Build a Rest API for an Image Sharing App with Node.js

An Application Programming Interface (API) allows different software programs to communicate without understanding each other’s internal logic or structure. APIs are widely used to build server-side applications that support various client interfaces, such as web or mobile apps.

In this project, we'll build a REST API for an image sharing application using Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB. The backend will support user authentication, profile management, and image posting, allowing users to register, log in, update their profiles with usernames and profile pictures, and share images with the community. We'll implement secure authentication using JSON Web Tokens and follow RESTful API design principles throughout the application.

We'll start by connecting to MongoDB and creating data models for users and posts, then build authentication routes for registration and login with JWT token generation. Next, we'll implement user routes for profile management and post routes for uploading and retrieving images with local file storage. Finally, we'll integrate a Google Gemini-powered chatbot that uses retrieval-augmented generation to answer user questions by searching embedded project documentation and providing context-aware responses.

By the end, we'll have a complete image sharing API demonstrating Node.js backend development, MongoDB integration, JWT authentication, RESTful design, file uploads, and AI-powered features with vector search and RAG implementation.