Ethnica - Support Your Tribe & Grow Local Economies

Ethnica is a web application that helps users discover and support businesses that align with their values and demographics. The platform allows users to find businesses on a map, read reviews from people with similar backgrounds, and search for establishments based on their preferences.

Features

• Interactive Map: Discover businesses near you using Mapbox integration
• Demographic Matching: See reviews from people with similar backgrounds and preferences first
• Value-Based Search: Find businesses that match your values and priorities
• User Profiles: Create a semi-anonymous profile with demographic information
• Reviews System: Leave and read authentic reviews from the community

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 14, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• UI Components: shadcn/ui (built on Radix UI)
• Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
• Maps: Mapbox GL
• Authentication: NextAuth.js
• Form Handling: React Hook Form with Zod validation
• Styling: Tailwind CSS with dark mode support

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• PostgreSQL database
• Mapbox API key

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ethnica.git
   cd ethnica

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables:

   • Copy .env.example to .env
   • Update the database connection string and Mapbox API key

4. Set up the database:

   npx prisma migrate dev

5. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

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

Deployment to Vercel

To deploy the application to Vercel:

1. Push your code to a GitHub repository

2. Visit Vercel and sign up or log in

3. Click "Add New..." and select "Project"

4. Import your GitHub repository

5. Configure the project:

   • Framework Preset: Next.js
   • Root Directory: ./
   • Build Command: next build
   • Output Directory: .next

6. Set up environment variables in the Vercel dashboard:

   • NEXT_PUBLIC_MAPBOX_TOKEN: Your Mapbox API token
   • NEXT_PUBLIC_PRIVY_APP_ID: Your Privy App ID
   • DATABASE_URL: Your production database connection string
   • NEXTAUTH_SECRET: A secure random string for NextAuth
   • NEXTAUTH_URL: Your deployed application URL

7. Click "Deploy" and wait for the build to complete

You can also use the Vercel CLI for more advanced deployment options:

# Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# Login to Vercel
vercel login

# Deploy to production
vercel --prod

Project Structure

• /app - Next.js app router pages and layouts
• /components - Reusable React components
• /lib - Utility functions and shared code
• /prisma - Database schema and migrations
• /public - Static assets

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

For questions or feedback, please contact the team at team@ethni.ca.