Google Docs Clone (MERN Stack)

This project is a Google Docs-like collaborative editor built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js) that allows multiple users to edit the same document in real-time.

Features

• Real-time Collaboration: Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously with updates visible to all in real-time.
• Socket.io Integration: Real-time communication between clients and the server using Socket.io.
• Quill.js Editor: A rich-text editor is used for editing documents with formatting options.
• MongoDB Database: Documents are persisted using MongoDB.
• Document Autosave: Changes are saved automatically to the database.
• Unique Document IDs: Each document has a unique ID, allowing users to access their own documents via the ID.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React.js, Quill.js
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB (Mongoose for schema management)
• Real-time Communication: Socket.io

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before running this project, make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (version 14 or later)
• MongoDB (or a MongoDB Atlas cluster)
• Git

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/google-docs-clone.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd google-docs-clone

3. Install dependencies for both the client and server:

   # For the backend
   cd backend
   npm install
   
   # For the frontend
   cd ../frontend
   npm install

4. Create a .env file in the backend directory and add your MongoDB connection string:

   DB=mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@cluster0.mongodb.net/<dbname>?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Running the Application

1. Start the backend server (Express.js and Socket.io):

   cd backend
   npm start

2. Start the frontend development server:

   cd ../frontend
   npm start

3. Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000 to view the app.

Usage

• Create a new document or access an existing one via its unique ID.
• Multiple users can join the same document by sharing the document link.
• Any changes made by one user will be reflected in real-time for all other users.
• Documents are automatically saved in the MongoDB database.

Dependencies

Backend

• Express.js: For creating the backend API and serving the application.
• Mongoose: For interacting with MongoDB.
• Socket.io: For real-time communication between the clients and server.
• dotenv: For environment variable management.

Frontend

• React.js: For building the user interface.
• Quill.js: For rich-text editing.
• Socket.io-client: For real-time communication with the server.

Contributing

Feel free to fork this repository and submit pull requests. All contributions are welcome!

1. Fork the project
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/YourFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/YourFeature)
5. Open a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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