Real-Time Chat App

A real-time chat application built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js). This app features real-time messaging, user authentication, and various chat functionalities designed to enhance user experience.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Installation
• Usage
• Client Structure
• Server Structure
• Contributing
• License

Features

• Real-time messaging with WebSockets
• JWT-based user authentication
• Private and group chats
• Message history with pagination
• Typing indicators and presence indicators
• Media sharing (images, files)
• Message reactions, editing, and deletion
• Notifications for new messages
• Search functionality for messages and users
• User profile management
• Admin panel for moderation
• Dark/light mode support
• Multi-language support
• Voice and video calls (planned feature)

Technologies Used

• Frontend:

  • React.js
  • Redux (for state management)
  • Socket.io (for real-time communication)
  • Axios (for API requests)
  • CSS Modules / Styled Components (for styling)

• Backend:

  • Node.js
  • Express.js
  • MongoDB (with Mongoose)
  • JWT (for authentication)
  • Socket.io (for real-time communication)
  • bcrypt (for password hashing)

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js
• MongoDB
• Git

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/real-time-chat-app.git
cd real-time-chat-app
# Creating a README.md file for the Real-Time Chat App project

readme_content = """
# Real-Time Chat App

A real-time chat application built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js). This app features real-time messaging, user authentication, and various chat functionalities designed to enhance user experience.

## Table of Contents

- [Features](#features)
- [Technologies Used](#technologies-used)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Client Structure](#client-structure)
- [Server Structure](#server-structure)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)

## Features

- Real-time messaging with WebSockets
- JWT-based user authentication
- Private and group chats
- Message history with pagination
- Typing indicators and presence indicators
- Media sharing (images, files)
- Message reactions, editing, and deletion
- Notifications for new messages
- Search functionality for messages and users
- User profile management
- Admin panel for moderation
- Dark/light mode support
- Multi-language support
- Voice and video calls (planned feature)

## Technologies Used

- **Frontend:**
  - React.js
  - Redux (for state management)
  - Socket.io (for real-time communication)
  - Axios (for API requests)
  - CSS Modules / Styled Components (for styling)

- **Backend:**
  - Node.js
  - Express.js
  - MongoDB (with Mongoose)
  - JWT (for authentication)
  - Socket.io (for real-time communication)
  - bcrypt (for password hashing)

## Installation

### Prerequisites

- Node.js
- MongoDB
- Git

### Clone the Repository

```bash
git clone https://github.com/your-username/real-time-chat-app.git
cd real-time-chat-app