PSSD Connect is a social app designed to help individuals suffering from Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) find meaningful connections in a safe and supportive environment.
PSSD Connect is built with a MongoDB database connected to a Node.js backend. The backend is accessed by a React.js frontend, which is scaffolded using Vite. The backend utilizes Express.js and Socket.io to handle communication with the frontend, while Chakra UI is used for building basic frontend components. Mobx is implemented for global state management.
Firebase is used for authentication, cloud messaging (for push notifications), and SMS verification. Getstream.io is integrated to set up the chat system between users.
Similar to dating apps like Tinder, users are "matched" based on their personal preferences. Before a match can occur, users first receive suggestions of other users who meet their criteria. These suggestions are generated through a complex query in MongoDB, computed both at regular intervals and when the app initially loads. The suggested user IDs are then stored in the MongoDB relationships collection.
Once suggestions are made, users can see each other in the app and choose to either like or dislike each other. If both users like each other, a match is created, and a Getstream.io channel is set up to enable communication between them.
Suggestions are updated at regular intervals via a direct WebSocket connection using Socket.io. Additionally, whenever a user updates their preferences, new suggestions are generated and updated accordingly.
Firebase manages user authentication, generating a unique JWT token for each authenticated user. This token is used to authorize the user on the backend, where it is verified using custom Express.js middleware.
Before running the project, set up the following .env file:
MONGO_USERNAME=
MONGO_PASSWORD=
ENVIRONMENT
GEOAPIFY_API_KEY=
STREAM_API_KEY=
STREAM_API_SECRET=
ADMIN_ID=
MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME=
MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD=
MONGO_INITDB_DATABASE=
DATABASE_URL=
VITE_GETSTREAM_CLIENT_KEY=
VITE_PUBLIC_VAPID_KEY=
Additionally, you need to add the Firebase service account key file to the project. Place the serviceAccountKey.json file in the src/backend/src folder.
Run the following command to start the Node.js backend and the MongoDB database in Docker containers:
make upThis command will launch the containers in the background.
In a separate terminal, run the frontend using:
npm run devThis command will start the development server for the frontend, which needs to run concurrently with the backend.
To apply updates to the backend, use the following command:
make update-backendThis command copies the updated files into the backend container and restarts the Bun runtime to apply the changes.
The scripts found in the scripts folder can help with remote management of the application