URL Shortner

url-shortner is a fast, secure, and efficient URL shortening service built with Go. It generates unique, random alphanumeric codes for URLs, ensuring unpredictability and uniqueness. The application uses PostgreSQL with GORM ORM, Tailwind for UI, and templ for template generation.

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Features

• Shorten long URLs to compact codes
• Redirect to original URLs securely
• Unique, random code generation
• Database persistence using PostgreSQL
• Live reload for frontend/backend development

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Technology Stack

• Backend: Go, GORM ORM
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Frontend: Tailwind CSS
• Templates: templ
• Containerization: Docker & Docker Compose
• Build Tools: Makefile

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Prerequisites

Before running the project, make sure you have:

• Go installed (v1.20+ recommended)
• Docker & Docker Compose
• Make
• Optional: psql CLI for database inspection

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Getting Started

1. Clone the repository

     git clone <repository-url>
     cd url-shortner

2. Create a .env file

     cp .env.example .env

   Update the file with your local configuration.

3. Set up PostgreSQL database

   • Start the Docker container:

       docker compose up -d

   • Example .env configuration:

       DB_HOST=localhost
       DB_PORT=5432
       DB_NAME=url-shortner
       DB_USER=testing
       DB_PASSWORD=12345678

   • Verify connection:

     psql -h localhost -p 5432 -U yusuf -d url-shortner

     If prompted, enter your password. You should see the url-shortner database.

   • If the database does not exist (first-time setup):

     CREATE DATABASE "url-shortner";

4. Run the application

   make watch

5. Open in browser

   http://localhost:3001
   

   to access live reload version.

NOTE: Always run the application on port 3000. If you change the port in .env, also update .air.toml.

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Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Example
DB_HOST	Database host	localhost
DB_PORT	Database port	5431
DB_NAME	Database name	url-shortner
DB_USER	Database user	yusuf
DB_PASSWORD	Database password	12345678
DB_SSLMODE	Enable/disable SSL for Postgres	disable
PORT	Application port	3000
WEB_PORT	Proxy / frontend port	3002
APP_URL	App URL for local testing	http://localhost:3001
ENV	Environment (local/dev/prod)	local

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Usage

Build the application

make build

Run the application

make run

Live reload for development

make watch

Clean up binaries from previous build

make clean

Generate templ function files

templ generate

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Testing

Run all tests:

go test ./...

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Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Run tests
4. Submit a pull request

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.