🚗 Lemonator – The Ultimate Car Marketplace

Lemonator is a modern car marketplace where users can list, browse, and chat about vehicles in real-time. With live polling-powered messaging, AI chatbot recommendations, and a sleek UI, it provides a seamless experience for car buyers and sellers.

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🔥 Key Features

📩 Live Polling Messaging

• Real-time messaging system with instant updates.
• Buyers and sellers can chat seamlessly without delays.
• Messages are auto-refreshed while logged in.

🟢 GIF Demo:

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🤖 AI-Powered Chatbot

• Provides smart car buying & selling tips using OpenAI.
• Helps users make informed decisions based on their needs.
• Easily accessible via a pop-up modal.

🟢 GIF Demo:

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⭐ Favourite Listings

• Save multiple car listings for easy access later.
• Remove listings instantly from your favorites.

🟢 GIF Demo:

🖼 Screenshot:

🖼 Screenshot:

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🏠 Landing Page

• First impression of the app when a user visits Lemonator.
• Highlights key features and encourages users to explore.

🖼 Screenshot:

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👤 User Profiles

• Each user has a profile page showcasing:
  • Their listings
  • Their ratings & reviews
  • Contact & account details

🖼 Screenshot (User 1):

🖼 Screenshot (User 2):

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🔧 Creating a Car Listing

• Users can quickly list a car by filling out a simple form.
• Listings can be edited or deleted anytime from the profile.

🟢 GIF Demo:

🖼 Screenshot (Creating a Listing):

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🔑 Quick User Login

• Switch between users instantly for demo/testing.
• Useful for showcasing live polling and different user views.

🟢 GIF Demo:

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🤝 About the Team

• Meet the developers behind Lemonator!

🖼 Screenshot:

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🛠 Tech Stack

📦 Key Dependencies

Frontend

• React – UI framework for the client-side.
• Axios – API requests and handling.
• React Router – Navigation management.
• Sass – Styling and preprocessor.

Backend

• Ruby on Rails (8.0.1) – Core backend framework.
• PostgreSQL – Database management.
• Turbo Rails – Hotwire's real-time page updates.
• StimulusJS – JavaScript framework for interactivity.
• bcrypt – Secure user authentication.
• ruby-openai – AI chatbot integration.

Performance & Development

• rack-cors – Manages cross-origin requests.
• solid_cache, solid_queue, solid_cable – Caching and job queue management.
• dotenv-rails – Manages environment variables.
• brakeman – Security static analysis.
• rubocop-rails-omakase – Rails code style enforcement.
• Capybara & Selenium WebDriver – System testing.

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🚀 Installation Guide

1️⃣ Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Nesss86/lemonator.git
cd lemonator

2️⃣ Install Dependencies

Frontend Setup (Runs on Port 3001)

cd frontend
npm install
npm start

**Backend Setup (Runs on Port 3000)

cd backend
bundle install
rails db:create db:migrate db:seed
rails server

💡 Note: Make sure your frontend is proxying requests correctly to the backend (http://localhost:3000) by checking package.json:

"proxy": "http://localhost:3000"

🔮 Future Enhancements

🚀 Planned Features:

• User Reviews & Ratings → Allow buyers to leave - feedback on sellers.
• Setting up transaction completion using Stripe → Secure payment processing for car purchases.
• Enhanced AI Chatbot → More context-aware recommendations.

⭐ Give Us a Star!

If you like Lemonator, consider starring ⭐ this repository to support us!