Chatterbox - A Real-Time Chat Application

Chatterbox is a simple real-time chat application built with Node.js, Express, and Socket.IO. It allows users to join and exchange messages in real time, with messages visually differentiated as incoming or outgoing.

Features

• Real-time messaging
• Clean and responsive UI
• Distinction between incoming and outgoing messages
• Simple, intuitive interface

Project Structure

ChatApp/
│
├── public/
│   ├── style.css           # CSS styles
│   ├── client.js           # Client-side JavaScript with Socket.IO logic
│── index.html              # Main HTML file
├── server.js               # Express server setup and Socket.IO integration
├── README.md               # Project README
├── package.json            # Project dependencies and scripts
└── .gitignore              # Ignores node_modules and sensitive files

Getting Started

Follow these instructions to set up and run Chatterbox on your local machine.

Prerequisites

• Node.js installed
• npm installed

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/Vidhisha03/ChatApp
   cd ChatApp

2. Install Dependencies

   npm install

3. Install Nodemon (Optional)

   Nodemon is a development dependency that automatically restarts the server when files change.

   npm install -D nodemon

4. Install Socket.IO

   npm install socket.io

Usage

1. Run the Server

   Start the server using node or nodemon:

   node server.js

   Or, with automatic restarts on changes:

   npx nodemon server.js

2. Open the App

   Go to http://localhost:3000 in your browser to start chatting!

Technologies Used

• Node.js - JavaScript runtime environment
• Express.js - Web application framework
• Socket.IO - Real-time, bidirectional communication
• HTML/CSS - Frontend structure and styling