CHATIFY: Real-Time Mobile Chat Application

Overview

CHATIFY is a modern, real-time mobile chat application developed as a university project. The application utilizes React Native for a cross-platform mobile frontend and a robust Java Servlet backend integrated with Hibernate for database interaction. It's designed to provide secure, instant messaging, covering core features from user authentication and contact management to live, private conversations powered by WebSockets.

Key Features

• User Authentication: Secure sign-up and sign-in via OTP (One-Time Password) using a phone number.
• Real-Time Messaging: Instant, low-latency transmission and receipt of text messages via WebSockets.
• Contact Management: Ability to view, search, and add new contacts.
• Account Settings: User control over profile information, privacy settings (e.g., Last Seen, Read Receipts), and account management.

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Technical Stack

Category	Technology	Purpose
Frontend	React Native	Cross-platform mobile application development (iOS/Android).
Backend Server	Java Servlet	Handles request/response cycles and application logic.
ORM	Hibernate	Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) for managing the database interaction with Java objects.
Database	MySQL	Persistent storage for user data, messages, and contacts.
Real-time	WebSockets	Enabling instant, bi-directional message delivery between clients and the server.

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Installation & Setup

Follow these steps to set up and run the CHATIFY application locally for both the backend and frontend components.

1. Prerequisites

You must have the following software installed on your development machine:

• Node.js (v16+ recommended)
• Java Development Kit (JDK) ([Specify Version, e.g., 17])
• [Specify Backend Build Tool, e.g., Apache Maven / Gradle]
• MySQL Server
• Android Studio / Xcode (for running the mobile app in an emulator/simulator)

2. Backend Setup (Java Server)

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [Your Repository URL]
   cd chatify/backend

2. Configure Database (MySQL):
   • Create a database named [Database Name] in your local MySQL instance.
   • Update the connection details (URL, username, password) in the Hibernate configuration file: [Path to config, e.g., hibernate.cfg.xml].
3. Build and Deploy the Server:
   • Use your build tool (Maven/Gradle) to compile the project and package it as a .war file.
   • Deploy the .war file to a Java Servlet container (e.g., Apache Tomcat) and start the server.

   # Example command for building with Maven
   mvn clean package

   The backend server, including the WebSocket endpoints, should now be running on http://localhost:[Port Number]/[App Name].

3. Frontend Setup (React Native App)

1. Navigate to the frontend directory:

   cd ../frontend

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install

3. Configure API and WebSocket URLs:
   • Update the base URL for the REST APIs and the WebSocket endpoint URL to point to your running Java server in the client-side configuration file: [Path to API config file].
4. Run the application:

   # For iOS Simulator
   npx react-native run-ios
   
   # For Android Emulator
   npx react-native run-android

   The app should open in your configured emulator/simulator and connect to the local server.

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Project Structure

This project follows a standard decoupled structure, separating the client and server codebases.

CHATIFY/
├── backend/                  # Java Servlet/Hibernate code
│   ├── src/
│   ├── webapp/               # Deployment descriptor (web.xml)
│   ├── pom.xml (or build.gradle)
│   └── ...
└── frontend/                 # React Native code
    ├── src/
    │   ├── components/       # Reusable UI elements
    │   ├── screens/          # Main application screens
    │   └── services/         # API and WebSocket interaction logic
    ├── package.json
    └── ...

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Contact

Project Link: https://github.com/xPamii/CHATIFY Developer: PAMITH HERATH (xPamii)