ChatPulse

Overview

ChatPulse is a real-time chat room application designed to provide seamless and instantaneous communication between users. The app features a modern, intuitive interface with real-time chat functionalities akin to popular messaging platforms. It is built using React for the frontend, Node.js and Express for the backend, and MongoDB for data management. Real-time interactions are powered by Pusher, ensuring smooth and immediate message delivery.

Features

• Real-Time Messaging: Instantaneous chat functionality powered by Pusher.
• User Authentication: Secure account management with MongoDB.
• Responsive UI: Stylish and responsive interface using React and CSS.
• Scalable Architecture: Backend services deployed on Heroku and frontend on Firebase.

Technologies Used

• Frontend:

  • React
  • CSS
  • Firebase (Deployment)

• Backend:

  • Node.js
  • Express.js
  • MongoDB (Database)
  • Pusher (Real-Time Communication)
  • Heroku (Deployment)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your development machine:

• Node.js
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/chatpulse.git
   cd chatpulse

2. Install dependencies for both client and server:

   # For the backend
   cd backend
   npm install
   
   # For the frontend
   cd ../frontend
   npm install

3. Set up environment variables:

   Create a .env file in the backend directory and add the following:

   PORT=5000
   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   PUSHER_APP_ID=your_pusher_app_id
   PUSHER_KEY=your_pusher_key
   PUSHER_SECRET=your_pusher_secret
   PUSHER_CLUSTER=your_pusher_cluster

4. Run the application:

   # Start the backend server
   cd backend
   npm start
   
   # Start the frontend development server
   cd ../frontend
   npm start

   The frontend will be available at http://localhost:3000 and the backend at http://localhost:5000.

Project Structure

chatpulse/
├── backend/
│   ├── controllers/
│   ├── models/
│   ├── routes/
│   ├── app.js
│   ├── server.js
│   └── .env
├── frontend/
│   ├── public/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   ├── pages/
│   │   ├── App.js
│   │   ├── index.js
│   │   └── styles.css
│   └── .env
├── README.md
└── package.json

Usage

• Starting a Chat: Sign up or log in to start chatting with other users in real-time.
• Managing Account: Users can update their profile information and manage their account settings.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

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

License

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

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Pusher for their real-time messaging services.
• Special thanks to the open-source community for their invaluable contributions.