AI-FEED Connector

A Next.js application that connects food donors with recipients to reduce waste and hunger using AI-powered matching.

Features

• AI-Powered Matching: Intelligent matching of food donors with recipients based on location and needs
• Real-time Chatbot: AI assistant for user guidance and support
• Responsive Design: Works seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices
• Modern UI: Clean, accessible interface with smooth animations
• Form Validation: Robust input validation using Zod schemas

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 18 or higher)
• npm or yarn package manager
• Google AI API key (for AI features)

Setup Instructions

1. Install Dependencies

npm install

2. Environment Configuration

Create a .env.local file in the root directory:

# Google AI API Key - Get from https://makersuite.google.com/app/apikey
GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_google_ai_api_key_here

# Next.js Environment
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:9002

To get a Google AI API key:

1. Go to Google AI Studio
2. Create a new API key
3. Copy the key and paste it in your .env.local file

3. Run the Development Server

Option A: Run only the Next.js app (without AI features)

npm run dev

Option B: Run with AI features (recommended) You'll need two terminal windows:

Terminal 1 - Start the AI server:

npm run genkit:dev

Terminal 2 - Start the Next.js app:

npm run dev

4. Access the Application

Once both servers are running, open your browser and go to:

• Main App: http://localhost:9002
• AI Development Server: Usually runs on a different port (check terminal output)

Deployment

Vercel Deployment

This project is optimized for Vercel deployment. Follow these steps:

1. Prepare for Deployment

# Build the project locally to test
npm run build

2. Deploy to Vercel

Option A: Using Vercel CLI

# Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# Deploy
vercel

# Follow the prompts and set up environment variables

Option B: Using Vercel Dashboard

1. Push your code to GitHub
2. Connect your repository to Vercel
3. Add environment variables in Vercel dashboard:
   • GOOGLE_API_KEY: Your Google AI API key
   • NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL: Your Vercel app URL

3. Environment Variables in Vercel

In your Vercel dashboard, add these environment variables:

GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_actual_google_ai_api_key
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=https://your-app-name.vercel.app

4. Important Notes for Vercel

• AI Features: The AI features will work on Vercel, but they use serverless functions
• Cold Starts: AI responses might be slower due to serverless cold starts
• API Limits: Be aware of Google AI API rate limits
• Fallback: The app includes fallback responses when AI is unavailable

Available Scripts

• npm run dev - Start Next.js development server on port 9002
• npm run genkit:dev - Start AI development server
• npm run build - Build for production
• npm run start - Start production server
• npm run lint - Run ESLint
• npm run typecheck - Run TypeScript type checking

Project Structure

src/
├── app/                    # Next.js App Router pages
│   ├── donate/            # Donation interface
│   ├── receive/           # Recipient interface
│   ├── dashboard/         # User dashboard
│   └── login/             # Authentication
├── components/            # Reusable UI components
│   ├── ui/               # shadcn/ui components
│   ├── layout/           # Header, Footer
│   └── chatbot/          # AI chatbot component
├── ai/                   # AI integration
│   └── flows/            # AI workflows
├── lib/                  # Utility functions
└── hooks/                # Custom React hooks

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

If you get dependency errors:

# Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# Delete node_modules and reinstall
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

If AI features don't work:

• Make sure you have a valid Google AI API key
• Ensure the .env.local file is in the root directory
• Check that both the Next.js and Genkit servers are running

If you get TypeScript errors:

npm run typecheck

If the app doesn't start:

• Check if port 9002 is available
• Try running on a different port: npm run dev -- -p 3000

Vercel Deployment Issues:

• Ensure all environment variables are set in Vercel dashboard
• Check build logs for any errors
• Verify Google AI API key is valid and has proper permissions

Error Handling

The application includes fallback mechanisms when AI services are unavailable:

• Chatbot will show a helpful error message
• Food matching will return a fallback match
• All errors are logged to the console for debugging

Technology Stack

• Framework: Next.js 15 with App Router
• Language: TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS with custom design system
• UI Components: Radix UI primitives with shadcn/ui
• AI Integration: Google AI (Gemini 2.0 Flash) via Genkit
• Forms: React Hook Form with Zod validation
• Icons: Lucide React
• Charts: Recharts for data visualization
• Deployment: Vercel (optimized)

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.