⚠️ Disclaimer

• This is a Academic Project created for educational purposes only.
• The name Helagovi is inspired by the Sinhala word Hela (meaning Ceylon).
• It was chosen out of admiration for local digital innovations.
• It is used here in a purely academic context, with no commercial intent.

✨ When Ideas Meet Reality

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js
• MongoDB Atlas account
• Cloudinary account
• Upstash Redis account (optional)
• PayHere merchant account

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/leshakamadara/helagovi.lk.git
cd helagovi.lk

Step 2: Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the backend folder with the following variables:

# Server Configuration
PORT=5001
NODE_ENV=development

# Database
MONGO_URI=YOUR_MONGO_URI

# Authentication
JWT_SECRET=YOUR_JWT_SECRET
JWT_EXPIRE=12h

# Cloudinary Configuration
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=YOUR_CLOUD_NAME
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=YOUR_CLOUD_API_KEY
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=YOUR_CLOUD_API_SECRET

# Redis Cache (Upstash)
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL=YOUR_REDIS_REST_URL
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN=YOUR_REDIS_REST_TOKEN

# PayHere Payment Gateway
PAYHERE_MERCHANT_ID=YOUR_PAYHERE_MERCHANT_ID
PAYHERE_MERCHANT_SECRET=YOUR_PAYHERE_MERCHANT_SECRET
PAYHERE_APP_ID=YOUR_PAYHERE_APP_ID
PAYHERE_APP_SECRET=YOUR_PAYHERE_APP_SECRET
FORCE_PAYHERE_SANDBOX=true

# Frontend URLs
PUBLIC_URL=https://www.helagovi.lk
FRONTEND_URL=https://www.helagovi.lk
BACKEND_WEBHOOK_URL=https://www.helagovi.lk

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Backend Dependencies

cd backend
npm install
cd ..

Frontend Dependencies

cd frontend
npm install
cd ..

Step 4: Run the Application

You can run both backend and frontend simultaneously by opening two terminal windows:

Backend

cd backend
npm run dev

Frontend

cd frontend
npm run dev

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🛠️ Technology Stack

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB Atlas
• Redis (Upstash)

Frontend

• React.js
• Tailwind CSS/ShadCN

Third-Party Services

• Cloudinary - Image upload and management
• PayHere - Payment gateway integration
• Upstash Redis - Caching layer (optional)

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📦 Key Features

Database

• MongoDB Atlas for production data storage
• Ensure credentials match production accounts

Image Management

• Cloudinary for image uploads and optimization
• Configure API keys in environment variables

Caching (Optional)

• Upstash Redis for caching sessions and frequent queries
• Improves application performance

Payment Processing

• PayHere integration with sandbox mode support
• Set FORCE_PAYHERE_SANDBOX=true for testing
• Configure merchant IDs, app secrets, and webhook URLs
• Frontend redirects should match FRONTEND_URL

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📧 Contact

For questions or feedback about this academic project, please open an issue in the repository.

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