Node.js WebSocket Chat

A real-time chat application built with Node.js, Express.js, and WebSockets.

Features

• Real-time messaging using WebSockets
• Stores chat messages and sends them to new clients on connection
• Uses EJS for templating
• Serves static assets
• CORS enabled for cross-origin requests

Installation

Prerequisites

Ensure you have Node.js installed on your system.

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/GHDBASHEN/node-websocket.git
   cd node-websocket

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the server:

   npm start

   The Express server will run on http://localhost:3000 and the WebSocket server on ws://localhost:3001.

Configuration

You can customize the server settings using environment variables:

Variable	Description	Default
PORT	HTTP server port	3000
WSPORT	WebSocket server port	3001
NAMELEN	Maximum length for usernames	15
MSGLEN	Maximum length for chat messages	200

Project Structure

node-websocket-chat/
├── views/              # EJS templates
├── static/             # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
├── index.js           # Main Express and WebSocket server
├── package.json        # Project dependencies and scripts
└── README.md           # Project documentation

Usage

• Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.
• Send and receive messages in real-time.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.