VARI

you can access the app here: https://vari-client.onrender.com/

Vari is a career exploration web app. It helps users explore:

• tech industries
• role paths
• learning steps
• job demand signals
• salary snapshots

The app has two parts:

• client/ (React + Vite frontend)
• server/ (Express + MongoDB backend)

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Zustand
• Backend: Node.js, Express, TypeScript, Mongoose
• Database: MongoDB
• Auth: JWT

Project Structure

• client/ frontend app
• server/ backend API and data seeding
• README.md this file (whole project)
• client/README.md frontend-only guide

Before You Start

Install:

• Node.js 20+
• npm
• MongoDB (Atlas or local)

Quick Start (Local Development)

1. Install dependencies

cd server
npm install

cd ../client
npm install

2. Create env files

server/.env

MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_long_random_secret
PORT=5000
CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:5173

client/.env

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

3. Seed the database (one-time or whenever you want to reset sample data)

cd server
npm run seed

4. Start backend (terminal 1)

cd server
npm run dev

5. Start frontend (terminal 2)

cd client
npm run dev

6. Open the app

• http://localhost:5173

Main Features

• Interactive map of industries, districts, and roles
• Inspector panel with learning path and resources
• Jobs panel with live-ish demand numbers
• Salary panel with SCB-based data when available
• Search for industries and roles
• Account login/register
• Save pins (role, industry, learning-step) in "My Pins"

Backend API Overview

• GET /api/map industries + roles for map rendering
• GET /api/roles/:slug role details
• GET /api/search?q=... search endpoint
• GET /api/salaries/:slug salary data for role
• GET /api/jobs/:roleSlug job count data
• POST /api/auth/register create account
• POST /api/auth/login sign in
• GET /api/me current user
• GET /api/me/pins get saved pins
• POST /api/me/pins create pin
• PATCH /api/me/pins/:id update notes
• DELETE /api/me/pins/:id delete pin

Scripts

Server (server/package.json):

• npm run dev start backend with auto-reload
• npm run build compile TypeScript
• npm run start run compiled backend from dist
• npm run seed seed industries and roles

Client (client/package.json):

• npm run dev start Vite dev server
• npm run build type-check and build production files
• npm run preview preview production build locally
• npm run lint run ESLint

Troubleshooting

• Map is empty: run npm run seed in server/, then refresh the browser.
• Frontend cannot call backend: check client/.env has VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000.
• CORS error: make sure CLIENT_URL in server/.env matches your frontend URL.
• Auth fails unexpectedly: check JWT_SECRET in server/.env, then restart the backend.

Notes

• Do not commit real secrets to git.
• If a .env with real credentials was committed before, rotate those secrets.