Recipe Nest

Recipe Nest is a Node.js web application built with Express.js and MongoDB that allows users to browse, search, and view recipes. Users can also add new categories and recipes, edit their profiles, and save their favorite recipes for easy access.

🚀 Features

• Browse Recipes: View a collection of recipes categorized for easy navigation.
• Search Functionality: Find recipes quickly by searching by keywords.
• Add New Recipes and Categories: Users can contribute by adding new recipes and categories.
• Favorite Recipes: Save recipes to a personal favorites list for later access.
• User Authentication: Secure user signup, login, and profile management.
• Responsive Design: Optimized for desktop and mobile devices.
• Error Handling: Custom 404 and server error pages for a seamless user experience.

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js: Backend server and application logic.
• Express.js: Framework for building APIs and handling routes.
• MongoDB: Database for storing user, recipe, and category information.

Frontend

• EJS: Template engine for rendering dynamic views.
• CSS: For responsive and attractive styling.
• JavaScript: For interactive client-side functionality.

📂 Project Structure

recipe-nest/
├── config/                   # Configuration files
│   ├── dbConfig.js           # MongoDB connection configuration
│   ├── emailConfig.js        # Email service configuration
│   ├── multerConfig.js       # File upload configuration
├── controllers/              # Controller logic for handling routes
│   ├── indexController.js    # Homepage and general controllers
│   ├── otpController.js      # OTP-related logic
│   ├── userController.js     # User-related controllers
├── middlewares/              # Middleware for route handling
│   ├── jwtMiddleware.js      # JWT authentication middleware
├── models/                   # MongoDB models (schemas)
│   ├── categoryModel.js      # Schema for recipe categories
│   ├── otpModel.js           # Schema for OTP storage
│   ├── recipeModel.js        # Schema for recipes
│   ├── userModel.js          # Schema for users
├── public/                   # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
│   ├── css/                  # CSS files for styling
│   ├── images/               # Static images (categories, recipes, etc.)
│   ├── js/                   # JavaScript files for client-side logic
├── routes/                   # API and view routes
│   ├── indexRoutes.js        # General routes
│   ├── otpRoutes.js          # OTP-related routes
│   ├── userRoutes.js         # User-related routes
├── utils/                    # Utility functions
│   ├── emailUtils.js         # Email sending utilities
│   ├── httpStatusCode.js     # HTTP status code constants
│   ├── messageUtils.js       # Utility functions for messages
│   ├── otpUtils.js           # Logic for OTP generation/validation
│   ├── userUtils.js          # Utility functions for user operations
├── views/                    # EJS templates for rendering pages
│   ├── layouts/              # Layout templates
│   ├── partials/             # Reusable components (header, footer, etc.)
│   ├── users/                # User-specific templates
│   ├── 404.ejs               # 404 error page
│   ├── categories.ejs        # Categories page
│   ├── contact.ejs           # Contact page
│   ├── index.ejs             # Homepage
│   ├── recipeDetails.ejs     # Recipe details page
│   ├── recipes.ejs           # Recipes page
│   ├── serverError.ejs       # Server error page
├── .gitignore                # Git ignored files and folders
├── app.js                    # Main application entry point
├── package.json              # Project metadata and dependencies
├── package-lock.json         # Lock file for dependencies

🔧 Setup and Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16+ recommended)
• MongoDB (local or cloud instance)
• npm (Node Package Manager)

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

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

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Set up environment variables:
   Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following:

   PORT=3000
   DB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/your_database_name
   SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret
   SEND_EMAIL=your_email@example.com
   SEND_EMAIL_PASS=your_email_password
   

4. Run the application:

   npm start
   

5. Open your browser and go to:

   http://localhost:3000
   

📜 Usage

1. Browse Recipes

   • View all available recipes on the homepage or categorized pages.

2. Search Recipes

   • Use the search bar to find recipes by keywords.

3. Add Recipes and Categories

   • Log in to contribute new recipes and categories.

4. Favorite Recipes

   • Save recipes to your favorites for easy access later.

📈 Learning Outcomes

• Building RESTful APIs with Express.js.
• Creating dynamic views with EJS.
• Managing data with MongoDB.
• Using JWT for secure authentication.
• File uploads and image management with Multer.

🛡️ License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

🌟 Acknowledgements

• Open-source libraries and tools for building this project.