Real-Time Polling Platform

A dynamic and interactive real-time polling application where users can create polls, and visitors can vote instantly with results updating live. This platform is designed to be engaging and easy to use, built with a modern tech stack.

The project is open-source, and contributions from the community are welcome to make it even more awesome!

Features

• User Authentication: Secure registration and login for users.
• Poll Creation: Authenticated users can create new polls with multiple options.
• Instant Voting: Users can vote on polls, and their choices are recorded immediately.
• Real-Time Results: Poll results update live for all connected clients as votes are cast, powered by WebSockets.
• View Polls: Users can see a list of all available polls and view details for specific polls.
• API Backend: A robust backend API built with Node.js and Express.js.
• Simple Frontend: A clean frontend built with HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript.
• Database: PostgreSQL is used for data persistence.
• Tested: Backend API includes a suite of tests using Mocha, Chai, and Supertest.

Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, PostgreSQL, WebSockets (ws library)
• Frontend: HTML, CSS, Vanilla JavaScript
• Testing: Mocha, Chai, Supertest (for backend)

Project Structure

.
├── backend/            # Node.js Express backend
│   ├── test/           # Backend tests
│   ├── node_modules/
│   ├── index.js        # Main backend server file
│   ├── package.json
│   └── ...
├── database/           # Database schema
│   └── schema.sql
├── frontend/           # HTML, CSS, JS frontend
│   ├── css/
│   ├── js/
│   ├── index.html
│   └── ...
├── LICENSE             # Project License (MIT)
└── README.md

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14.x or later recommended)
• npm (usually comes with Node.js)
• PostgreSQL (running instance)

Setup and Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/RamaAditya49/LivePollHub
   cd <repository-directory>

2. Backend Setup:

   • Navigate to the backend directory:

     cd backend

   • Install dependencies:

     npm install

   • Database Configuration:
     • Ensure PostgreSQL is running.
     • Create a database named polling_app. You can use a tool like psql:

       CREATE DATABASE polling_app;

     • Create a .env file in the backend directory by copying .env_example:

       cp .env_example .env

     • Edit backend/.env with your PostgreSQL connection details (username, password, host, port) and a secure JWT_SECRET.

       DB_USER=your_db_user
       DB_HOST=localhost
       DB_NAME=polling_app
       DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password
       DB_PORT=5432
       
       JWT_SECRET=a_very_strong_and_long_secret_key_please_change_me
       PORT=3000 # Optional, defaults to 3000

   • The application will attempt to create the necessary tables in the polling_app database when the backend server starts for the first time. Alternatively, you can manually run the SQL commands from database/schema.sql.

3. Frontend Setup:

   • The frontend consists of static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. No special build process is required for the current setup.
   • Ensure the API_BASE_URL_MAIN and WS_URL constants in frontend/js/main.js (and API_BASE_URL in frontend/js/auth.js) are pointing to your backend server's address (default is http://localhost:3000 and ws://localhost:3000).

Running the Application

1. Start the Backend Server:

   • Navigate to the backend directory:

     cd backend

   • Start the server:

     npm start

     (This assumes you have a "start": "node index.js" script in backend/package.json. If not, use node index.js)
   • The backend server will typically run on http://localhost:3000.

2. Run the Frontend:

   • Open the frontend/index.html file in your web browser.
   • You can serve the frontend directory using a simple HTTP server if you prefer, for example, using the http-server npm package:

     # If you don't have http-server, install it globally (or use npx)
     # npm install -g http-server
     cd frontend
     http-server -p 8080

     Then access the app at http://localhost:8080.

Running Tests (Backend)

• Ensure the backend server is NOT running, or run tests on a different port/DB if your tests require a live server managed by supertest externally. The current tests make requests to http://localhost:3000, so the main backend server should be running.
  • (Correction for typical test setups: Tests often start and stop their own server instance or use a dedicated test database. The current tests assume the main dev server is running. For more robust testing, the tests would manage the server lifecycle.)
• Navigate to the backend directory:

  cd backend

• Run the tests:

  npm test

API Endpoints Overview

The backend provides the following API endpoints:

• Authentication
  • POST /auth/register: Register a new user.
  • POST /auth/login: Login an existing user, returns a JWT.
• Polls
  • POST /api/polls: Create a new poll (Authentication required).
  • GET /api/polls: Get a list of all polls.
  • GET /api/polls/:pollId: Get details for a specific poll.
  • POST /api/polls/:pollId/vote: Cast a vote on a poll (Authentication required).
• Protected Route Example
  • GET /api/protected: Example route to test JWT authentication.

WebSockets The server also uses WebSockets for real-time communication:

• Connect to ws://localhost:3000.
• Receives poll_update messages when a poll's votes change.

Contributing

Contributions are highly welcome! Whether it's bug fixes, new features, or improvements to documentation, please feel free to:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or fix: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name or bugfix/your-bug-fix.
3. Make your changes. Ensure your code follows the existing style and add tests for new functionality if applicable.
4. Commit your changes: git commit -m "Add some amazing feature".
5. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/your-feature-name.
6. Open a Pull Request against the main branch of this repository.

Please provide a clear description of your changes in the pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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