Real-Time Chat Application

Welcome to the Real-Time Chat Application project! This project is a simple chat application built using Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, and Socket.io. It allows users to join chat rooms and communicate with each other in real-time.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Requirements
• Installation
• Configuration
• Usage
• Contributing
• License

Features

• Real-time communication using Socket.io
• Multiple chat rooms for parallel discussions
• Persistent storage of chat messages in MongoDB
• User authentication and identification
• Simple and intuitive user interface

Requirements

Make sure you have the following installed before setting up the project:

• Node.js (https://nodejs.org/)
• MongoDB (https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/real-time-chat-app.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd real-time-chat-app

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

Configuration

1. Create a .env file in the root directory of the project:

   PORT=3000
   MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/chat-app

   Update the MONGODB_URI with your MongoDB connection string.

2. Optionally, configure any other settings in the .env file as needed.

Usage

1. Start the MongoDB server:

   mongod

2. Start the Node.js server:

   npm start

   The application will be accessible at http://localhost:3000 by default.

3. Open the application in your web browser and start chatting!

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvements, feel free to open an issue or create a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Feel free to use and modify the code as needed.