Welcome to GDG UTSC Documentation

    Everything you need to know to contribute to our website

    👋 New to the project?

    Welcome! We're excited to have you here. This documentation will guide you through everything you need to know to start contributing.

    Important: These docs are designed for people who only know basic programming (conditionals and loops). Don't worry if you haven't done web development before — we'll point you in the right direction!

    Why this project? This isn't just a basic club website. We've built a full content management system with authentication, protected routes, real-time data, and server-side rendering. We have many plans to expand and build cool services. Learning and contributing to this project will teach you real web development — the kind of stack used at tech companies.

    Learning Path

    Follow this recommended order to get up to speed:

    1️⃣

    Prerequisites

    START HERE! Mandatory concepts you need to understand before working on the project.

    Topics: JavaScript/TypeScript, Async/Await, Client-Server Model, Authentication, Git

    2️⃣

    Frontend Development

    Learn React, Next.js, and our UI component libraries.

    Topics: React, Next.js App Router, shadcn/ui, Framer Motion, Tailwind CSS

    3️⃣

    Backend Development

    Understand Next.js server components, API routes, and Edge Runtime.

    Topics: Server Components, API Routes, Middleware, Edge Runtime

    4️⃣

    Firebase

    Master our database, authentication, and storage system.

    Topics: Firestore, Auth, Storage, Type Classes, SSR with Firebase

    5️⃣

    Cloud Functions

    Learn how we use Cloud Functions for serverless functions.

    5️⃣

    Deployment

    Learn how we deploy to production with Vercel.

    Topics: Vercel, CI/CD, Environment Variables, Edge Runtime Limitations

    ⚠️ Important Notes

    • These docs guide you in the right direction — we don't re-explain common concepts
    • Use the official documentation links provided to learn each technology
    • Take your time! Solid foundations are worth the investment
    • When in doubt, use AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude) or ask the team for help

    🔧 MCP Server

    Learn how to use our Model Context Protocol server for direct database access.

    🤝 Contributing

    Join the GDG UTSC team and help build something amazing!