Live Chat App

Overview

The Live Chat App is a real-time messaging application that allows users to communicate with each other instantly over the internet. It provides a seamless chat experience with features such as text messaging, emoji support, and user joining and leaving indicator.

• Live Project: Chat Now!

Features

• Real-time Messaging: Messages are delivered instantly, providing a responsive chat experience.
• Emoji Support: Users can express themselves using a variety of emojis.
• User Status: Users can see a user joining or leaving.

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Technologies Used

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Backend: Spring Boot, Websocket
• Deployment: GitHub Actions, Azure

Here's a section you can add to your live chat documentation to explain WebSocket:

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WebSocket Integration

The live chat application utilizes the WebSocket API to enable real-time, bi-directional communication between the client's web browser and the server. This allows for instant messaging and updates without the need for continuous polling.

How WebSocket Works

1. Connection Establishment: The client initiates a WebSocket connection by sending an initial HTTP request, which is then upgraded to a WebSocket connection if the server supports it.

2. Bi-Directional Communication: Once the WebSocket connection is established, both the client and server can send messages to each other at any time, enabling real-time updates and notifications.

3. Event-Driven Model: WebSocket uses an event-driven model, where messages are sent and received asynchronously, allowing for efficient communication without the overhead of traditional HTTP requests.

4. Persistent Connection: Unlike traditional HTTP, which is stateless and requires a new connection for each request, WebSocket maintains a persistent connection, reducing latency and overhead.

5. Protocol Support: WebSocket is standardized by the IETF as RFC 6455, ensuring compatibility between different WebSocket implementations and providing a reliable communication channel.

Benefits of WebSocket

• Real-Time Updates: Enables instant messaging and updates without polling.
• Efficient Communication: Maintains a persistent connection for efficient, low-latency communication.
• Scalability: Supports large numbers of concurrent connections, making it suitable for scalable applications.
• Reliability: Built-in mechanisms for ensuring message delivery and connection integrity.

Implementation Details

The live chat application uses the WebSocket API provided by the Spring Boot framework for server-side communication. On the client side, WebSocket is implemented using JavaScript and the WebSocket API supported by modern web browsers.

• Read more: WebSocket Documentation

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Installation

1. Clone the repository.
2. Install dependencies using Maven: mvn install.
3. Start the Spring Boot application: mvn spring-boot:run.
4. Access the app in your web browser at http://localhost:8080.

Deployment

The app is automatically deployed using GitHub Actions to Azure. The deployment process is triggered on every push to the main branch.

Usage

1. log in to the app using your name.
2. Send messages and emojis to communicate with other users in real-time.

Future Enhancements

• File Sharing: Allow users to share files with each other.
• Message History: Provide a history of past messages for users to view.
• Onine Status: View the online status of other users.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature/my-feature).
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add new feature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/my-feature).
5. Create a new Pull Request.