Link Social Media App

Description

I made Link for my two semester final projects during my sophomore year of high school. I was taking the class Data Structures at the time, so this app was made to demonstrate what I had learned. I developed the app in Android Studio, and I used Google Maps for the main map. The server was made with node.js using express.js, and I stored information in a PostgreSQL database. The server was hosted on Heroku, so the app could connect to users from anywhere in the world.

When you open the app, the main page is entirely taken up by a map. This was the main focus of the app. On this map, you see pins at every location where you or a friend is planning an event. The pins are identifiable by the creator’s profile picture in the pin. There are buttons in the corners to access you profile, manage your friend connections, and create your own events.

I learned so much while making this app. I learned about API’s when using Google Maps. I learned how to make and run a server with node.js and accompanying libraries. I learned how to manage a database with SQL. I learned how to host a server in the cloud. All of this was new for me when I made Link, so this project was a major learning experience on my path to growing as a developer.

Since this app was made early on in my coding experience, I chose not to keep it running live. Google Maps changed their pricing so that I would need to pay for the API key, and I decided to move on to new projects.