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📜 Table of Contents
TechNotes revolutionizes team collaboration with a secure, intelligent note management system. Designed for modern workplaces, it combines enterprise-grade security with intuitive user experience. Whether you're managing a small team or a large organization, TechNotes provides the tools you need to keep everyone organized and productive.
- 🔒 Enterprise Security — Military-grade JWT authentication with refresh token rotation
- 👥 Role-Based Access — Granular permissions for Employees, Managers, and Admins
- ⚡ Lightning Fast — Optimized with RTK Query caching and optimistic updates
- 🌐 Cloud-Ready — Scalable MERN architecture with MongoDB Atlas integration
- 📱 Mobile-First — Responsive design that works perfectly on any device
- 🔄 Real-Time Sync — Automatic token refresh and persistent login sessions
- 🎯 Zero Maintenance — Self-healing authentication with automatic cleanup
🔐 Secure Login • 📋 Intuitive Dashboard • 📝 Smart Notes • 👥 Admin Controls
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| Technology | Purpose | Why We Chose It |
|---|---|---|
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Database | Flexible schema & horizontal scaling capabilities |
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Backend API | Minimal overhead & extensive middleware ecosystem |
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Frontend UI | Component-based architecture & excellent ecosystem |
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Runtime | JavaScript everywhere & exceptional NPM ecosystem |
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State Mgmt | Predictable state updates & powerful dev tools |
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Styling | Utility-first approach & rapid prototyping |
Get your secure note management system running in under 5 minutes:
- Node.js 18+ (Latest LTS recommended)
- MongoDB (Local installation or Atlas cluster)
- npm or yarn package manager
- Modern browser with JavaScript enabled
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/TechNotes.git
cd TechNotes
# Install backend dependencies
cd backend
npm install
# Install frontend dependencies
cd ../client
npm install
Create .env in the backend directory:
# Server Configuration
PORT=3500
NODE_ENV=development
# Database
MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/TechNotes
# Or for MongoDB Atlas:
# MONGO_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/TechNotes
# JWT Secrets (generate strong secrets in production!)
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your-super-secret-access-token-key-here
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=your-super-secret-refresh-token-key-here
# CORS Configuration
CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:3000
# Terminal 1: Start backend server
cd backend
npm run dev
# Terminal 2: Start frontend client
cd client
npm run dev
🎉 Success! Navigate to http://localhost:3000 and start managing your notes!
Username: admin
Password: admin123
Role: Admin
⚠️ Security Note: Change the default admin credentials immediately in production!
Our architecture follows industry best practices for maintainability and scalability:
TechNotes/
├── backend/
│ ├── config/
│ │ ├── dbConn.js # MongoDB connection & error handling
│ │ ├── allowedOrigins.js # Defines which URL's are allowed for CORS
│ │ └── corsOptions.js # CORS configuration & whitelist
│ ├── controllers/
│ │ ├── authController.js # Login, refresh, logout logic
│ │ ├── usersController.js # User CRUD operations
│ │ └── notesController.js # Notes CRUD operations
│ ├── middleware/
│ │ ├── errorHandler.js # Log errors (name, message, url, etc...)
│ │ ├── verifyJWT.js # JWT token verification
│ │ ├── loginLimiter.js # Rate limiting for login attempts
│ │ └── logger.js # Request logging middleware
│ ├── models/
│ │ ├── User.js # User schema with roles & validation
│ │ └── Note.js # Note schema with user references
│ ├── routes/
│ │ ├── authRoutes.js # Authentication endpoints
│ │ ├── userRoutes.js # User management endpoints
│ │ ├── root.js # Serves index.html for index routes.
