url-shortener/README.md

# URL Shortener Bot with Backend API

This repository contains two components: a **Discord bot** for shortening URLs and a **backend API** for handling the URL shortening and redirection. Both parts work together to provide a seamless experience for shortening URLs and sharing them directly from Discord.

## Features

- **Discord Slash Command** for URL shortening with domain selection.
- **Express.js Backend API** to handle the actual shortening process and redirection.
- **MongoDB Integration** for storing and retrieving shortened URLs.
- **API Key Validation** for secure access to the backend.

## Components

### 1. `short.js` - Discord URL Shortener Bot

This is a Discord bot built using `discord.js` that provides a command to shorten URLs directly from Discord. Users can choose from multiple domains, or the bot will use a default domain.

#### Setup Instructions for `short.js`

1. **Install dependencies**:
   ```bash
   npm install discord.js unirest dotenv
   ```

2. **Environment Variables**:
   Create a `.env` file in the project root and add:
   ```
   BOT_TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token
   DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=your_discord_client_id
   API_KEY=your_url_shortening_api_key
   ```

3. **Run the bot**:
   ```bash
   node short.js
   ```

#### How It Works

- Users enter a URL and optionally choose a domain using the `/shortenurl` slash command.
- The bot validates the URL and sends a request to the backend API to generate the shortened link.
- The response is sent back as a Discord embed message with the shortened URL.

### 2. `short-backend-api.js` - URL Shortener Backend

This is a Node.js backend API using `Express.js` and `MongoDB` for URL shortening. It receives requests from the Discord bot or any client and provides a short URL in response.

#### Setup Instructions for `short-backend-api.js`

1. **Install dependencies**:
   ```bash
   npm install express mongoose shortid dotenv
   ```

2. **MongoDB Setup**:
   Make sure MongoDB is running and accessible. By default, it connects to `mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/shorturl`.

3. **Environment Variables**:
   Create a `.env` file in the project root with:
   ```
   API_KEY=your_secure_api_key
   ```

4. **Run the API**:
   ```bash
   node short-backend-api.js
   ```

#### Routes

- **POST `/api/shorturl`**: Shortens a URL.
  - **Request**:
    - Body: `{ "longUrl": "https://example.com", "domain": "s.shells.lol" }`
    - Header: `x-api-key: your_api_key`
  - **Response**: `{ "shortUrl": "https://s.shells.lol/abcd1234" }`
- **GET `/:shortId`**: Redirects to the original long URL.

#### How It Works

- The API checks if the provided API key is valid.
- The `longUrl` is checked against the database. If it has already been shortened, the existing short URL is returned.
- If it's a new URL, it generates a unique `shortId` using `shortid` and stores it in the database.
- The `shortId` can then be used to redirect users to the original URL when they visit `https://yourdomain.com/:shortId`.

## Models

### `Url` Model

This model represents the schema for storing URLs in MongoDB. It consists of the following fields:

- **longUrl**: The original URL.
- **shortId**: The shortened identifier for the URL.

```javascript
const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const urlSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  longUrl: { type: String, required: true },
  shortId: { type: String, required: true }
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('Url', urlSchema);
```

## Full Setup

### Prerequisites

- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) v16.6.0 or higher
- [MongoDB](https://www.mongodb.com/) running locally or remotely
- A valid Discord bot token and a URL shortening API key

### Steps

1. Clone the repository:
   ```bash
   git clone https://git.ssh.surf/dlinux-community/url-shortener.git
   cd url-shortener
   ```

2. Follow the setup instructions for both `short.js` and `short-backend-api.js`.

3. Ensure the bot and backend API are both running:
   ```bash
   # In one terminal, run the backend API
   node short-backend-api.js

   # In another terminal, run the Discord bot
   node short.js
   ```