CareerPilot - Local Development Setup

This guide explains how to run CareerPilot locally for development while preserving the hosted server configuration.

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB (local or cloud)

Quick Start

1. Start the Backend Server

cd server
npm install
npm run dev

The server will start on http://localhost:5000

2. Start the Frontend Client

cd client
npm install
npm run dev

The client will start on http://localhost:3000

Configuration

Switching Between Local and Hosted Backend

To switch between local and hosted backend, edit client/src/config/config.js:

// For local development
CURRENT_ENV: "LOCAL"  // Uses http://localhost:5000

// For production/hosted
CURRENT_ENV: "HOSTED" // Uses https://careerpilot-jizf.onrender.com

Environment Variables

The application automatically detects the environment and uses the appropriate backend URL.

Available Scripts

Backend (Server)

• npm run dev - Start server with auto-reload (development)
• npm start - Start server without auto-reload (production)

Frontend (Client)

• npm run dev - Start development server
• npm run dev:local - Start development server in local mode
• npm run build - Build for production
• npm run build:local - Build for local development

API Endpoints

The backend provides the following API endpoints:

• /api/profile - User profile management
• /api/goals - Daily and weekly goals
• /api/applications - Job application tracking
• /api/resumes - Resume management
• /api/ai - AI-powered features

CORS Configuration

The server is configured to accept requests from both:

• http://localhost:3000 (local development)
• https://careerpilot-jizf.onrender.com (hosted frontend)

Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

If port 5000 is already in use, you can change it in server/src/index.js:

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5001; // Change to 5001 or another port

Database Connection

Ensure MongoDB is running and accessible. Check the connection string in your environment variables.

CORS Issues

If you encounter CORS issues, verify that the frontend URL is included in the CORS configuration in server/src/app.js.