/chat-app

A real-time chat application built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js), featuring user authentication, private and group messaging.

Primary LanguageJavaScript

MERN Chat App

A real-time chat application built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js), featuring user authentication, private and group messaging.

Features

  • Real-Time Messaging: Instant communication using socket.io.
  • User Authentication: Secure login and registration with JWT.
  • Private and Group Chats: Support for both private and group conversations.
  • Responsive Design: Works seamlessly on all devices.
  • User Profiles: profiles with avatars.
  • Message Notifications: Real-time notifications for new messages.

Tech Stack

  • Frontend: React.js, Zustand (Global state management), TailwindCSS + Daisy UI
  • Backend: Node.js, Express.js, Authorization with JWT
  • Database: MongoDB (using MongoDB Atlas)
  • Real-Time Communication: Socket.io

Screenshots

Login Image Description

Signup Image Description

Home Image Description

Chat Image Description

Installation

Prerequisites

  • Node.js and npm installed
  • MongoDB Atlas account and cluster set up

Steps

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mern-chat-app.git
cd mern-chat-app

  2. Install dependencies::

    npm install
cd frontend
npm install

  3. Set up environment variables:

    PORT=5000
MONGO_DB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
SOCKET_PORT=your_socket_port
NODE_ENV=development

  4. Run the application::

    npm run server
cd frontend
npm run dev

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve the MERN Chat App. To contribute, please fork the repository and create a pull request with your changes. Ensure your code follows the project's coding standards and is well-documented.

License

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