Real-time Chat Application

A modern real-time chat application built with Node.js, Express, and Socket.io. Features include real-time messaging, typing indicators, emoji support, and user presence.

Features

• Real-time messaging
• User presence (online users list)
• Typing indicators
• Emoji picker
• Modern and responsive UI
• Message timestamps
• System messages for user join/leave events

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v12 or higher)
• npm (Node Package Manager)

Installation

1. Clone the repository or download the source code
2. Navigate to the project directory
3. Install dependencies:

npm install

Running the Application

1. Start the server:

node server.js

2. Open your web browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:3000

3. Enter your username to join the chat

Usage

• Type your message in the input field and press Enter or click Send
• Click the emoji button to open the emoji picker
• See who's currently typing
• View the list of online users
• Messages are displayed in real-time with timestamps

Technologies Used

• Node.js
• Express.js
• Socket.io
• Emoji Mart
• HTML5
• CSS3
• JavaScript (ES6+)

License

MIT