ephrem-ketachew/finask

Finask is a backend API for a student-focused university guidance platform, helping users explore, compare, and review Ethiopian universities and programs. # Finask API Finask API is the backend for a student-focused university guidance platform built to help learners in Ethiopia discover universities, explore programs, and make better academic decisions. ## Overview This service powers the core data, authentication, content, and recommendation features behind Finask. It provides a structured API for university profiles, programs, reviews, favorites, search, and supporting content management. ## Key Features - University, campus, city, and program management - User authentication and account security with JWT - Reviews, replies, favorites, and interaction tracking - Search and comparison endpoints for discovery workflows - Image and content handling with cloud storage support - Seed scripts for sample data, migrations, and maintenance tasks ## Tech Stack - Node.js - Express.js - MongoDB with Mongoose - JWT authentication - Cloudinary, Multer, Sharp, and Nodemailer ## Getting Started ### Prerequisites - Node.js 18+ - MongoDB connection string ### Installation ```bash git clone github.com cd finask-backend npm install ``` ### Environment Variables Create a `config.env` file in the project root and define the required values, such as: ```env PORT=5000 MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key ``` ### Run the Server ```bash npm start ``` For development: ```bash npm run dev ``` ## Available Scripts - `npm start` - start the API - `npm run dev` - run the server with nodemon - `npm run debug` - start the server with the Node.js inspector - `npm run seed:import` - import seed data - `npm run seed:delete` - remove seed data - `npm run seed:content` - seed content data ## Project Structure - `controllers/` - request handlers and business logic - `models/` - Mongoose schemas and models - `routes/` - API route definitions - `services/` - reusable service-layer logic - `middleware/` - authentication, upload, and error handling - `utils/` - shared h …