Discuso - Interactive Discussion Platform

Discuso is a dynamic discussion platform built with Django that enables users to create, join, and participate in topic-based discussion rooms. The platform features real-time messaging, user authentication, and a clean, responsive interface.

User Interface

1. Home Page

2. Discussion Room

3. Profile

4. Create Discussion Room

5. Update Profile

Features

• 🔐 Email-based user authentication
• 👤 Custom user profiles with avatars and bios
• 🏠 Create and join discussion rooms
• 📝 Real-time messaging within rooms
• 🏷️ Topic-based room organization
• 🎨 Clean and responsive UI
• 🔄 REST API support
• 📱 Mobile-friendly design

Technology Stack

• Backend: Django 4.1
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Static Files: WhiteNoise
• API: Django REST Framework
• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Authentication: Django's built-in auth system

Local Setup

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip (Python package manager)
• Git

Installation Steps

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/prateek-code-22/discuso.git
   cd discuso

2. Create and activate virtual environment

   # Windows
   python -m venv venv
   .\venv\Scripts\activate
   
   # Linux/MacOS
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Configure environment variables

   • Create a config.json file in the root directory with:

   {
       "SECRET_KEY": "your-secret-key"
   }

5. Apply database migrations

   python manage.py migrate

6. Create a superuser (admin)

   python manage.py createsuperuser

7. Collect static files

   python manage.py collectstatic

8. Run the development server

   python manage.py runserver

9. Access the application

   • Open your browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:8000
   • Admin interface is available at http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin

Usage

1. Register an account or log in
2. Browse existing discussion rooms or create a new one
3. Join rooms and participate in discussions
4. Create topics and organize rooms
5. Customize your profile with avatar and bio