│ │ └── noteRoutes.js # Notes management endpoints
│ ├── view/
│ │ ├── 404.html # Page not found html
│ │ └── index.html # Backend html
│ └── server.js # Express app setup & middleware
├── client/
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── app/
│ │ │ ├── store.js # Redux store configuration
│ │ │ └── api/
│ │ │ └── apiSlice.js # RTK Query base API setup
│ │ ├── config/
│ │ │ ├── roles.js # Defines Roles
│ │ ├── features/
│ │ │ ├── auth/ # Authentication components & logic
│ │ │ │ ├── Login.js
│ │ │ │ ├── PersistLogin.js
│ │ │ │ ├── authApiSlice.js
│ │ │ │ ├── authSlice.js
│ │ │ │ ├── RequireAuth.js
│ │ │ │ ├── Prefetch.js
│ │ │ │ └── Welcome.js
│ │ │ ├── users/ # User management features
│ │ │ │ ├── UsersList.js
│ │ │ │ ├── EditUserForm.js
│ │ │ │ ├── NewUserForm.js
│ │ │ │ ├── User.js
│ │ │ │ ├── EditUser.js
│ │ │ │ └── UsersApiSlice.js
│ │ │ └── notes/ # Notes management features
│ │ │ ├── NotesList.js
│ │ │ ├── EditNote.js
│ │ │ ├── EditNoteForm.js
│ │ │ ├── NewNote.js
│ │ │ ├── NewNoteForm.js
│ │ │ ├── Note.js
│ │ │ └── notesApiSlice.js
│ │ ├── components/
│ │ │ ├── Layout.js # Main app layout
│ │ │ ├── Public.js # Landing page
│ │ │ ├── DashHeader.js # Dashboard header
│ │ │ ├── DashFooter.js # Dashboard footer
│ │ │ └── DashLayout.js # Dashboard Layout
│ │ ├── hooks/
│ │ │ ├── useAuth.js # Authentication hook
│ │ │ ├── useTitle.js # Title hook
│ │ │ └── usePersist.js # Persistence toggle hook
│ │ ├── App.js # Main app component & routing
│ │ ├── index.js
│ │ ├── index.css
│ └── public/
│ ├── favicon.ico
│ └── screenshots/ # UI screenshots for documentation
└── README.md
Our security-first approach ensures your data stays protected:
sequenceDiagram
participant C as Client
participant S as Server
participant DB as Database
C->>S: POST /auth (credentials)
S->>DB: Validate user credentials
DB-->>S: User data
S->>S: Generate JWT tokens
S->>C: Access token + HttpOnly refresh cookie
Note over C,S: Normal API requests
C->>S: API request + Bearer token
S->>S: Verify access token
S-->>C: API response
Note over C,S: Token refresh flow
C->>S: API request (expired token)
S-->>C: 401 Unauthorized
C->>S: POST /auth/refresh (cookie)
S->>S: Verify refresh token
S-->>C: New access token
C->>S: Retry API request
Note over C,S: Logout
C->>S: POST /auth/logout
S->>S: Clear refresh token
S-->>C: Success + Clear cookie
- 15-minute Access Tokens minimize exposure window
- 7-day Refresh Tokens balance security with UX
- HttpOnly Cookies prevent XSS token theft
- CORS Protection restricts origin access
- Rate Limiting prevents brute force attacks
- Automatic Cleanup removes expired tokens
// Login user
const loginUser = async (credentials) => {
const response = await fetch("/auth", {
method: "POST",
headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
body: JSON.stringify(credentials),
credentials: "include", // Include cookies
});
return response.json();
};
// Automatic token refresh with RTK Query
const authSlice = apiSlice.injectEndpoints({
endpoints: (builder) => ({
refresh: builder.mutation({
query: () => ({
url: "/auth/refresh",
method: "GET",
}),
}),
}),
});
// Create new note with optimistic updates
const [createNote] = useCreateNoteMutation();
const handleCreateNote = async (noteData) => {
try {
await createNote({
title: noteData.title,
text: noteData.text,
user: userId,
}).unwrap();
// Optimistic update already handled by RTK Query
} catch (error) {
console.error("Failed to create note:", error);
}
};
// Real-time note filtering
const { data: notes, isLoading } = useGetNotesQuery();
const filteredNotes = notes?.filter((note) =>
note.title.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm.toLowerCase())
);
// Role-based component rendering
const UserManagement = () => {
const { isManager, isAdmin } = useAuth();
if (!isManager && !isAdmin) {
return <Navigate to="/dash" replace />;
}
return (
<div className="user-management">
{isAdmin && <AdminControls />}
<UserList />
</div>
);
};
// Bulk user operations
const [updateUsers] = useUpdateUsersMutation();
const handleBulkRoleUpdate = async (userIds, newRole) => {
const updates = userIds.map((id) => ({ id, roles: [newRole] }));
await updateUsers({ updates }).unwrap();
};
We're focused on delivering powerful features to improve team productivity and collaboration:
- 🌙 Dark Mode — Sleek UI with automatic theme switching
- 🔍 Advanced Search — Full-text search with filters and sorting
- 📁 Folders & Tags — Organize notes with custom tags and nested folders
- 📊 Analytics Dashboard — Visual insights into usage and performance
- 🤝 Real-Time Collaboration — Edit notes live with your team
Great software is built by passionate communities. Join us in making TechNotes even better:
- 🐛 Bug Reports — Help us identify and fix issues quickly
- 💡 Feature Requests — Share your ideas for new functionality
- 🔧 Code Contributions — Submit pull requests for improvements
- 📚 Documentation — Improve guides, tutorials, and API docs
- 🎨 Design & UX — Enhance UI/UX and create marketing assets
- 🗣️ Community Support — Help other users in discussions
- 🎓 Educational Content — Create tutorials and best practices guides
- 🔍 Testing — Help test new features and report feedback
- 🌍 Translations — Add support for new languages
# Fork the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/TechNotes.git
cd TechNotes
# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
# Make your changes
npm run test # Run tests
npm run lint # Check code style
npm run type-check # Verify TypeScript
# Commit with conventional commits
git commit -m "feat: add amazing new feature"
# Push and create PR
git push origin feature/amazing-feature
TechNotes is open source and available under the MIT License.
Built with modern web technologies and a commitment to security and user experience.
👨💻 Created with ❤️ by Alexander Potiagalov
Securing teams, one note at a time.
⭐ Star this repo if you found it helpful!
Made with 🔒 for teams who value security and productivity