Express and PocketHost Server

This project is a web application using Express.js, PocketBase, and Pug for rendering views. It includes user authentication, session management, and secure routing for a dynamic web experience.

Requirements

Environment Variables

The application uses the following environment variables:

• PORT: The port number where the server runs (default is 3000).
• SESSION_SECRET: A secret key for managing session encryption. Use a strong, random string.
• POCKETHOST_BASE_URL: The base URL of your PocketBase instance.
• NODE_ENV: node environment (local -> NODE_ENV=development)

Create a .env file in the root of your project with the following structure:

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000

# Session Configuration
SESSION_SECRET=your_super_secret_key

# PocketBase Configuration
POCKETHOST_BASE_URL=https://your-pocketbase-instance.com

Ensure .env is listed in your .gitignore file to avoid committing sensitive information.

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Folder Structure

The project follows this structure:

/project-root
├── /public                 # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
│   ├── /css                # Tailwind CSS output
│   ├── /js                 # Client-side scripts
│   └── ...
├── /views                 
│   ├── /layouts            # Base layouts for Pug views
│   ├── /user               # User-specific views (e.g., login)
│   └── ...
├── /routes                 # API routes
├── /middleware             # Middleware logic
├── .env                    # Environment variables
├── server.js               # Main server file
└── README.md               # Documentation

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Running the Project

1. Ensure you have nvm (Node Version Manager) installed. Use nvm to manage and apply the correct Node.js version:

   nvm use

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the development server with live reload:

   npm start

4. For production, build the CSS and serve:

   npm run build:all
   npm run serve

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Features

• Authentication: Login and session management using PocketBase.
• Secure Routes: Middleware-protected endpoints for authorized users.
• Dynamic Views: Server-side rendering with Pug.
• Static Assets: Tailwind CSS for styling, served from the public directory.

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Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new feature branch.
3. Commit your changes.
4. Submit a pull request.

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License

MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.