GatorPath 🐊

GatorPath is a web application that visualizes and compares the performance of Dijkstra's algorithm and A* search for finding the shortest path on the University of Florida campus.

This interface allows you to enter a start and end location, and it will run both algorithms simultaneously, showing you the nodes each algorithm visits in real-time.

Project Structure

The project is organized into two main folders:

GatorPath/
├── backend/     # Node.js/Express server for pathfinding logic
└── frontend/    # React (Vite) client for the map interface

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🚀 Running Locally

To run this application, you will need two separate terminal windows open: one for the backend server and one for the frontend client.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have Node.js (which includes npm) installed on your machine.

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1. Run the Backend Server

The backend is responsible for loading the graph data (nodes.csv, edges.csv) and running the pathfinding algorithms when the frontend requests a route.

# 1. Navigate to the backend directory
cd GatorPath/backend

# 2. Install the necessary dependencies
npm install

# 3. Start the server
npm start

The terminal should show that the server is loading the nodes and edges and then listening on http://localhost:3001.

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2. Run the Frontend Client

The frontend provides the map interface and user controls.

# 1. In a new terminal, navigate to the frontend directory
cd GatorPath/frontend

# 2. Install the necessary dependencies
npm install

# 3. Start the development server
npm run dev

This command will typically open the application automatically in your default browser (usually at http://localhost:5173).

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🖥️ Usage

Once both the backend and frontend are running:

1. Open the application in your browser (e.g., http://localhost:5173).
2. Type a starting location (e.g., "Beaty Towers") into the Start box.
3. Type a destination (e.g., "Ben Hill Griffin Stadium") into the End box.
4. Click the Find Route button.
5. Watch the real-time visualization as both algorithms search for the path and see the final results appear in the sidebar.