ChatterBox 💬🚀

Real-Time Chat Application

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ChatterBox is not just your ordinary chat application; it's an immersive, real-time communication platform designed to elevate your chatting experience. Built on the powerful MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js), ChatterBox integrates seamlessly with Socket.IO for lightning-fast WebSocket communication, ensuring instant messaging between users.

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🔗 Quick Access

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✨ Core Features

ChatterBox provides a rich and secure real-time communication experience:

• 🚀 Real-Time Messaging: Engage in instant conversations with friends and peers, all in real-time, powered by WebSockets.
• 🔒 Secure User Authentication: Rest assured knowing your chats are protected by a robust authentication and authorization system.
• 📱 Responsive Design: Whether you're on a desktop or mobile device, ChatterBox adapts effortlessly to provide a consistent and intuitive user experience.
• 🎨 Customizable Profiles: Personalize your profile to reflect your unique personality and style.

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🛠️ Tech Stack & Architecture

ChatterBox is a full-stack application leveraging the power of the MERN stack and WebSocket technology:

• Frontend:
  • React.js
  • Socket.IO Client
  • Sass
  • HTML/CSS
• Backend:
  • Node.js
  • Express.js
  • Socket.IO
• Database:
  • MongoDB
• Language:
  • JavaScript
• Tools & Platforms:
  • Git
  • GitHub

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🚀 Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and run ChatterBox locally for development and testing.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Node.js: v16+ (LTS recommended)
• npm: v8+ (comes with Node.js)
• MongoDB: A running instance of MongoDB (local or cloud-hosted)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [https://github.com/manirht/ChatterBox.git](https://github.com/manirht/ChatterBox.git)

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd ChatterBoxn # Based on the clone URL, the folder will likely be 'ChatterBox'

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   # If frontend and backend are separate, you might need to do:
   # cd frontend && npm install && cd ../backend && npm install

4. Set up environment variables:
   • Create a .env file in the root directory (or specific frontend/backend directories if structured separately).
   • Define the following variables:

     PORT=3000
     MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_uri
     JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key
     

Running the Application

• Command:

  npm run dev

  (Note: This assumes npm run dev script handles both frontend and backend startup, or you might need separate commands like npm start for each part if they are in different sub-directories.)

Usage

• Once the application is running, open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 (or your specified port).
• Sign up for a new account or log in if you already have one.
• Start chatting with other users in real-time!

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🛣️ Roadmap & Future Enhancements

We're constantly looking to improve ChatterBox! Here are some planned features and enhancements:

• 🖼️ Image & File Sharing: Implement functionality for sending images and other files in chats.
• 🔔 Notifications: Add real-time notifications for new messages or mentions.
• 🔍 Message Search: Enable users to search through their chat history.
• 👥 Group Chat Features: Enhance group chat capabilities (e.g., admin roles, member lists).
• 📞 Voice/Video Calls: Explore integration for direct communication.
• ☁️ Deployment Automation: Set up CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment.

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you have any suggestions or improvements, feel free to open an issue or create a pull request.

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📄 License

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

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📞 Contact

Rohit Mani - manirohit221004@gmail.com

Project Link: https://github.com/manirht/ChatterBox.git

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Coded with 💙 by Mani Rohit