Real-Time Chat Application API

This project provides the backend for a real-time chat application. Users can register, log in, and send messages to each other in real time. The application uses Socket.io for WebSocket connections to enable real-time communication and JWT for secure authentication.

Features

• User registration and login with JWT-based authentication.
• Real-time messaging using WebSockets.
• Storage of user data and messages in MongoDB.
• Secure communication with JWT verification.
• Scalable architecture with a clear separation of concerns.

Technologies Used

• Node.js
• Express
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• Socket.io
• JWT (JSON Web Token)
• bcrypt
• dotenv

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or later)
• MongoDB

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Aladaabdul/Chat_App_API.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd chat_app_api

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

4. Create a .env file in the root of the project and add the following environment variables:

   PORT=8000
   MONGO_DB_URL=your_mongodb_connection_string
   secretKey=your_jwt_secret
   

5. Run the application:

   npm start

   The server will start on http://localhost:8000

Usage

Register a User

• URL: http://localhost:8000/api/user/register
• Method: POST
• Body: { "username": "user", "email": "user@example.com", "password": "password123" }

Log In a User

• URL: http://localhost:8000/api/user/login
• Method: POST
• Body: { "email": "user@example.com", "password": "password123" }
• Response: { "token": "your_jwt_token" }

Messages Endpoints

Send Messages

• URL: http://localhost:8000/api/chat/send

• Method: POST

• Description: Send messages between users. This endpoint is optional. It is for users without a socket.io connection

• Body: { "sender": "sender userId", "receiver": "receiver userId", "content": "message content" }

  Get User Messages

  • URL: http://localhost:8000/api/chat/messages/userId
  • Method: GET
  • Description: Get a user messages

  Get Messages Between Users

  • URL: http://localhost:8000/api/chat/messages/senderId/receiverId
  • Method: GET
  • Description: Get all messages between users

WebSocket Connection

  URL: http://localhost:8000
  Use the JWT token from the login response to authenticate WebSocket connections. It should be included in the request header as access_token

WebSocket Event

Users have to be listening to the "chat message" event to receive message

  - Join a Room
    {
	      "event": "join",
	      "data": "userId"
    }

  - Send Chat Messages:
      {
        "event": "chat message",
        "data": {
                  "sender": "userId",
                  "receiver": "userId",
                  "content": "content"
                }
    }

    - Receive Chat Messages: 
    {
        "sender": "userId",
        "receiver": "userId",
        "content": "content"
    }

Contact

For any inquiries, please contact aladarahman18@gmail.com