ChatRoomIO

This is a real-time chat application built with Node.js, Express, and Socket.IO. The application allows multiple users to join rooms, send messages, and see online users.

Live Demo

ChatRoomIO on Render

GitHub Repository

https://github.com/ambushneupane/ChatRoomIO

Features

• User registration and login
• Real-time messaging using Socket.IO
• Multiple chat rooms (general, sports, tech)
• Typing indicator
• Tracks users across multiple tabs using userId
• Chat history per room
• Online users list per room
• Logout functionality

Project Structure

app.js                # Entry point
controller/           # Request controllers
database/             # Database connection and initialization
middleware/           # Express middlewares (auth, error handling, etc.)
models/               # Mongoose models (User, etc.)
public/               # Frontend static files (HTML, CSS, JS)
routes/               # API routes
socket/               # Socket.IO event handlers
utils/                # Helper utilities (e.g., AppError)
package.json          # Project metadata and dependencies
package-lock.json     # Locked dependency versions
node_modules/         # Installed packages

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/ambushneupane/ChatRoomIO.git
cd ChatRoomIO

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Set environment variables (create .env file):

PORT=3000
MONGO_URI=<your_mongodb_uri>
JWT_SECRET=<your_jwt_secret>

4. Run the application:

npm start

5. Open the browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000

Usage

• Register a new user or login with an existing account.
• Select a room from the dropdown and join.
• Start chatting in real-time.
• Open multiple tabs to see how the same userId is tracked.
• Use the typing indicator and logout functionality.