How do I test if the backend is running correctly?
After starting the server, use curl or Postman to hit POST /api/signup with a JSON body containing firstName, lastName, email, and password. A 201 response with user data and a Set-Cookie header confirms it works.
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More FAQs in Setting Up the DevTinder Backend Repository Clone, Install, and Configure
Clone the repository with git clone, run npm install to install dependencies, copy .env.example to .env and fill in MongoDB URI and JWT secret, then run npm run dev to start the Express server.
PORT (e.g., 3000), MONGODB_URI (connection string for MongoDB), JWT_SECRET (for signing JWT tokens), NODE_ENV (development or production), and CLIENT_URL (for CORS configuration with the frontend).
Either works. Local MongoDB is faster and doesn't require internet. MongoDB Atlas is easier to set up (no local install) and is free for small projects. Use Atlas if you want a managed cloud database.
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