Almanet: Student and Alumni Connect Platform

Almanet is a secure, scalable platform designed to foster networking, collaboration, and engagement between students and alumni within a university or campus. Think of it as a closed-circle LinkedIn, enabling users to share opportunities, collaborate on startup ideas, fundraise, and connect over academic and industry prospects. Each institute has its own private community, powered by a robust tech stack including Next.js, Supabase, TypeScript, and Shadcn UI.

✨ Features

• Secure Networking: Connect with students and alumni in a private, institute-specific environment with advanced search and filtering.
• Event Management: Create, discover, and manage events with registration, RSVP tracking, and calendar integration.
• Fundraising Campaigns: Launch, manage, and track fundraising campaigns with secure payment processing.
• Mentorship Programs: Connect students with alumni mentors through intelligent matching algorithms.
• Job Board & Opportunities: Share and discover job openings, internships, and professional opportunities.
• Group & Community Management: Create and join interest-based groups, chapters, and communities.
• Rich User Profiles: Showcase education, experience, skills, and achievements on customizable profiles.
• Communication Tools: Stay connected through direct messaging, notifications, and email updates.
• Resource Sharing: Access shared resources, documents, and knowledge repositories.
• Mobile Access: Engage with the platform on-the-go through responsive design and optimization.
• Analytics Dashboard: Track engagement metrics and community growth with detailed insights.
• Strong Data Protection: Enterprise-grade security with granular privacy controls for users.

🚀 Competitive Advantage

Almanet stands out from other alumni networking platforms by offering:

• Institute-Specific Focus: Custom-tailored networking spaces for each educational institution.
• Modern Tech Stack: Built with the latest technologies ensuring speed, security, and scalability.
• Seamless User Experience: Intuitive, accessible interface with minimal learning curve.
• Affordable Pricing: Cost-effective solution compared to enterprise alternatives.
• Developer-Friendly: Open architecture with integration capabilities for institutional systems.
• Continuous Innovation: Regular updates with new features and improvements.

🔧 Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js (App Router), React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn UI
• Backend: Supabase (Authentication, Database, Storage, Realtime)
• State Management: React Context (store/useStore.ts) and Zustand
• Email: React Email and Resend
• Deployment: Vercel
• Analytics: Custom analytics with Supabase
• Utilities: Custom hooks (hooks/useEvents.tsx, hooks/useProfile.tsx) and Supabase utilities (utils/supabase/)

📁 Project Structure

├── app/                    # Next.js pages and layouts
│   ├── (auth)/             # Authentication routes (sign-in, sign-up, etc.)
│   ├── donate/             # Donation page
│   ├── events/             # Events page
│   ├── funds/              # Fundraising page
│   ├── home/               # Home page
│   └── profile/            # User profile page
├── actions/                # Server actions (e.g., authActions.ts)
├── components/             # Shared React components
│   ├── design/             # Design utilities and providers
│   ├── forms/              # Form components
│   ├── sections/           # Section components (hero, header, etc.)
│   └── ui/                 # Shadcn UI components
├── hooks/                  # Custom React hooks
├── lib/                    # Shared utilities
├── public/                 # Static assets (logos, icons, images)
├── store/                  # State management
├── utils/                  # Helper functions and Supabase utilities
└── middleware.ts           # Next.js middleware

🏁 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• Supabase account and project

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/almanet.git
   cd almanet

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables: Create a .env.local file in the root directory and add:

   NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=your-supabase-url
   NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-supabase-anon-key
   

4. Run the development server:

   npm run dev

   Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Adding Shadcn UI Components

To add a new Shadcn UI component, run:

npx shadcn@latest add <component-name>

Example:

npx shadcn@latest add button

🛠️ Development Workflow

• Version Control: Use Git with descriptive commit messages following the format:

  • feat: for new features
  • fix: for bug fixes
  • docs: for documentation changes
  • style: for formatting changes
  • refactor: for code refactoring
  • test: for adding tests
  • chore: for maintenance tasks

• Code Review: Submit pull requests for all changes with clear descriptions.

• Testing: Test in multiple environments (development, staging, production).

• Releases: Follow semantic versioning and maintain a changelog.

🔌 Supabase Integration

Almanet uses Supabase for authentication and database operations. Key utilities are located in utils/supabase/:

• client.ts: Initializes the Supabase client for client-side operations.
• server.ts: Server-side Supabase utilities with enhanced security.
• admin.ts: Admin-level Supabase operations for privileged actions.
• middleware.ts: Authentication middleware for route protection.

🔮 Future Roadmap

• AI-Powered Matching: Enhanced algorithms for connecting alumni and students.
• Advanced Analytics: Deeper insights into network engagement and growth.
• Mobile Apps: Native mobile applications for iOS and Android.
• Integration Marketplace: Expand connectivity with third-party services.
• Virtual Events: Built-in virtual event hosting and management.
• Enhanced Fundraising Tools: More sophisticated campaign management.
• Internationalization: Support for multiple languages and regions.

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feat/your-feature).
3. Commit changes with clear messages (git commit -m "feat: add new feature").
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feat/your-feature).
5. Open a pull request with a detailed description.