Simple Node.js Pastebin

A minimalist pastebin service built with Node.js and Express that uses content hashing for unique paste identification.

Topics: nodejs express pastebin file-storage content-hashing sha256 deduplication web-app minimal javascript backend url-shortener

Features

• Content-based hashing - SHA-256 hash of content as paste ID
• Short URLs - 8-character shortened URLs for easy sharing
• Automatic deduplication - Identical content shares same URL
• Raw text view - Access raw content at /raw/:id
• File-based storage - Stores pastes as text files locally
• Clean interface - Minimal UI focused on functionality
• XSS protection - Basic HTML escaping for security

Installation

1. Clone the project

2. Install dependencies

yarn install

3. Start the server

node index.js

Usage

Creating Pastes

• Visit http://localhost:3000
• Enter your content in the textarea
• Click "Create Paste"
• Get both full and short URLs for your paste

Viewing Pastes

• HTML view: /paste/:id - Formatted display
• Short URL: /s/:shortId - Redirects to full paste (8 chars)
• Raw view: /raw/:id - Plain text content

API Endpoints

• GET / - Home page with paste form
• POST /paste - Create new paste
• GET /paste/:id - View paste in HTML format
• GET /s/:shortId - Short URL redirect to full paste
• GET /raw/:id - View raw paste content

How It Works

1. Content Hashing: Uses SHA-256 to generate unique IDs from content
2. Deduplication: Same content always gets same hash/URL
3. File Storage: Saves pastes as {hash}.txt in ./pastes/ directory

Project Structure

pastebin/
├── index.js        # Main application
├── package.json    # Dependencies and config
├── pastes/         # Auto-created directory for paste files
└── README.md       # This file

Configuration

• Port: Default 3000 (change PORT variable in index.js)
• Storage: Files stored in ./pastes/ directory
• Hash Algorithm: SHA-256 (64 character hex strings)

Security Notes

• Basic XSS protection with HTML escaping
• No authentication or rate limiting
• Files stored locally (not suitable for production without modifications)
• Consider adding HTTPS or use behind proxy, rate limiting, and proper security headers for production use

License

MIT