MERN Chat App

A real-time chat application built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js), featuring user authentication, private and group messaging.

Features

• Real-Time Messaging: Instant communication using socket.io.
• User Authentication: Secure login and registration with JWT.
• Private and Group Chats: Support for both private and group conversations.
• Responsive Design: Works seamlessly on all devices.
• User Profiles: profiles with avatars.
• Message Notifications: Real-time notifications for new messages.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React.js, Zustand (Global state management), TailwindCSS + Daisy UI
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, Authorization with JWT
• Database: MongoDB (using MongoDB Atlas)
• Real-Time Communication: Socket.io

Screenshots

Login

Signup

Home

Chat

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm installed
• MongoDB Atlas account and cluster set up

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mern-chat-app.git
   cd mern-chat-app

2. Install dependencies::

   npm install
   cd frontend
   npm install

3. Set up environment variables:

   PORT=5000
   MONGO_DB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   SOCKET_PORT=your_socket_port
   NODE_ENV=development

4. Run the application::

   npm run server
   cd frontend
   npm run dev

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve the MERN Chat App. To contribute, please fork the repository and create a pull request with your changes. Ensure your code follows the project's coding standards and is well-documented.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.