CodeArena – AI-Powered DSA Learning Platform

A full-stack platform for mastering Data Structures and Algorithms with AI assistance, competitive coding duels, and progress tracking. Built using Next.js, React, Node.js, Express, and MongoDB.

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js 15
• React 19
• TailwindCSS 4
• Monaco Editor for code editing
• Axios for API requests

Backend

• Node.js with Express
• MongoDB with Mongoose
• JWT for authentication
• Passport.js for Google OAuth

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• npm or yarn

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/codearena.git
   cd codearena

2. Install dependencies for both client and server

   # Install server dependencies
   cd server
   npm install
   
   # Install client dependencies
   cd ../client
   npm install

3. Create a .env file in the server directory with the following variables:

   PORT=5000
   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id
   GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_google_client_secret
   

4. Start the development servers

   # Start the backend server
   cd server
   npm run dev
   
   # In a new terminal, start the frontend
   cd client
   npm run dev

5. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000

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📁 Project Structure

├── client/                 # Frontend Next.js application
│   ├── public/             # Static assets
│   └── src/                # Source files
│       ├── app/            # Next.js app router
│       ├── components/     # Reusable components
│       ├── context/        # React context providers
│       └── lib/            # Utility functions and API services
│
└── server/                 # Backend Express application
    ├── config/             # Configuration files
    ├── controllers/        # Route controllers
    ├── models/             # Mongoose models
    └── routes/             # API routes

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🚀 Features

• 🧠 Practice DSA questions from a custom problem database
• 🤖 AI Assistant for real-time help with hints, explanations, and code optimization
• ⚔️ Coding Duels to challenge friends or random opponents in real-time competitions
• 🌐 Multi-language Support for Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, and more
• 📊 Dashboard to track progress, view statistics, and identify areas for improvement
• 🔐 Secure authentication with JWT and Google OAuth integration
• 💻 Modern UI built with Next.js + TailwindCSS

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