sheets and tutorials
• Role-Based Access: Only [email protected] can access admin panel
• Real-time Updates: Changes reflect immediately across the platform
• Data Validation: Form validation with error handling and success notifications

Access Method:

• Login with admin email → Go to Profile → Click "Admin Dashboard" button

AI Mentor System (MentorAI.jsx + useAIMentor.js)

• Google Gemini AI: Real-time chat with streaming responses
• Persistent History: All conversations saved to user profile
• Context Awareness: AI understands your learning progress and completed items
• Error Handling: Graceful fallbacks and retry mechanisms

User Progress Tracking

• ObjectId Relationships: MongoDB references between users and completed content
• Real-time Updates: Instant progress reflection across dashboard and profile
• Toggle Completion: Mark sheets/tutorials as done with one click
• Analytics: Dashboard shows completed items, chat history count, and total progress

Dynamic Content Management

• Sheet Model: Title, description, author, difficulty, problems count, rating, tags, etc.
• Tutorial Model: Instructor, duration, thumbnail, URL, student count, level, etc.
• User Model: Profile data with ObjectId arrays referencing completed sheets/tutorials
• Populated Queries: Efficient data fetching with MongoDB population

Frontend (Client)

npm run dev        # Start Vite development server (http://localhost:5173)
npm run build      # Build optimized production bundle
npm run preview    # Preview production build locally
npm run lint       # Run ESLint code analysis

Backend (CodeCrux Server)

npm start          # Start production server
npm run dev        # Start with nodemon auto-reload

Root Scripts

npm run install:all    # Install dependencies for both frontend and backend
npm run dev:full      # Start both frontend and backend concurrently
npm run build:all     # Build both applications for production

• Frontend: Deployed on Vercel → https://code-crux-ten.vercel.app
• Backend: Deployed on Render → https://codecrux1.onrender.com
• Database: MongoDB Atlas (Cloud)

cd codecrux-frontend
npm run build
# Deploy dist/ folder or connect GitHub repository to Vercel

Vercel Configuration (vercel.json):

{
  "rewrites": [
    { "source": "/(.*)", "destination": "/" }
  ]
}

cd codecrux-server  
# Set environment variables in Render dashboard
# Deploy with Node.js runtime using start command

# Backend Production (Render)
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:[email protected]/codecrux
JWT_SECRET=your-production-jwt-secret-32-chars-minimum
SMTP_USER=your-brevo-smtp-user
SMTP_PASS=your-brevo-api-key
SENDER_EMAIL=[email protected]
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your-google-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-google-client-secret
GOOGLE_CALLBACK_URL=https://codecrux1.onrender.com/api/auth/google/callback
PORT=4000
NODE_ENV=production

# Frontend Production (Vercel)
VITE_API_URL=https://codecrux1.onrender.com/api
VITE_GEMINI_API_KEY=your-production-gemini-key

• ESLint Configuration: Consistent code formatting and error detection
• Component Structure: Functional components with hooks pattern
• Clean Architecture: Separation of concerns (controllers, models, routes)
• Error Handling: Comprehensive try-catch blocks with user-friendly messages

# Access MongoDB shell (if using local MongoDB)
mongo codecrux

# Useful queries for development
db.users.find().pretty()           # View all users
db.sheets.find().pretty()          # View all practice sheets  
db.tutorials.find().pretty()       # View all tutorials
db.users.findOne({email: "[email protected]"}) # Find specific user

We welcome contributions! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/CodeCrux.git
cd CodeCrux

2. Create Feature Branch

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
# Examples: feature/admin-bulk-import, feature/progress-analytics

3. Development Setup

npm run install:all    # Install dependencies
npm run dev:full       # Start both servers

4. Make Changes & Test

• Follow existing code patterns
• Test both frontend and backend changes
• Ensure admin functionality works
• Verify AI chat integration

5. Commit & Push

git add .
git commit -m "feat: add your feature description"
git push origin feature/your-feature-name

6. Create Pull Request

• Describe your changes clearly
• Include screenshots if UI changes
• Reference any related issues

• 🎨 UI/UX Improvements: Better responsive design, animations
• 🤖 AI Features: Enhanced chat capabilities, smart recommendations
• 📊 Analytics: Advanced progress tracking, learning insights
• 🔧 Admin Tools: Bulk operations, content moderation
• 📚 Content: More DSA sheets, tutorial curation
• 🐛 Bug Fixes: Performance optimizations, error handling

Ashutosh Maurya

• 🌐 GitHub: @aashutosh585
• 📧 Email: [email protected]
• 💼 LinkedIn: Connect with me
• 🐦 Twitter: @aashutosh585

• 🤖 Google Gemini AI - Powering the intelligent mentorship system
• 🗄️ MongoDB - Flexible document database for dynamic content
• ⚛️ React Team - Amazing frontend library and ecosystem
• ⚡ Vite - Lightning-fast development experience
• 🎨 Tailwind CSS - Beautiful utility-first styling
• 🚀 Open Source Community - Inspiration and continuous learning

Current Status: ✅ Production Ready

• 🎯 11 Pages - Complete user journey from auth to admin
• 🧩 14 Components - Reusable, optimized UI components
• 🔗 19 API Endpoints - Full CRUD operations with security
• 📊 3 Database Models - Efficient data relationships
• 🤖 AI Integration - Real-time chat with conversation history

Upcoming Features (v2.0):

• 📱 Mobile App - React Native version
• 🎮 Gamification - Points, badges, leaderboards
• 👥 Community Features - Discussion forums, peer learning
• 📈 Advanced Analytics - Learning patterns, recommendations
• 🔌 API Integrations - LeetCode sync, GitHub portfolio
• 🎨 Themes - Custom color schemes, personalization