Chat_Application

Description

This is a real-time chat application built using Socket.IO, MongoDB, Chakra UI, Express.js, and Vite with React. It allows users to engage in text-based conversations in real-time.

Features

• Real-time messaging: Users can send and receive messages instantly without the need to refresh the page.
• User authentication: Users can create accounts and log in securely.
• Chat rooms: Users can join different chat rooms to have separate conversations.
• Message history: Chat history is persisted using MongoDB, allowing users to view previous messages.
• Responsive design: The app is designed to work well on both desktop and mobile devices.

Technologies Used

• Socket.IO: Enables real-time, bidirectional communication between web clients and servers.
• MongoDB: A NoSQL database used to store user data and chat history.
• Chakra UI: A simple, modular and accessible component library for React used for building the user interface.
• Express.js: A web application framework for Node.js used for building the backend server.
• Vite: A fast build tool that significantly improves frontend development experience.
• React.js: A JavaScript library used for building the user interface.
• Node.js: A JavaScript runtime used for building the server-side application.

Installation

1. Clone the repository: git clone <repository-url>
2. Navigate to the project directory: cd chat-app
3. Install dependencies: npm install
4. Set up environment variables:
   • Create a .env file in the root directory.
   • Add the following environment variables:

     PORT=3000
     MONGODB_URI=<your-mongodb-uri>
     SECRET_KEY=<your-secret-key>
     

5. Start the server: npm start
6. Start the frontend development server:
   • Navigate to the client directory: cd client
   • Install dependencies: npm install
   • Start Vite: npm run dev
7. Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser to use the application.

Usage

• Register for an account or log in if you already have one.
• Choose a chat room or create a new one.
• Start sending and receiving messages in real-time.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you'd like to contribute to this project, please follow these steps:

1. Fork the project.
2. Create your feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add some feature'
4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature-name
5. Submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.