StaySphere

A full-stack web application for discovering and booking unique accommodations around the world. StaySphere provides a platform where users can list their properties and travelers can find their perfect stay.

🌟 Features

For Travelers

• Browse Listings: Explore a wide variety of accommodations with detailed descriptions and images
• Search & Filter: Find properties based on location, price, and amenities
• User Reviews: Read and write reviews to help make informed decisions
• Secure Booking: Easy and secure reservation system

For Hosts

• List Properties: Create detailed listings with multiple images and descriptions
• Manage Listings: Edit, update, or remove your properties
• Host Dashboard: Track your listings and manage bookings

Platform Features

• User Authentication: Secure signup and login system
• Image Upload: Cloud-based image storage and optimization
• Interactive Maps: View property locations on integrated maps
• Responsive Design: Seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• Review System: Rating and review functionality for properties

🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js - Runtime environment
• Express.js - Web application framework
• MongoDB - NoSQL database for data storage
• Mongoose - MongoDB object modeling

Frontend

• EJS - Templating engine for dynamic HTML
• CSS - Custom styling
• JavaScript - Client-side interactivity

Additional Tools & Services

• Cloudinary - Cloud-based image management and storage
• Passport.js - Authentication middleware
• Express Session - Session management
• Joi - Schema validation

📁 Project Structure

StaySphere/
├── controllers/        # Route controllers (business logic)
├── models/            # Mongoose models (database schemas)
├── routes/            # Express route definitions
├── views/             # EJS templates
├── public/            # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
├── utils/             # Utility functions and helpers
├── init/              # Database initialization scripts
├── middleware.js      # Custom middleware functions
├── schema.js          # Joi validation schemas
├── cloudConfig.js     # Cloudinary configuration
├── app.js             # Main application file
└── package.json       # Project dependencies

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• MongoDB (local installation or MongoDB Atlas account)
• Cloudinary account for image uploads

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/Nikitaa104/StaySphere.git
   cd StaySphere

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Environment Variables Create a .env file in the root directory and add:

   MONGODB_URL=your_mongodb_connection_string
   CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_cloud_name
   CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
   CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret
   SESSION_SECRET=your_session_secret

4. Seed the Database (Optional)

   node seed.js

5. Start the Application

   node app.js

6. Access the Application Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000

🎯 Key Functionalities

Listings Management

• Create new property listings with images
• Update existing listings
• Delete listings
• View all listings with pagination

User Authentication

• User registration with validation
• Secure login/logout
• Password encryption
• Session management

Reviews & Ratings

• Add reviews to listings
• Rate properties (1-5 stars)
• Edit and delete own reviews
• Display average ratings

Image Handling

• Multiple image upload per listing
• Image optimization and transformation via Cloudinary
• Secure image storage and delivery

🔒 Security Features

• Input validation and sanitization
• XSS protection
• CSRF protection
• Secure session management
• Password hashing
• Authentication and authorization middleware

📦 NPM Packages Used

{
  "express": "Web framework",
  "mongoose": "MongoDB ODM",
  "ejs": "Template engine",
  "passport": "Authentication middleware",
  "cloudinary": "Image management",
  "multer": "File upload handling",
  "joi": "Data validation",
  "express-session": "Session management",
  "connect-flash": "Flash messages",
  "method-override": "HTTP method support"
}

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

👤 Author

Nikita

• GitHub: @Nikitaa104
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikita-pandey-2297bb31b/

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Inspired by platforms like Airbnb and other vacation rental websites
• Built as a learning project to demonstrate full-stack web development skills
• Thanks to the open-source community for the amazing tools and libraries

📞 Support

For support, please open an issue in the GitHub repository or contact the maintainer.

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⭐ If you find this project useful, please consider giving it a star on GitHub!