Chat App

Real-time chat interface where multiple users can interact with each other by sending messages. As a MVP (Minimum Viable Product) you can focus on building the Chat interface first, then add real-time functionality later.

This is an excellent project for learning real-time communication, WebSockets, and building scalable applications that handle multiple users.

User Stories:

• User is prompted to enter a username when they visit the chat app. The username will be stored in the application
• User can see an input field where they can type a new message
• By pressing the enter key or by clicking on the send button the text will be displayed in the chat box alongside their username (e.g. John Doe: Hello World!)
• User can see a list of all active users in the chat
• User can see message history when they join

Bonus Features:

• The messages will be visible to all the Users that are in the chat app (using WebSockets)
• When a new User joins the chat, a message is displayed to all the existing Users
• Messages are saved in a database
• User can send images, videos and links which will be displayed properly
• User can select and send emojis
• Users can chat in private (direct messages)
• Users can join channels on specific topics
• User can see typing indicators
• User can search through message history
• User can mention other users with @username
• Message reactions and replies
• File sharing capabilities
• Voice and video calling

What you'll learn:

• WebSocket programming for real-time communication
• Socket.io for simplified WebSocket implementation
• User authentication and session management
• Database design for chat systems
• Message broadcasting and routing
• Real-time event handling
• Scalable backend architecture
• Frontend state management for real-time data
• Media handling and file uploads
• Security considerations for chat applications