DisChat

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What is DisChat?

DisChat is a full-stack chat application in which users can create "servers" and channels within those servers in order to send messages to each other in real time.

Developers

• Chris Talley (GitHub | LinkedIn | AngelList)
• Mark Mansolino (GitHub | LinkedIn | AngelList)
• Alfredo Quiroga (GitHub | LinkedIn)
• Landing page by Geoffrey Otieno (GitHub | LinkedIn)

Technologies

• JavaScript
• Express
• Node
• PostgreSQL
• Sequelize
• Pug
• CSS3
• HTML5
• Socket.IO

Features

Instant messaging between users without reloading using WebSocket protocol:

Switching servers, displaying a new set of channels and users within a server

Switching channels, displaying and sending new messages exclusive to each channel

Adding a server and channels within the new server, and sending messages exclusive to those channels:

Joining a server by searching for the name

Leaving a server

Code Highlights

Path of a WebSocket event from client -> server -> clients using Socket.IO

Client event emitter

deleteFormConfirmButton.addEventListener('click', async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    const userThatDeleted = localStorage.getItem('DischatUserName')
    
    // Inside a click event handler, emit a WebSocket event to the server. The arguments are a string identifier and an object with necessary information
    socket.emit('delete channel', { channelId: currentChannelId, serverId, userThatDeleted });
    
    // rest of code omitted
});

Server event handler and emitter

// All server WebSocket event handlers are inside here
io.on('connection', (socket) => {

// Each event has a string identifier and a callback function that takes in an argument sent from the client
    socket.on('delete channel', (deleteObject) => {
        const { channelId, serverId, userThatDeleted } = deleteObject;
        
        // Every client in the room except the client that emitted the original event gets the 'delete channel' event from the server and the necessary      information
        socket.in(`${serverId}`).broadcast.emit('delete channel', { channelId, userThatDeleted });
    })
    
    // rest of code omitted
});

Client event handler

// Each event has a string identifier and a callback function that takes in an argument sent from the server
socket.on('delete channel', ({ channelId, userThatDeleted }) => {
    
    const channelList = document.querySelectorAll('.channels-li');
    
    // Find the deleted channel and change the title
    channelList.forEach(channel => {
        if (channel.dataset.channelId === channelId) {
            channel.remove();
            channelTitle.innerHTML = `This Channel Has Been Deleted By ${userThatDeleted}`
        }
    })
    const channelListAfterRemove = document.querySelectorAll('.channels-li');

    // Hide page elements corresponding to deleted channel
    if (channelListAfterRemove.length === 0) {
        deleteIcon.classList.add('hidden');
        textInputBox.classList.add("hidden");
        textInputBox.classList.remove("new-message-form");
    }
})

Links

• Back End
• Endpoints
• Feature List
• Models
• Wire Frames