StudyBuddy

StudyBuddy is a full-stack, real-time collaborative web application that enables students to create and participate in topic-based study rooms. Built with Django and Supabase, it supports live group messaging, dynamic participant tracking, and avatar-based user profiles. The platform leverages Supabase Realtime for instant message delivery, Supabase Storage for media management, and PostgreSQL for scalable data handling — all within a modern, responsive, and secure user interface.

---

Key Features

• User Authentication: Register, login, and manage your profile.
• Profile Avatars: Upload avatars (stored on Supabase Storage) with robust default/fallback handling.
• Study Rooms: Create, join, and participate in themed study rooms.
• Real-Time Chat: Instant messaging in rooms using Supabase Realtime.
• Live Participants List: See who is currently in each room, updated in real time.
• Topic Browsing: Discover and filter rooms by topics.
• Recent Activities Feed: View the latest messages and activities across the platform.
• Responsive UI: Clean, modern interface with mobile support.
• Secure: CSRF protection, permission checks, and no sensitive data in logs.

---

Technologies Used

• Backend: Django 4.x, Django REST Framework
• Frontend: Django Templates, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Database & Storage: Supabase (Postgres, Storage, Realtime)
• Static Files: WhiteNoise
• Deployment: Render.com
• Other: python-dotenv, Gunicorn, CORS Headers

---

Local Development Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Bhargavzz/StudyBuddy.git
   cd StudyBuddy/studybud

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

   python -m venv .venv
   # On Windows:
   .\.venv\Scripts\activate
   # On macOS/Linux:
   source .venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up environment variables:
   Create a .env file in the studybud directory with the following variables (see below).

5. Run migrations:

   python manage.py makemigrations
   python manage.py migrate

6. Collect static files:

   python manage.py collectstatic

7. Run the development server:

   python manage.py runserver

8. Visit http://127.0.0.1:8000 in your browser.

---

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in your studybud directory with the following keys:

DJANGO_SECRET_KEY=your-django-secret-key
SUPABASE_URL=your-supabase-url
SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-supabase-anon-key
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your-supabase-service-role-key
DB_NAME=your_db_name         # Only if using a local/other Postgres DB
DB_USER=your_db_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password
DB_HOST=your_db_host
DB_PORT=your_db_port

Note: If you use only Supabase for all data, you may not need the DB_* variables.

---

Deployment (Render.com)

Live Demo: https://studybuddy-stdl.onrender.com

1. Push your code to GitHub.
2. Create a new Web Service on Render:
   • Set the Root Directory to studybud
   • Build Command:

     pip install -r requirements.txt; python manage.py collectstatic --noinput
     

   • Start Command:

     gunicorn studybud.wsgi
     

   • Environment Variables:
     Add all variables from your .env file in the Render dashboard.
   • ALLOWED_HOSTS:
     Add your Render URL (studybuddy-stdl.onrender.com) to ALLOWED_HOSTS in settings.py.
3. Redeploy after any settings change.

---

API Routes & Usage

• Room Participants (AJAX/Realtime):

  GET /api/room/<room_id>/participants/
  

  Returns a JSON list of participants with id, name, username, and avatar_url.

• Room Messaging (POST):

  POST /room/<room_id>/
  body: { body: "Your message" }
  

  Authenticated users can post messages to a room.

• User Profile:

  GET /profile/<user_id>/
  

• Other endpoints are handled via Django views and templates.

---

Contribution Guidelines

• Fork the repository and create a new branch for your feature or bugfix.
• Follow PEP8 and Django best practices.
• Submit a pull request with a clear description of your changes.
• For major changes, open an issue first to discuss what you’d like to change.

---

Acknowledgements

• Supabase for backend, storage, and realtime.
• Render for easy Django deployment.
• Django, DRF, and the open-source community.

---

Author

Sitra Vishnu Bhargav
Final-year CSE, IIIT Jabalpur
GitHub • LinkedIn