VerseFountain: Digital Literary Platform

VerseFountain is a comprehensive digital library platform that empowers poets, readers, and literature enthusiasts to discover, share, and engage with creative content through advanced technological integrations and user-centric design.

Features

• Digital Library: Extensive collection of books, poetry, and academic resources
• Poetry Community: Share, rate, and comment on poetry content
• Event Management: Create, browse, and register for literary events
• Real-time Chat: Join thematic chat rooms to discuss literary topics
• Ticketing System: Generate event tickets with QR codes
• Payment Processing: Handle paid event registrations
• User Management: Authentication and personalized profiles

Architecture

A detailed explanation of the project's architecture, including frontend, backend, shared code, deployment, and an interaction diagram, can be found in the ARCHITECTURE.md file.

---

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, TailwindCSS, shadcn/ui
• Backend: Express.js, Node.js
• Database: PostgreSQL (Neon)
• State Management: TanStack Query
• Real-time Communication: WebSockets
• Authentication: Session-based auth with Passport.js
• Payment Processing: Paddle
• Deployment: Netlify

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables:

   • Copy .env.example to .env
   • Fill in the required values

4. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

Database Migration

When making schema changes, use the following steps:

1. Update the schema in shared/schema.ts
2. Generate migration files:

   npx drizzle-kit generate

3. Apply migrations:

   npx drizzle-kit push

Note: If you encounter issues with interactive prompts during drizzle-kit push, you can manually apply the SQL from the generated migration files to your database.

Deployment on Netlify

Prerequisites

1. A Netlify account
2. PostgreSQL database (e.g., Neon)
3. Properly configured environment variables

Deployment Steps

1. Prepare for deployment:

   npm run build

2. Deploy through Netlify CLI:

   npm install -g netlify-cli
   netlify login
   netlify deploy

3. Or deploy through Netlify UI:

   • Sign in to Netlify
   • Go to "Sites" and click "Add new site" > "Import an existing project"
   • Connect to your Git provider and select the repository
   • Configure build settings:
     • Build command: npm run build
     • Publish directory: dist
   • Click "Deploy site"

4. Set up environment variables in Netlify:

   • In your site dashboard, go to "Site settings" > "Environment variables"
   • Add all required environment variables from your .env file
   • Make sure to include DATABASE_URL and all other database credentials

5. Configure serverless functions:

   • Netlify automatically detects functions in the netlify/functions directory
   • No additional configuration is required

WebSocket Limitations on Netlify

Netlify Functions don't natively support WebSockets, so we have two options:

1. Use the REST API fallback (implemented in the code)

   • The application automatically detects when running on Netlify and uses AJAX polling instead

2. Use a third-party WebSocket service (for production):

   • Consider services like Pusher, Firebase, or Ably
   • Update the client code to use the chosen service

User Authentication

Sample users are created during the initial database seeding:

• Regular User:

  • Username: user
  • Password: password

• Admin User:

  • Username: admin
  • Password: password

License

MIT License