💬 Chat App

A real-time chat application that allows users to seamlessly communicate with each other. Designed with scalability, security, and user-friendliness in mind, this app leverages modern web technologies to deliver a smooth messaging experience.

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🚀 Features

• Real-Time Messaging: Instant communication powered by WebSockets.
• User Authentication: Secure login and registration system to protect user data.
• Responsive Design: Fully optimized for both desktop and mobile devices.
• Chat Rooms: Create and join public or private chat rooms for focused conversations.
• User Presence: See who’s online and available for chat in real-time.

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🛠️ Tech Stack

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB for storing user data and chat logs
• Real-Time Communication: Socket.IO for live updates
• Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for secure user sessions

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📦 Setup and Installation

Prerequisites:

• Install Node.js from here.
• Set up MongoDB locally or use a cloud-based instance like MongoDB Atlas.

Steps to Set Up:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Madhur-Prakash/chat-app.git
   cd chat-app

2. Set up environment variables:

• Create a .env file in the root directory.
• Add the following configuration:

PORT=5001
MONGO_URI=your_mongo_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_API_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_secret_key

3. Build the app:

npm run build

4. Start the frontend server:

cd frontend
npm run dev

5. Start the backend server:

cd backend
npm run dev

5. Access the application: Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:5173

🌟 Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the developer community for their tutorials, documentation, and open-source projects, which were a constant source of learning and inspiration.

If you have any feedback or suggestions to improve this project, feel free to open an issue or contribute via pull requests.