UDS_Connect_App.html

UDS Connect

A campus-exclusive social media platform for the University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.

Built as a Final Year Project — BSc Computer Science, UDS Faculty of Mathematical Sciences.

Overview

UDS Connect is a web-based social networking platform designed exclusively for students and staff of the University for Development Studies (UDS). It replaces fragmented WhatsApp groups and notice boards with a single, verified, campus-specific platform where the entire UDS community can connect, collaborate, and stay informed.

Access is restricted to verified UDS identity holders — users must sign up with a valid UDS student/staff ID and an official UDS email address (@st.uds.edu.gh or @uds.edu.gh).

Features

Module	Description
Authentication	UDS ID + email verification with OTP, JWT-based sessions
Social Feed	Post campus updates, announcements, photos, and polls
Campus Events	Create and discover events, RSVP, get reminders
Messaging	Real-time direct messages and group chats
Clubs & Communities	Join or create student clubs and study groups
Marketplace	Buy and sell textbooks, electronics, and other items (GH₵)
Lost & Found	Report lost items and claim found ones on campus
Student Profiles	Faculty, level, bio, connections, and post history

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Frontend	React.js, Tailwind CSS
Backend API	Node.js, Express.js
Database	PostgreSQL
Real-time	Socket.IO
Authentication	JWT, bcrypt, Nodemailer (OTP)
File Storage	Cloudinary
Cache / Sessions	Redis
Deployment	Netlify (frontend), Render (backend)

Project Structure

uds-connect/
├── client/                  # React frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/      # Reusable UI components
│   │   ├── pages/           # Feed, Events, Chat, Profile, etc.
│   │   ├── hooks/           # Custom React hooks
│   │   ├── context/         # Auth context, socket context
│   │   └── utils/           # ID validation, formatters
│   └── public/
├── server/                  # Node.js backend
│   ├── routes/              # API route handlers
│   │   ├── auth.js
│   │   ├── posts.js
│   │   ├── events.js
│   │   ├── messages.js
│   │   ├── clubs.js
│   │   ├── marketplace.js
│   │   └── lostfound.js
│   ├── models/              # Database models
│   ├── middleware/          # Auth middleware, validation
│   ├── socket/              # Socket.IO event handlers
│   └── config/              # DB config, environment setup
├── database/
│   └── schema.sql           # PostgreSQL schema
├── UDS_Connect_App.html     # Prototype / demo file
└── README.md

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Node.js v18+
PostgreSQL 14+
Redis
A Cloudinary account (free tier works)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/uds-connect.git
cd uds-connect

2. Install dependencies

# Backend
cd server
npm install

# Frontend
cd ../client
npm install

3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env file in the server/ directory:

PORT=5000
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/uds_connect
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
EMAIL_USER=your_uds_smtp_email
EMAIL_PASS=your_email_password

4. Set up the database

psql -U postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE uds_connect;"
psql -U postgres -d uds_connect -f database/schema.sql

5. Run the app

# Start backend (from server/)
npm run dev

# Start frontend (from client/)
npm start

The app will be running at http://localhost:3000.

Demo (Prototype)

A static HTML prototype of the full UI is included as UDS_Connect_App.html. Open it directly in any browser — no server required.

To share it for user testing, drag and drop the file onto netlify.com/drop to get an instant shareable link.

Test credentials for the prototype:

Student ID: UDS/CS/21/0042
Any password will work in the demo

UDS Student ID Format

The platform validates student IDs against the official UDS format:

UDS / [FACULTY CODE] / [2-DIGIT YEAR] / [4-DIGIT NUMBER]

Examples:
  UDS/CS/21/0042   → Computer Science, enrolled 2021
  UDS/AGRIC/22/0117 → Agriculture, enrolled 2022
  UDS/LAW/20/0305  → Law, enrolled 2020

Database Schema (Summary)

users — student/staff accounts with UDS ID and verified email
posts — feed posts with tags, likes, and comments
events — campus events with RSVP tracking
messages — real-time messages linked to conversations
clubs — campus clubs with membership tracking
marketplace_items — items for sale in GH₵
lost_found — lost and found reports with resolution status
follows — user follow relationships
club_members — club membership with role (admin/member)

API Endpoints (Summary)

POST   /api/auth/register       Register with UDS ID + email
POST   /api/auth/login          Login and receive JWT
POST   /api/auth/verify-otp     Verify email OTP code

GET    /api/posts               Get feed posts
POST   /api/posts               Create a new post
POST   /api/posts/:id/like      Like a post

GET    /api/events              List campus events
POST   /api/events              Create an event
POST   /api/events/:id/rsvp     RSVP to an event

GET    /api/messages/:userId    Get conversation history
POST   /api/messages            Send a message

GET    /api/clubs               List all clubs
POST   /api/clubs/:id/join      Join a club

GET    /api/marketplace         List items for sale
POST   /api/marketplace         Create a listing

GET    /api/lostfound           List lost & found reports
POST   /api/lostfound           Submit a report

Roadmap

Author

Nura jallu Bayong
BSc Computer Science, Level 400
University for Development Studies, Tamale
Student ID: UDS/CSC/22/0063
Supervisor:HOD,MUBARICK Academic Year: 2025/2026

License

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