MERN Minima 🐱

A minimal MERN starter template featuring JWT authentication and a cat-themed frontend. This template helps you quickly set up a full-stack application with a modular folder structure.

---

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/iamsaura8h/MERN-Minima.git

2. Remove the existing git folder:

   cd MERN-Minima
   rm -rf .git

3. Initialize a new git repository:

   git init
   git add .
   git commit -m "Initial commit"

4. Install dependencies in both directories:

   cd backend
   npm install
   cd ../frontend
   npm install

5. Add .env files with the following values:
   • backend/.env

     MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/minima
     JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
     

   • frontend/.env

     VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000
     VITE_CAT_API=https://cataas.com/cat?json=true
     

6. Start the backend and frontend servers:

   # In backend/
   node index.js
   
   # In frontend/
   npm run dev

Your MERN app is now ready for development.

---

Features

• Backend: Express and MongoDB (ESM modules)
• Frontend: React, Vite, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS
• JWT authentication with username and password (optional email)
• Protected routes (Home page)
• Dynamic navbar (shows login/logout)
• Landing page with random cat images
• Simple and easy-to-understand folder structure

---

Folder Structure

backend/
├── config/
├── controllers/
├── middleware/
├── models/
├── routes/
└── index.js

frontend/
├── src/
│   ├── components/
│   ├── contexts/
│   ├── hooks/
│   ├── pages/
│   ├── App.tsx
│   └── main.tsx
├── .env
└── index.html

---

API Endpoints (Backend)

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/auth/register	Register a new user
POST	/api/auth/login	Login and receive JWT token
GET	/api/auth/me	Get current user info (protected)
GET	/api/cat	Get a random cat image

Frontend Routes

Path	Component/Page	Description
/	Landing	Cat-themed landing page
/login	Login	User login form
/register	Register	User registration form
/home	Home (Protected)	Protected user dashboard
*	NotFound	404 fallback page

---

Support & Contribute

If you find this project helpful, please consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub!
Your feedback, issues, and pull requests are always welcome.

Thank you for checking out MERN Minima! Happy coding!