Full-Stack (MERN) Chatbot with Backend Focus (07/2024)

Notice (September 15, 2024): Due to an issue I have not yet identified, the application does not work properly on iPhone devices. Therefore, if you need to test on a mobile device, using an Android phone will yield more accurate results. For the most reliable results, please use the desktop version.

---

Click for Live Demo - Chatbot

This project was developed as part of the backend module final project in the Full Stack Web Development course at DCI. It is a Fullstack (MERN) chat bot application with a focus on the backend. This README file explains the setup and features of the project in detail.

Note: The chatbot functionality is powered by ChatGPT for natural language processing.

---

To quickly log in without registration, use the following test credentials:

Email: [email protected]

Password: test123!

Note: All messages will be deleted on each login with the test account to keep the chat history clear.

---

Table of Contents

• Features
• Installation
• Technologies Used
• Screenshots

Features

Registration

• Trimming: Remove whitespace from both ends of this input.
• Validation: Ensure input meets required formats and rules.
• Google reCAPTCHA: Prevent automated registrations.
• Hashing: Securely store user passwords.
• Confirmation Email: Send a confirmation mail about the registration.

Login

• Hashing Check: Validate password by comparing hashes.
• Authentication with JWT: Use JSON Web Tokens for user sessions.
• Access Token: Store access token in cookies upon login.

Chat GPT API Integration

• Input Limitations: Enforce maximum input length.
• Spam Prevention: Disable input until a response is received.
• Empty Input Check: Ensure input is not empty.
• Sanitization: Trim input and sanitize HTML on the server.
• Response Limitation: Use hidden prompt to restrict response to under 5 words.
• Traffic Reduction: Limit response tokens with max tokens.
• Message Limit: Disable input after 5 messages per user in the database.

Database Relations

• Conversation-User Relationship: Establish a one-to-many relationship between users and conversations using parent reference.

User Management

• Edit User: Allow users to update their email addresses.
• Delete User: Enable users to delete their accounts and associated conversations.

Logout

• Token Removal: Delete access token from cookies on logout.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js
• MongoDB
• npm (Node Package Manager)

Steps

1. Clone the repository (SSH):

   git clone [email protected]:barisbalcimusic/backendFinalProject.git
   cd backendFinalProject

2. Install dependencies for the backend:

   cd backend
   npm install

3. Install dependencies for the frontend:

   cd ../frontend
   npm install

4. Create a .env file in the server directory and add the following variables:

   PORT=your_port
   MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_uri
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   APP_PASSWORD=your_app_password_for_gmail
   EMAIL_USER=[email protected]
   CAPTCHA_SECRET=your_google_recaptcha_secret
   API_KEY=your_openai_apikey

5. Start the development server:

   cd ../backend
   npm start

Technologies Used

• Frontend: React, Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• AI Integration: OpenAI API
• Database: MongoDB, Mongoose
• Authentication: JWT, bcrypt
• Email: Nodemailer
• Security: Google reCAPTCHA, sanitize-html

Screenshots