REAL-TIME FORUM

Real-Time Forum

A real-time forum application built with Go and JavaScript that enables users to communicate through posts, comments, and private messages.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Technologies Used
• Installation
• Usage
• API Endpoints
• WebSocket Implementation
• Database Schema
• Collaborators
• Contributing
• License

Overview

Real-Time Forum is a web application that allows users to interact through posts, comments, and private messaging. The application utilizes WebSockets for real-time functionality and SQLite for data persistence. The backend is written in Go, while the frontend is built with vanilla JavaScript.

Features

1. User Authentication

   • Registration and login system
   • Session management using cookies

2. Posts Management

   • Create and read posts
   • Categorize posts for better organization
   • Like/dislike functionality
   • Image upload support

3. Comments System

   • Add comments to posts
   • Nested comment replies
   • Like/dislike comments

4. Real-Time Private Messaging

   • Send and receive messages instantly
   • Chat history persistence
   • Online status indicators
   • Typing Animation

5. Updates

   • Real-time update for posts, likes, comments, and messages for all users

Technologies Used

Backend

• Go: Server-side programming language
• SQLite: Database management
• Gorilla WebSocket: WebSocket implementation for Go
• HTTP Router: Custom routing implementation

Frontend

• JavaScript: Client-side scripting
• HTML/CSS: Structure and styling
• WebSocket API: Client-side WebSocket implementation
• Fetch API: AJAX requests to the server

Protocols

• HTTP/HTTPS: For RESTful API communication
• WebSocket Protocol: For real-time bidirectional communication
  • Implements the WebSocket handshake (HTTP Upgrade)
  • Uses ws:// protocol

Installation

Prerequisites

• Go (version 1.23+)
• SQLite
• Git

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://learn.zone01kisumu.ke/git/aosindo/real-time-forum

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd real-time-forum

3. Run the make command to build and start the application:

   make

4. The server will start running on http://localhost:8000 (or the configured port)

Usage

1. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:8000
2. Register a new account or login with existing credentials
3. Explore the forum by browsing posts or creating your own
4. Interact with other users through comments, likes, and private messages

API Endpoints

The application exposes several RESTful API endpoints for client-server communication:

Authentication

• POST /api/signup - Register a new user
• POST /api/login - Authenticate a user
• POST /api/logout - Log out and invalidate session

Posts

• GET /api/posts - Get all posts
• GET /api/post/details - Get a specific post
• POST /posts/create - Create a new post
• POST /api/interactions - Like/Dislike

Comments

• POST /api/comments - Add a comment to a post
• POST /api/interactions - Like/Dislike

Messages

• GET /api/messages - Send a message via REST API (fallback)

WebSocket Implementation

The application uses WebSockets to provide real-time functionality:

Connection

• Client connects to ws://localhost:8000/ws with session token authentication
• Server upgrades the HTTP connection to WebSocket protocol

Message Types

• chat_message: Private messages between users
• updates: System Updates (likes, comments, etc.)
• user_status: Online/offline status updates
• typing_indicator: Shows when a user is typing

Protocol

1. Connection is established with HTTP upgrade request
2. Authentication is performed using session cookies
3. JSON messages are exchanged between client and server

Database Schema

The application uses SQLite with the following main tables:

• users: User information and authentication
• sessions: User session data
• posts: Forum posts with category relationships
• comments: Comments on posts and replies
• interactions: Tracks likes/dislikes on posts and comments
• messages: Private messages between users
• categories: Post categorization

Collaborators

Andrew Osindo

Moses Onyango

Contributing

We welcome contributions to the Real-Time Forum project. Please follow these steps to contribute:

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

Please ensure your code follows the project's coding standards and includes appropriate tests.

License

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