Using Tongcheng Xinyue Circle App for local events info.

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Alright folks, let me tell you about my deep dive into building this “Local Hearts Circle” app, or as I like to call it, the “Same City Feels” project. Buckle up, it’s a ride!

It all started with a simple thought: people need a better way to connect locally, beyond just dating apps and neighborhood watch groups. I wanted something… cozier. So, I decided to build it. First things first, I sketched out the basic features. Think shared interest groups, local event listings, maybe even a “looking for recommendations” section.

Next up was the tech stack. I considered a few options, but eventually settled on React Native for the frontend – gotta have that cross-platform goodness, you know? For the backend, I went with * and *. It’s what I know best, and I wanted to focus on building, not learning a whole new language from scratch.

The initial setup was a pain, as always. Setting up the React Native environment, configuring the backend with MongoDB… I definitely spent a few late nights wrestling with dependencies. But hey, that’s coding life, right? I remember one particularly frustrating issue with push notifications – I swear, it took me a whole weekend to figure out the correct Firebase configuration.

Once the basic structure was in place, I started tackling the core features. User authentication was priority number one. I implemented a simple email/password login system, and later added Google and Facebook sign-in for convenience. Then came the group creation and management. I created a system where users could create groups based on interests, invite other users, and post messages.

Displaying local events was another big challenge. I explored a few APIs, but ultimately decided to scrape data from local community websites. I know, I know, scraping is a bit of a gray area, but I made sure to do it responsibly and respect the website’s terms of service. Plus, it gave me more control over the data and how it was displayed.

I also wanted to add a recommendation feature where people could ask for recommendations for local businesses or services. Think, “Best plumber in town?” or “Where can I find a good vegan burger?”. I implemented a voting system so the best recommendations would rise to the top.

Of course, no app is complete without a little bit of polish. I spent a lot of time tweaking the UI, adding animations, and making sure everything was responsive. I also implemented a basic moderation system to prevent spam and abuse. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.

After months of coding, testing, and debugging, I finally had something I was proud of. I released the app on both the App Store and Google Play. Getting those approved was a journey in itself!

The initial reception has been… interesting. I got some positive feedback, some negative feedback, and a whole lot of “meh.” But hey, that’s part of the process, right? I’m using the feedback to improve the app and add new features. It’s a work in progress, but I’m excited to see where it goes.

• Learned: React Native is powerful, but can be a pain to configure.
• Struggled: Push notifications almost broke me.
• Proud of: Getting the scraping to work without breaking the internet.

So, there you have it. My journey building the “Same City Feels” app. It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience. If you’re thinking about building your own app, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a lot of late nights and a whole lot of debugging.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some code to write…