WebSocket Chat App: A Simple and Fast Browser-Based Chat Solution

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Technologies Used
• Installation
• Usage
• Directory Structure
• Contributing
• License
• Links

Overview

The WebSocket Chat App is a lightweight browser-based chat application that allows users to communicate in real-time. This app uses WebSocket technology to create a seamless chat experience. The server and client components are designed to work together effortlessly, making it easy for developers to extend and customize the application.

You can download the latest version from the Releases section.

Features

• Real-time messaging using WebSocket
• Simple and clean user interface
• Lightweight and fast performance
• Built with modern web technologies
• Easy to set up and run locally
• Supports multiple users
• Responsive design for various devices

Technologies Used

This project leverages several technologies to provide a robust chat experience:

• HTML: For the structure of the web pages.
• CSS: For styling and layout.
• JavaScript: For client-side functionality.
• TypeScript: For type safety and better code management.
• Node.js: For server-side logic.
• Express: To handle server requests.
• WebSocket: For real-time communication.
• React: For building user interfaces.
• Vite: For fast development and build processes.
• Nodemon: For automatically restarting the server during development.
• npm: For managing dependencies.
• Monorepo: To manage multiple packages in a single repository.

Installation

To get started with the WebSocket Chat App, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Isco81/websocket-chat-app.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd websocket-chat-app

3. Install dependencies using npm:

   npm install

4. Start the server:

   npm run start

5. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to start chatting.

For the latest releases, check the Releases section.

Usage

Once the application is running, you can start chatting immediately. The interface is straightforward:

1. Enter your username in the input field.
2. Type your message in the chat box.
3. Press "Enter" to send your message.

Messages will appear in the chat window in real-time. You can open multiple browser tabs to simulate different users.

Directory Structure

The project follows a clear directory structure to help you navigate easily:

websocket-chat-app/
├── client/                # Contains client-side code
│   ├── src/              # Source files for React app
│   ├── public/           # Static files
│   └── package.json       # Client dependencies
├── server/                # Contains server-side code
│   ├── src/              # Source files for Node.js server
│   └── package.json       # Server dependencies
├── package.json           # Root dependencies and scripts
└── README.md              # This file

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve the WebSocket Chat App. If you want to contribute, please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
3. Make your changes and commit them.
4. Push your branch to your forked repository.
5. Create a pull request to the main repository.

Please ensure that your code follows the existing style and includes appropriate tests.

License

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

Links

For more information and updates, visit the Releases section.