Healthy UI

Notice - November 1st 2025

This is a notice that this project is no longer running. Thanks to all who supported us throughout this journey. Please contact Prof. Joseph Vybihal at McGill University for the continuation of this project. Cheers!

Getting started

• The Chrome extension is officially published and can be found here

React via CRA

1. get nvm

https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm

2. install the right node / npm version with nvm

$ cd react-app && nvm use

3. install node modules

$ npm install

4. start the webpack dev server

$ npm run start

Python / Flask

via venv

cd flask_app
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv./bin/activate

If the library.dll file is not present in the flask_app directory

cd go
go build -o library.dll -buildmode=c-shared main.go library.go c_youtube.go c_newsapi.go c_factcheck.go
rm library.h
mv library.dll ../flask_app

Run Flask backend via docker (Recommended)

docker compose up --build

EXTENSION

the extension needs to be loaded into chrome:

extension workflow:

$ cd extension-react
$ npm install
$ npm run build

open chrome browser
navigate to chrome extensions page

select 'developer mode on' select 'load unpacked' navigate to the extension-react folder choose the 'dist' directory

Environment Variables

Add the following .env file to your frontend/extension:

BACKEND_HOST=<HOST_NAME>
PORT=<PORT_NUMBER>
PROD_BACKEND_HOST=<BACKEND_HOST>

ENV=<PROD | DEV>

And the following .env file for your Flask backend (i.e. create a .env file in your flask_app directory):

GOOGLE_API_KEY=<KEY>
CLIENT_ID=<ID>
CLIENT_SECRET=<KEY>
NEWS_API_KEY=<KEY>

HOST=<HOST_NAME>
PORT=<PORT_NUMBER>

DATABASE_NAME=<NAME>
DATABSE_HOST=<HOST>
DATABASE_PORT=<PORT>
DATABASE_URI=<URI>

Notes for dev vs prod

• To work in locally, you need to make sure the .env file is not ignored in .dockerignore
• You can push a subtree to heorku for the frontend and the backend

Credits

• Logo and Icon for the chrome extension are generate from the logo.com website