> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.meridian.study/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> Welcome to Meridian Developer Documentation

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/studycompass/7Z-5sioJ2x7BbBjC/images/Meridian-Preview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=7Z-5sioJ2x7BbBjC&q=85&s=aae2331e3fdc0c2678cba0ae9f479756" alt="Meridian Platform" width="1477" height="919" data-path="images/Meridian-Preview.png" />

## Welcome to Meridian

Meridian is a **Student Experience Operating System** that unifies campus systems into a single, data-driven platform. Compass centers utilization and scheduling; Atlas centers clubs and organizations; Beacon centers events with approval routing and stakeholders—each with dedicated reporting, sharing data where the domains overlap.

## Platform Overview

Meridian consists of four integrated modules. **Compass**, **Atlas**, and **Beacon** each have their own reporting surfaces; they share data and workflows but are framed around different institutional jobs.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Compass" icon="compass" href="/compass/overview">
    Utilization, scheduling, and space-time coordination: how rooms and resources are used, booked, and measured, with Compass-specific reporting.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Atlas" icon="map" href="/atlas/overview">
    Clubs and registered organizations: directory, membership, governance, permissions, and org-side operations, with Atlas-specific reporting.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Beacon" icon="signal" href="/beacon/overview">
    Events, approval routing, and the stakeholder model: sign-off chains, role-based routing, and the event lifecycle, with Beacon-specific reporting.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Platform" icon="settings" href="/backend/auth/SAML">
    Authentication, APIs, and platform infrastructure. Configure SAML, explore APIs, and set up integrations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Key Features

* **Unified Campus Experience**: Single platform for all campus services
* **Real-time Space Intelligence**: Live availability, ratings, and feedback for study spaces
* **Automated Workflows**: Reduce approval processing time by up to 70%
* **Multi-tenant Architecture**: Secure, isolated configurations per university
* **SAML & OAuth Integration**: Flexible authentication options for students and staff
* **Mobile & Web**: Cross-platform applications for iOS, Android, and web

## Getting Started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Getting Started" icon="rocket" href="/getting-started">
    Local Meridian install, Events-Backend, and first run
  </Card>

  <Card title="Web client best practices" icon="code" href="/frontend/best-practices">
    React web app conventions, API access (`useFetch`, `postRequest`), and quality
  </Card>

  <Card title="Backend Authentication" icon="key" href="/backend/auth/SAML">
    Integrate SAML authentication for university SSO
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="book" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Explore the REST API endpoints and documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Architecture

Meridian is built with a modern tech stack:

* **Frontend**: React with SCSS, Context API for state management
* **Backend**: Node.js/Express with MongoDB (Mongoose)
* **Mobile**: React Native (Expo) for iOS and Android
* **Real-time**: WebSocket integration for live updates
* **Authentication**: SAML 2.0 and OAuth 2.0 support

## Related pages

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Getting started" icon="rocket" href="/getting-started">
    Local Meridian install on macOS or Windows: stack, `meridian setup`, and first commands.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Development" icon="wrench" href="/development">
    Day-to-day workflow, debugging tips, and common fixes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication overview" icon="shield" href="/backend/auth/overview">
    How Meridian signs users in: passwords, Google, Apple, JWTs, and SAML at a glance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Testing" icon="flask" href="/testing">
    Backend and frontend test commands and how CI mirrors them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multi-tenant identity" icon="users" href="/backend/multi-tenant-identity">
    Global users, SSO across subdomains, and how `req.user` is resolved.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API reference" icon="book" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    HTTP APIs documented on this site and how clients authenticate.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>