Group Task Binder Frontend — Fast, Collaborative MERN Task Manager

Download the latest release asset from https://github.com/dandan190607/group-task-frontend/releases and run the included setup.

Welcome to the frontend of Group Task Binder. This frontend is the web interface for a powerful task management system built with the MERN stack. It focuses on productivity and collaboration, making it easy to register, sign in, and manage tasks visually. The UI is clean, responsive, and designed for both individuals and teams. It connects to a backend API to authenticate users, manage projects, and update tasks in real time. Users can filter, sort, and group tasks to fit their workflows.

Table of contents

• Overview
• Why choose Group Task Binder Frontend
• Core features
• Tech stack
• Quick start
• Installation
• Local development workflow
• Project structure
• Components and pages
• API integration
• State management
• Styling and accessibility
• Testing and quality
• Localization and internationalization
• Debugging and troubleshooting
• Performance and security
• Deployment and hosting
• Continuous integration and delivery
• Documentation and learning resources
• How to contribute
• Roadmap
• Changelog
• FAQ
• Credits and license
• Releases

Overview Group Task Binder Frontend is the user-facing side of a task management app. It is built in JavaScript with React and leverages modern front-end patterns. It provides a polished experience for:

• User registration and authentication
• Creating, updating, and deleting tasks
• Toggling task status and progress
• Managing projects and boards
• Real-time collaboration hooks through API calls
• Flexible filtering, sorting, and grouping of tasks

The frontend focuses on progressive enhancement. It loads quickly, adapts to different screen sizes, and stays usable even on slower networks. It aims to be accessible and easy to learn for both new and experienced users.

Why choose Group Task Binder Frontend

• Clear interface: The UI is straightforward. Users can scan and act on tasks with minimal clicks.
• Real-time feel: The app updates tasks promptly via API calls and state updates.
• Flexible workflows: Users can arrange tasks by project, status, priority, or custom groups.
• Scalable design: The codebase supports growing features without breaking existing flows.
• Open to contributions: The project welcomes thoughtful improvements, new features, and fixes.

Core features

• User authentication: Sign up, sign in, and session persistence.
• Task lifecycle: Create, edit, delete, and complete tasks.
• Status toggling: Mark tasks as done, in progress, or blocked.
• Projects and boards: Organize tasks inside projects with boards for quick views.
• Filtering and sorting: Find tasks by due date, priority, assignee, or keywords.
• Grouping: Group tasks by project, status, assignee, or custom labels.
• Responsive UI: Works on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
• Accessible design: Keyboard friendly and screen reader compatible.
• Data synchronization: Interacts with the backend API for up-to-date data.

Tech stack

• Frontend: JavaScript, React, modern hooks and context for state management
• Styling: CSS modules or CSS-in-JS options, responsive design
• API: RESTful endpoints exposed by the MERN backend
• Tooling: npm, ESLint, Prettier, Jest, React Testing Library
• Build: Webpack or Vite-based dev server, production bundle

Getting started This section shows how to set up the frontend locally. The steps assume you have a working Node.js environment and basic familiarity with command line tools.

Prerequisites

• Node.js LTS (version 14.x or newer)
• npm (comes with Node.js) or Yarn
• Git for cloning the repository
• A running backend instance or accessible API endpoints

Quick start

1. Clone the repository

• git clone https://github.com/dandan190607/group-task-frontend.git

2. Open the project folder

• cd group-task-frontend

3. Install dependencies

• npm install

4. Run the development server

• npm run start

5. Open the app in your browser

• http://localhost:3000 (or the port shown in your terminal)

If you prefer to build for production

• npm run build
• Serve the static assets with your chosen server

Note about releases Download the latest release asset from https://github.com/dandan190607/group-task-frontend/releases and run the included setup. The release page contains a ready-to-run package or bundle. The asset is intended to simplify installation on supported platforms. For the latest build, follow the instructions in the release notes on that page. The second reference to the releases page is provided via a clickable badge above.

Running locally

• Environment configuration: The app expects API endpoints and optional environment variables for authentication, project data, and task data. Create a .env file at the project root if your setup requires custom values. Provide values like VITE_API_BASE_URL or REACT_APP_API_BASE_URL depending on your tooling.
• Local API: If you run a local backend, set the base URL to http://localhost:5000 or the port you use. Ensure CORS is configured on the backend to allow requests from the frontend host.
• Data seeding: For development, you may seed the backend with sample users, projects, and tasks. This helps you test authentication flows and task interactions quickly.
• Debugging: Use browser dev tools to inspect network requests, state, and component behavior. Add console logs in components during development if needed, then remove them for production.

Project structure

• src/
  • components/ - Reusable UI blocks like TaskCard, ProjectCard, Board, Modal, Button
  • pages/ - Route-level components (LoginPage, RegisterPage, DashboardPage, ProjectPage)
  • hooks/ - Custom React hooks for data fetching, form handling, and UI state
  • contexts/ - Global state providers and reducers
  • services/ - API clients and helpers for making requests
  • assets/ - Images, icons, fonts, and other static assets
  • styles/ - Global styles, tokens, and common utilities
  • App.js / App.jsx - Entry point for routing and layout
  • index.js - Rendering the root component
• public/ - Static assets and favicon
• tests/ - Frontend tests and snapshots
• README.md - This file

Components and pages

• TaskCard: Displays a single task with title, due date, priority, and status. Includes actions to edit, delete, or toggle status.
• BoardView: A board-style view for a project where tasks are grouped by status.
• ProjectBoard: A view to manage tasks within a project, including filtering and grouping controls.
• AuthForms: Sign-in and sign-up forms with validation and inline feedback.
• NavBar: Global navigation and quick links to dashboards, projects, and settings.
• ModalDialog: Reusable modal for confirmations and forms.
• NotificationCenter: In-app notifications about task changes and system messages.
• SettingsPanel: User preferences, theme toggles, and account settings.

