NIETCode: The Student Coding Hub

A dedicated competitive programming platform for NIET students to master Data Structures and Algorithms through curated challenges, real-time evaluation, and peer rankings.

Comment

Inspiration

The idea for NIETCode sparked during a late-night DSA practice session. While global platforms like LeetCode are incredible, I noticed a gap in our college ecosystem: we lacked a centralized, community-driven space where NIET students could solve problems tailored to our curriculum and placement drives. I wanted to build more than just a tool; I wanted to build a competitive culture.

What it does

Building a code execution engine is no small feat. I started by designing a responsive frontend using React and Vite to ensure the platform felt fast and modern. For the "brain" of the project—the online judge—I focused on creating a system that could securely compile and run code against multiple test cases. I integrated Firebase for real-time data handling, ensuring that leaderboards and submission statuses updated instantly without needing a page refresh.

How we built it

Frontend: React.js, Vite, Tailwind CSS (for a sleek, dark-themed UI)

Backend & Logic: Node.js, Express

Database: Firebase (Authentication, Firestore for problems/submissions)

Languages Supported: Java, C++, Python

Tools: Git/GitHub, VS Code, Postman

Challenges we ran into

The biggest hurdle was definitely the Code Execution Sandbox. Ensuring that a user's code doesn't crash the server or run indefinitely required careful logic. I had to implement strict time and memory limits for each problem, such as ensuring a solution stays within $O(n \log n)$ time complexity for larger constraints to prevent $TLE$ (Time Limit Exceeded).

What we learned

This project pushed me beyond simple CRUD operations. I deep-dived into: State Management: Handling complex UI states for the code editor and console. Security: Learning how to safely execute untrusted code. Community Logic: Designing a ranking system that motivates users through healthy competition.

Built With

  • c++
  • dark-themed-ui)-backend-&-logic:-node.js
  • express-database:-firebase-(authentication
  • firestore-for-problems/submissions)-languages-supported:-java
  • frontend:-react.js
  • python-tools:-git/github
  • tailwind-css-(for-a-sleek
  • vite
  • vs-code
Share this project:

Updates