<p align="center">
  <img alt="logomark" width="50%" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gillkyle/images/master/sol-journal-logo.png" />
</p>
<h2 align="center">
  Personal Journaling Platform
</h2>

Sol Journal is a simple, minimal, journaling platform that works offline and across all devices. It can be self-hosted through Firebase and then installed as a PWA, on mobile devices for easy access on a phone, or on Desktops. 

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  <img alt="preview of page" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gillkyle/images/master/hero-mixed.png" />
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## Introduction

Journaling is a keystone habit that can improve your happiness and [overall health](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-16777-010). Writing in a journal with pen and paper is effective, but not as easily accessible, maintained, or preserved as taking advantage of digital platforms.

Having a journal that is available on any device makes journaling easier. Being tailored specifically to journaling makes it less cumbersome than trying to utilize a note taking app or document for recording thoughts and impressions.

## Getting Started

There are 2 ways to get started using Sol Journal:

1. You can use the hosted version (this is the simplest way to use the product) on https://journal-app-service.firebaseapp.com/
2. You can host your own version and manage it yourself

Sol Journal uses firebase to support offline functionality and authentication, meaning a new Firebase app will need to be setup with Firestore as a database if you wish to host it yourself. Be sure to add documents for `users` and `entries`, as well as enabling email for user authentication.

## Features

In the spirit of minimalism, key features are what are in place for a quick, lightweight journaling experience that can work across devices, including:

- 🔥 Authentication: Cloud firestore persists registered users to a users document and saved journal entries to an entries document
- 🎨 Dark Theme: the `src/styles/theme.js` file contains a set of colors and default styles that are applied to components with Emotion. A default light and dark theme are already in the file
- 🔍 Search: full-text search of a user's entries stored in Firestore for quick access to past entries
- 🖥 Mobile Friendly: designed to look great on mobile as well as desktop, with easy navigation on both
- 💡 PWA: being a progressive web app makes it installable from Chrome/Safari on desktop, or be added to the homescreen on iOS/Android
- 🔌 Offline Support: read/write when you're offline and let the updates happen when your connection is restored  
- 🗄 Export: backup all of your entries at any time to save your data

## Developing

Clone the project:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/gillkyle/sol-journal
```

Install dependencies:

```bash
npm install
```

or

```bash
yarn
```

Then configure a file in a new `.env` file (using the `.env.sample` file as a reference) with the following keys from the firebase console:
```env
REACT_APP_FIREBASE_API_KEY=<BUNCHofRandomNumbersAndChars>
REACT_APP_DEV_AUTH_DOMAIN=<name>.firebaseapp.com
REACT_APP_DEV_DATABASE_URL=https://<name>.firebaseio.com
REACT_APP_DEV_PROJECT_ID=<name>
REACT_APP_DEV_STORAGE_BUCKET=<name>.appspot.com
REACT_APP_DEV_MESSAGING_SENDER_ID=############

REACT_APP_CONFIRMATION_EMAIL_REDIRECT=https://<name>.firebaseapp.com
```

Navigate into the project directory, and then launch the site with this command:

```bash
yarn develop
```

The site will be opened up in your default browser on http://localhost:3000

Edit code in the `/src`, save your changes, and they'll reload instantly in the browser.

## Deploy

To create an optimized build of the site run this command:

```bash
yarn build
```

A `/build` folder will be assembled that can be deployed with this command:

```bash
firebase deploy
```

## Inspiration

Sol Journal is inspired by [JournalBook](https://github.com/trys/JournalBook) and borrows much of its design and navigation.