Deats! | Devpost

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Inspiration

Our inspiration for Deats! is to strengthen community bonds around food while staying budget-conscious. Community is best found around food, so Deats! was created to find affordable food options easier and to foster social connections by helping friends discover deals together.

What it does

Deats! is an app that utilizes the user's location to find the best restaurant deals nearby. By providing locaion-based updates on promotions and discounts, Deats! helps users discover affordable dining options that match their preferences. The app also allows users to share their favorite deals with friends, fostering a sense of community while enjoying great food.

How we built it

We built Deats! using Next.js as the core framework, allowing for server-side rendering and a responsive user interface. For the backend, we integrated Docker to ensure the app is containerized for easy deployment and scalability. We utilized Firebase for real-time database functionality, React for the frontend, and OAuth for Google and Gmail to provide authentication and login functionality. Additionally, we integrated Cronofy for scheduling features and implemented Defang to enhance security measures in the app.

Challenges we ran into

We encountered several challenges during the development of Deats!, including issues with Git merge, push, and pull commits, which sometimes led to conflicts in our codebase. Navigating the API documentation was tough to navigate due to the lack of documentation code. Additionally, implementing Defang for cloud purposes presented its own set of complexities, and getting accustomed to the Next.js framework required some effort as we learned to leverage its features effectively. Building our UI and functionality also posed challenges, as we had to ensure a seamless user experience while integrating various components and features.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of successfully deploying Deats!'s scheduling features on Defang. Our efforts in creating responsive UI elements have resulted in a user-friendly interface that enhances the overall experience for our users. We also take pride in our team collaboration, which led to a seamless project design and efficient workflow throughout the development process. Additionally, implementing authentication through both Google OAuth and Cronofy.

What we learned

We learned the process of using Defang and its easy deployment process, which enhanced our understanding of application security. We also discovered the importance of using Git for team workflow, as it allowed us to collaborate more effectively and manage code changes. By Implementing a Next.js app, it helped us understand how responsive development works and how to integrate APIs like Google Places and Cronofy.

What's next for Deats!

Moving forward, we plan to implement scraping from popular social media sites to gather user-generated content and enhance our deal offerings. We also aim to expand the app's functionality by introducing a wider search radius and sorting options, allowing users to discover even more dining deals that fit their preferences. Additionally, we hope to explore partnerships with local restaurants to provide exclusive promotions and foster a stronger community connection.