CampusConnect

CampusConnect is a full-stack marketplace web application designed for university students to buy and sell items such as textbooks, electronics, housing, services, and more.

Built with Next.js 15 (App Router), MongoDB, NextAuth.js, and Tailwind CSS, the project features listing management, authentication, mobile responsiveness, toast notifications, and demo listings on initial launch.

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Features

• Secure authentication via NextAuth.js (Credentials)
• Create, edit, and delete listings
• Search + filter listings by category and keywords
• Contact seller via email link
• Fully responsive mobile UI
• Seed demo listings for quick preview
• Toast feedback for all key actions

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Live Demo

Coming soon

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Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 15 (App Router) + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Node.js API routes (in Next.js)
• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose
• Auth: NextAuth.js (Credentials Provider)
• Storage: File upload to public/uploads (for local demo)

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Local Setup

1. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/Jordan-Delp/Campus-Connect.git
cd Campus-Connect

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Create .env.local

Create a .env.local file in the root directory and add the following:

MONGODB_URI=your_mongo_connection_string
NEXTAUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000
AUTH_SECRET=generate_a_secure_secret

You can generate a secure secret with:

openssl rand -base64 32

4. Seed demo listings (optional)

MONGODB_URI="your_mongo_connection_string" npx tsx scripts/seed.ts npx tsx scripts/seed.ts

This will populate your database with 3 demo listings (MacBook, Textbook, Mini Fridge).

5. Run the development server

npm run dev

Then visit http://localhost:3000

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🧠 Lessons & Highlights

• Implemented SSR and API logic with App Router (app/ folder)
• Handled secure credentials-based auth with JWT via NextAuth
• Improved UX with toast notifications (react-hot-toast)
• Used Tailwind + responsive classes for mobile-friendly design

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📁 Folder Structure

src/
|── app/               # App router pages
|── components/        # Reusable UI components
|── lib/               # DB and auth utilities
|── models/            # Mongoose models (Listing, User)
|── public/uploads/    # Image uploads 
|── scripts/           # Seed script for demo data

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💡 Future Improvements

• Image upload to cloud (e.g. Cloudinary, S3)
• Search engine optimization (SEO metadata)
• Pagination or infinite scroll
• Admin/moderation tools

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👤 Author

Jordan Delp

• GitHub
• LinkedIn

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📄 License

MIT License