feat(auth): add real-time username/email availability validation

Backend changes:
- Added checkAvailability endpoint (GET /api/auth/check-availability)
- Checks username and email availability in database
- Returns availability status for both fields

Frontend changes:
- Added real-time validation for username (3+ characters) and email
- Debounced API calls (500ms) to avoid excessive requests
- Visual feedback with loading spinner, success checkmark, and error icons
- Improved UX by showing availability before form submission

This prevents users from submitting forms with already-taken credentials
and provides immediate feedback during registration.

backend/src/controllers/auth.js

@@ -660,6 +660,50 @@ async function resetPassword(req, res, next) {
   }
 }
 
+// Check username/email availability (for real-time validation)
+async function checkAvailability(req, res, next) {
+  try {
+    const { username, email } = req.query;
+
+    if (!username && !email) {
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        success: false,
+        error: 'Username or email is required',
+      });
+    }
+
+    const result = {
+      usernameAvailable: true,
+      emailAvailable: true,
+    };
+
+    // Check username availability
+    if (username) {
+      const existingUsername = await prisma.user.findUnique({
+        where: { username },
+        select: { id: true },
+      });
+      result.usernameAvailable = !existingUsername;
+    }
+
+    // Check email availability
+    if (email) {
+      const existingEmail = await prisma.user.findUnique({
+        where: { email },
+        select: { id: true },
+      });
+      result.emailAvailable = !existingEmail;
+    }
+
+    res.json({
+      success: true,
+      data: result,
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    next(error);
+  }
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   register,
   login,
@@ -668,4 +712,5 @@ module.exports = {
   resendVerification,
   requestPasswordReset,
   resetPassword,
+  checkAvailability,
 };

backend/src/routes/auth.js

@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ const {
   verifyEmailByCode,
   resendVerification,
   requestPasswordReset,
-  resetPassword
+  resetPassword,
+  checkAvailability
 } = require('../controllers/auth');
 const {
   registerValidation,
@@ -39,4 +40,7 @@ router.post('/request-password-reset', emailLimiter, requestPasswordReset);
 // POST /api/auth/reset-password - Reset password with token
 router.post('/reset-password', passwordResetValidation, resetPassword);
 
+// GET /api/auth/check-availability?username=xxx&email=xxx - Check username/email availability
+router.get('/check-availability', checkAvailability);
+
 module.exports = router;

frontend/src/pages/RegisterPage.jsx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useNavigate, Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useAuth } from '../contexts/AuthContext';
-import { wsdcAPI } from '../services/api';
+import { wsdcAPI, authAPI } from '../services/api';
 import { Video, Mail, Lock, User, Hash, ArrowRight, ArrowLeft, Loader2, CheckCircle, XCircle, AlertCircle } from 'lucide-react';
 import PasswordStrengthIndicator from '../components/common/PasswordStrengthIndicator';
 import FormInput from '../components/common/FormInput';
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ const RegisterPage = () => {
   const [turnstileToken, setTurnstileToken] = useState('');
   const turnstileRef = useRef(null);
 
+  // Availability validation state
+  const [usernameAvailable, setUsernameAvailable] = useState(null);
+  const [emailAvailable, setEmailAvailable] = useState(null);
+  const [checkingUsername, setCheckingUsername] = useState(false);
+  const [checkingEmail, setCheckingEmail] = useState(false);
+
   const { register } = useAuth();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
@@ -133,6 +139,50 @@ const RegisterPage = () => {
     };
   }, [step]);
 
+  // Check username availability
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const checkUsername = async () => {
+      if (formData.username.length >= 3) {
+        setCheckingUsername(true);
+        try {
+          const result = await authAPI.checkAvailability(formData.username, null);
+          setUsernameAvailable(result.usernameAvailable);
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error('Error checking username:', error);
+        } finally {
+          setCheckingUsername(false);
+        }
+      } else {
+        setUsernameAvailable(null);
+      }
+    };
+
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(checkUsername, 500); // Debounce 500ms
+    return () => clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+  }, [formData.username]);
+
+  // Check email availability
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const checkEmail = async () => {
+      if (formData.email && /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(formData.email)) {
+        setCheckingEmail(true);
+        try {
+          const result = await authAPI.checkAvailability(null, formData.email);
+          setEmailAvailable(result.emailAvailable);
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error('Error checking email:', error);
+        } finally {
+          setCheckingEmail(false);
+        }
+      } else {
+        setEmailAvailable(null);
+      }
+    };
+
+    const timeoutId = setTimeout(checkEmail, 500); // Debounce 500ms
+    return () => clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+  }, [formData.email]);
+
   // Handle WSDC ID confirmation and continue to registration
   const handleWsdcContinue = () => {
     if (!wsdcPreview) {
@@ -414,6 +464,7 @@ const RegisterPage = () => {
             required
           />
 
+          <div>
             <FormInput
               label="Username"
               name="username"
@@ -424,7 +475,29 @@ const RegisterPage = () => {
               placeholder="john_doe"
               required
             />
+            {formData.username.length >= 3 && (
+              <div className="mt-1 flex items-center gap-1 text-sm">
+                {checkingUsername ? (
+                  <span className="text-gray-500 flex items-center gap-1">
+                    <Loader2 className="w-4 h-4 animate-spin" />
+                    Checking availability...
+                  </span>
+                ) : usernameAvailable === false ? (
+                  <span className="text-red-600 flex items-center gap-1">
+                    <XCircle className="w-4 h-4" />
+                    Username is already taken
+                  </span>
+                ) : usernameAvailable === true ? (
+                  <span className="text-green-600 flex items-center gap-1">
+                    <CheckCircle className="w-4 h-4" />
+                    Username is available
+                  </span>
+                ) : null}
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </div>
 
+          <div>
             <FormInput
               label="Email"
               name="email"
@@ -435,6 +508,27 @@ const RegisterPage = () => {
               placeholder="john@example.com"
               required
             />
+            {formData.email && /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(formData.email) && (
+              <div className="mt-1 flex items-center gap-1 text-sm">
+                {checkingEmail ? (
+                  <span className="text-gray-500 flex items-center gap-1">
+                    <Loader2 className="w-4 h-4 animate-spin" />
+                    Checking availability...
+                  </span>
+                ) : emailAvailable === false ? (
+                  <span className="text-red-600 flex items-center gap-1">
+                    <XCircle className="w-4 h-4" />
+                    Email is already registered
+                  </span>
+                ) : emailAvailable === true ? (
+                  <span className="text-green-600 flex items-center gap-1">
+                    <CheckCircle className="w-4 h-4" />
+                    Email is available
+                  </span>
+                ) : null}
+              </div>
+            )}
+          </div>
 
           <div>
             <FormInput

frontend/src/services/api.js

@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@ export const authAPI = {
     return data;
   },
 
+  async checkAvailability(username = null, email = null) {
+    const params = new URLSearchParams();
+    if (username) params.append('username', username);
+    if (email) params.append('email', email);
+
+    const data = await fetchAPI(`/auth/check-availability?${params.toString()}`);
+    return data.data;
+  },
+
   async updateProfile(profileData) {
     const data = await fetchAPI('/users/me', {
       method: 'PATCH',