API integration

• Authentication endpoints: Sign up, sign in, sign out, token refresh.
• Project endpoints: Create, read, update, delete projects; add or remove members.
• Task endpoints: CRUD operations, status changes, priority updates, due dates, and grouping by labels.
• Real-time considerations: The frontend calls the backend API to update data and reflect changes in the UI. WebSocket or long-polling can be added in the future for live updates if backend supports it.
• Error handling: Show user-friendly messages for common errors. Retry logic and backoff when appropriate.

State management

• Context + useReducer: Core app state like user session, current project, and task lists is managed in a centralized store.
• Local component state: Lightweight UI state, such as modal visibility and form input, remains local to the component.
• Caching: Data fetched from the API is cached in memory to reduce repeated calls. In production, consider a more robust cache strategy or a state library with built-in caching.

Styling and accessibility

• Design system: A consistent palette, typography, and spacing scale across components.
• Responsive layout: Fluid grids and flexible components adapt to screen sizes.
• Accessibility: Semantic HTML, ARIA labels where needed, keyboard navigability, and proper color contrast.
• Localization: Text strings can be extracted for translation. The app is prepared for future localization work.

Testing and quality

• Unit tests: Use Jest for logic and React Testing Library for UI components.
• End-to-end testing: Consider Cypress for full user flows, such as login and project creation.
• Linting and formatting: ESLint for code quality, Prettier for formatting. Run locally before commits.
• CI: Run tests and lint checks on push or pull requests to ensure stability.

Localization and internationalization

• Strings stored in a central locale file structure to simplify translation.
• Date and time formatting adapted for multiple locales.
• Right-to-left layout support can be added in a dedicated stylesheet or theme switch.

Debugging and troubleshooting

• Common issues: API not reachable, authentication failures, or missing environment variables.
• Steps: Check API base URL, confirm the backend is running, verify CORS settings, and review browser console logs.
• Logs: Use targeted console statements during development. Remove extraneous logs in production builds.

Performance considerations

• Code-splitting: Load only the necessary UI code for the current view.
• Image optimization: Use responsive images and properly sized assets.
• Request efficiency: Batch API requests when possible and minimize redundant fetches.
• Memory management: Clean up event listeners and timers when components unmount.

Security measures

• Token handling: Store tokens securely in memory or secure storage where available. Avoid exposing tokens in logs or browser history.
• API protection: Validate inputs on the backend. The frontend should not rely on client-side validation alone.
• Dependency management: Keep dependencies up to date and monitor for vulnerabilities.

Deployment and hosting

• Static hosting: Build the frontend and host on a static site service or a server that serves the build output.
• Environment variables: Separate frontend and backend configurations for development, staging, and production.
• Performance tuning: Enable gzip/ brotli compression, set cache headers, and optimize the build.

Continuous integration and delivery

• GitHub Actions: Run linting, tests, and builds on push. Create separate jobs for lint, test, and build.
• Preview deployments: Use pull request previews to verify changes in a live-ish environment.
• Release tagging: Use semantic versioning for releases. Include changelog notes with each release.

Documentation and learning resources

• In-app help: Short guides and tooltips to help new users.
• External docs: Link to API docs, contribution guidelines, and design principles.
• Tutorials: Create step-by-step tutorials for common tasks like creating a project, adding a task, and filtering views.

How to contribute

• Code style: Follow the established guidelines for naming and structure.
• Branching: Use feature branches for new work. Name branches with a short description and issue number if available.
• Commits: Write clear, concise messages that explain the why and what.
• PR process: Open a pull request with a summary of changes, tests added or updated, and any breaking changes.
• Issues: Use issues to track bugs and feature requests. Provide steps to reproduce problems.

Roadmap

• Improve real-time collaboration: Implement WebSocket-based updates to reflect changes instantly for all users.
• Expand board types: Add kanban, list, and calendar views for tasks.
• Advanced filters: Introduce saved filters and per-user default views.
• Offline support: Cache data for offline usage and sync when online.
• Rich task details: Add checklists, attachments, and comments on tasks.
• Notifications: Real-time notifications for task updates and mentions.

Changelog

• v1.0.0
  • Initial frontend release with authentication, task CRUD, and project management.
  • Responsive UI and accessible design.
  • Basic filtering, sorting, and grouping.
• v1.1.0
  • Added improved task detail modal and keyboard shortcuts.
  • Introduced contextual help and improved error messages.
• v1.2.0
  • Performance optimizations and redesigned task cards.
  • Localization scaffolding and theme support.

FAQ

• How do I start the app quickly?
  • Install dependencies, configure environment variables if needed, and run the dev server.
• Can I run the frontend without a backend?
  • You can mock API calls during development, then connect to a real backend later.
• Where can I find release assets?
  • See the Releases page linked above. The asset you download should be executed according to the release notes.

Credits

• Developers and designers who contributed to the frontend codebase.
• Open-source libraries and tools used to build this interface.
• The project team and supporters who provided guidance and feedback.

License

• This project is released under a permissive license. See the LICENSE file for details.

Releases

• For the latest build and release notes, visit the releases page at https://github.com/dandan190607/group-task-frontend/releases. Download the release asset from that page and run the included setup. The release page contains assets you can download and execute to get started with a ready-to-run frontend build. The badge above links to the same page for convenience.