Networking Chat Project

This repository contains a simple socket-based chat application implemented in Python. It includes a server that manages client connections and facilitates private messaging, and a GUI client built with Tkinter for an interactive chat experience.

Features

• Server: Handles multiple client connections, user authentication with unique names, and private messaging between users.
• Client: Graphical user interface for logging in, viewing connected users, and sending/receiving private messages.
• Private Messaging: Users can select another user from the list and send private messages.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

2. Ensure Python 3.x is installed (Python 3.6 or higher recommended).

3. Install dependencies (if not already installed):

   • Tkinter is usually included with Python, but on some systems (e.g., Linux), you may need to install it:
     • Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get install python3-tk
     • macOS: Tkinter is included with Python from python.org
     • Windows: Tkinter is included with Python from python.org

   No additional packages are required beyond the standard library.

Usage

1. Start the Server:

   • Open a terminal and navigate to the project directory.
   • Run: python src/server.py
   • The server will start listening on 127.0.0.1:12345.

2. Run the Client:

   • Open another terminal (or multiple for testing).
   • Run: python src/gui_client.py
   • Enter a unique name when prompted to log in.
   • The client will connect to the server and display the list of connected users.
   • Select a user from the sidebar to start a private chat, or use "Group Chat" (though private messaging is the primary feature).

3. Chatting:

   • Type messages in the input field and press Enter or click Send.
   • Messages are sent privately to the selected user.
   • Received messages appear in the chat area.

Project Structure

• src/server.py: The socket server handling connections and messaging.
• src/gui_client.py: The Tkinter-based GUI client.
• src/constants.py: Contains constants like message buffer size.
• captures/: Directory for network capture files (e.g., Wireshark captures).
• docs/: Documentation files.

Notes

• The server must be running before starting clients.
• User names must be unique; duplicates will be rejected.
• This is a basic implementation for educational purposes and may not handle all edge cases in production.