CodeCanvas

A Real-Time Collaborative Code Editor

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🚀 Overview

CodeCanvas is a real-time, interactive code editor built to enable seamless collaborative coding. It leverages the Monaco Editor for React and the WebSocket API to allow users to write, share, and execute code together in real-time. Perfect for pair programming, coding interviews, and team-based projects.

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🌟 Features

• Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can edit code simultaneously with instant synchronization using WebSocket
• Workspace Management: Create and organize folders and files within the editor
• Multi-Language Support: Code in C++, Python, JavaScript, and Java
• Code Execution: Run and test code directly in the browser with Judge0 API integration
• Input/Output Handling: Test your code with custom input and view execution results
• Import/Export Functionality: Import and export code files, input files, and output files
• Resizable Editor: Draggable divider to adjust editor and input/output panel widths
• Room-Based Collaboration: Join coding rooms and collaborate with team members in real-time
• User Authentication: Secure sign up and sign in with JWT authentication
• Modern UI: Beautiful, responsive interface with dark/light theme support
• Code Saving: Save your code to workspaces for later access

Room and execution limits

• Maximum 20 participants per room
• Maximum 10 room creations per IP per minute
• Rooms expire after one hour of inactivity
• Source code and input are limited to 100 KB each

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🛠️ Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB database (local or cloud)

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to the server directory

   cd server

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables

   Create a .env file in the server directory:

   PORT=5000
   MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string_here
   SECRET_KEY=your_jwt_secret_key_here
   CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:5173
   JUDGE0_API_URL=https://judge0-ce.p.rapidapi.com/submissions
   JUDGE0_API_HOST=judge0-ce.p.rapidapi.com
   JUDGE0_API_KEY=your_judge0_api_key_here

   • PORT: Server port (default: 5000)
   • MONGO_URI: Your MongoDB connection string (e.g., mongodb://localhost:27017/codecanvas or MongoDB Atlas URI)
   • SECRET_KEY: Secret key for JWT token signing (use a strong random string)
   • CORS_ORIGIN: Allowed origin for CORS (use http://localhost:5173 for local development, or comma-separated for multiple origins)

4. Start the backend server

   npm start

   For development with auto-reload:

   npm run dev

   The server will run on http://localhost:5000 by default.

Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to the client directory

   cd client

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables

   Create a .env file in the client directory:

   # API Configuration
   VITE_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000
   
   # Socket.io Configuration
   VITE_SOCKET_URL=http://localhost:5000
   

   Note: In Vite, environment variables must be prefixed with VITE_ to be exposed to client-side code.

   • VITE_API_BASE_URL: Backend API base URL
   • VITE_SOCKET_URL: WebSocket server URL

4. Start the development server

   npm run dev

   Or:

   npm start

   The frontend will run on http://localhost:5173 by default.

5. Build for production

   npm run build

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🚀 Usage

1. Start both servers (backend and frontend) as described above.

2. Open the application in your browser at http://localhost:5173.

3. Sign Up for a new account or Sign In if you already have one.

   Guest Account for Testing:

   email: [email protected]
   password: yash1234

   You can use these credentials to quickly test the application without creating a new account.

4. Create Workspaces:

   • After logging in, create folders and files to organize your code
   • Each workspace can contain multiple code files

5. Code and Execute:

   • Write code in the editor
   • Use the input section to provide test input
   • Click "Run" to execute your code
   • View output in the output section

6. Collaborate in Rooms:

   • Click "Join Room" to create or join a collaborative coding room
   • Share the room ID with others
   • Code together in real-time with synchronized editing

7. Import/Export:

   • Import code files from your computer
   • Export code, input, and output files
   • Save your code to workspaces

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📁 Project Structure

CodeCanvas/
├── client/                 # Frontend React application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/    # React components
│   │   ├── api/          # API configuration
│   │   ├── service/      # Judge0 service
│   │   └── socket.js     # Socket.io client
│   ├── public/           # Static assets
│   └── package.json
├── server/                # Backend Express server
│   ├── controllers/      # Route controllers
│   ├── models/          # MongoDB models
│   ├── routes/          # API routes
│   ├── middlewares/     # Auth middleware
│   └── server.js        # Server entry point
└── README.md

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🔧 Technologies Used

• Frontend: React, Vite, Monaco Editor, Socket.io Client, Axios, TailwindCSS, shadcn/ui, @base-ui/react
• Backend: Node.js, Express, Socket.io, MongoDB, Mongoose
• Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens), bcrypt
• Code Execution: Judge0 API (via RapidAPI)
• Real-time Communication: WebSocket (Socket.io)
• Styling: TailwindCSS with shadcn/ui components (built on Radix UI / @base-ui/react)

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📝 Environment Variables

Server (.env)

• PORT - Server port number
• MONGO_URI - MongoDB connection string
• SECRET_KEY - JWT secret key
• CORS_ORIGIN - Allowed CORS origins
• JUDGE0_API_URL - Server-side Judge0 endpoint
• JUDGE0_API_HOST - Server-side Judge0 host
• JUDGE0_API_KEY - Server-side Judge0 API key

Client (.env)

• VITE_API_BASE_URL - Backend API URL
• VITE_SOCKET_URL - WebSocket server URL

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