Strangers today. Penpals tomorrow. Friends Forever.

Tegami is a digital penpal platform that brings back the lost art of letter writing in the modern age. Connect with people around the world through heartfelt letters, voice recordings, and personal journaling - all while building meaningful friendships that transcend borders.

• Browse Penpals: Discover potential friends from around the world
• Write Invitations: Craft personalized letters to connect with new people
• Real-time Messaging: Exchange letters with your penpals once connected
• Letter Status Tracking: See when your letters are in-transit, delivered, or read

• Record Audio: Capture voice memos and audio memories
• Cassette Wall: Browse and play your collection of audio recordings
• Audio Visualization: Beautiful visual feedback while recording and playing

• Personal Journaling: Write daily entries to track your thoughts and experiences
• Mood Tracking: Record your mood and emotional intensity
• Tag System: Organize entries with custom tags
• Private & Secure: Your journal entries are completely private

• Country Filtering: Connect with people from specific countries
• Age Range Matching: Find penpals in your preferred age group
• Writing Style Preferences: Match with people who share your communication style

• React 18 with TypeScript
• Vite for fast development and building
• React Router for client-side routing
• Tailwind CSS for styling with custom vintage theme
• Radix UI for accessible component primitives
• React Query for server state management
• Supabase for authentication and real-time features

• Node.js with Express.js
• TypeScript for type safety
• Supabase for database and storage
• Multer for file upload handling
• Helmet & CORS for security
• Morgan for request logging

• Supabase (PostgreSQL) for data persistence
• Supabase Storage for audio file management
• Real-time subscriptions for live updates

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

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/username/tegami.git
   cd tegami

2. Install dependencies

   # Install frontend dependencies
   cd frontend
   npm install
   
   # Install backend dependencies
   cd ../backend
   npm install

3. Environment Setup

   Create .env files in both frontend and backend directories:

   Frontend (.env)

   VITE_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
   VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_supabase_anon_key

   Backend (.env)

   SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
   SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your_supabase_service_role_key
   PORT=3001

4. Database Setup

   Set up your Supabase database with the required tables:

   • profiles - User profile information
   • letters - Public invitation letters
   • penpals - Penpal connections
   • penpal_letters - Private messages between penpals
   • journal_entries - Personal journal entries
   • audio_memories - Voice recordings metadata

5. Start the development servers

   Backend:

   cd backend
   npm run dev

   Frontend:

   cd frontend
   npm run dev

   The frontend will be available at http://localhost:5173 and the backend at http://localhost:3001.

tegami/
├── frontend/                 # React frontend application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/      # Reusable UI components
│   │   ├── contexts/        # React contexts (Auth, etc.)
│   │   ├── lib/            # Utilities and API clients
│   │   └── pages/          # Page components
│   └── public/             # Static assets
├── backend/                 # Express.js backend API
│   └── src/
│       ├── routes/         # API route handlers
│       ├── types/          # TypeScript type definitions
│       └── utils/          # Backend utilities
└── README.md

Tegami embraces a vintage, handwritten aesthetic that evokes the nostalgia of traditional letter writing:

• Vintage Typography: Custom fonts that mimic handwriting and vintage typewriters
• Paper Textures: Subtle background textures that simulate aged paper
• Ink Blots & Stamps: Decorative elements that add character
• Warm Color Palette: Ink blues and sepia tones for a timeless feel

Tegami uses Supabase Auth for secure user authentication:

• Email/password registration and login
• Google OAuth integration
• Secure session management
• Protected routes and API endpoints

• GET /api/letters - Fetch public invitation letters
• POST /api/letters - Create a new invitation letter
• PUT /api/letters/:id - Update an existing letter

• GET /api/penpals - Get user's penpal connections
• POST /api/penpals/connect - Send a connection request
• GET /api/penpals/letters - Fetch penpal correspondence
• POST /api/penpals/letters - Send a letter to a penpal

• GET /api/journal - Get user's journal entries
• POST /api/journal - Create a new journal entry
• PUT /api/journal/:id - Update a journal entry
• DELETE /api/journal/:id - Delete a journal entry

• GET /api/audio - Get user's audio memories
• POST /api/audio - Upload a new audio recording
• DELETE /api/audio/:id - Delete an audio memory

We welcome contributions to Tegami! Please feel free to submit issues, feature requests, or pull requests.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

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

• Inspired by the timeless art of letter writing
• Built with love for meaningful human connections
• Special thanks to the open-source community

Made with ❤️ for bringing people together, one letter at a time.