Chat App

A real-time chat application built using React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Docker. This app allows users to send and receive messages, manage user authentication, and handle chat functionalities in a simple and intuitive interface.

Features

• Real-time Messaging: Send and receive messages instantly.
• User Authentication: Register, log in, and manage sessions securely.
• PostgreSQL Database: Store messages and user data.
• Dockerized: All services (frontend, backend, PostgreSQL, and Nginx) run in isolated Docker containers.
• Responsive UI: Built with React and optimized for desktop and mobile use.

Architecture

The app is divided into several services:

• Frontend: React-based user interface, which communicates with the backend.
• Backend: Node.js server with Express for API routes, including authentication and messaging.
• PostgreSQL: A relational database for storing user data and chat messages.
• Nginx: Reverse proxy server to handle routing between the frontend and backend (optional in this setup).

Technologies

• Frontend: React, Vite
• Backend: Node.js, Express, Prisma
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Containerization: Docker, Docker Compose

Prerequisites

Before running the app locally, ensure you have the following installed:

• Docker and Docker Compose
• A text editor (e.g., VS Code)
• Node.js (for local development)

Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up the project on your local machine.

1. Clone the Repository

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

2. Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the app-backend directory with the following variables folling the env.template

Make sure to replace your_db_user and your_db_password with your desired credentials.

3. Build and Start the Containers

Use Docker Compose to build and start all the services.

docker-compose up --build

This will:

• Build the backend and frontend Docker images.
• Start the PostgreSQL container and configure the database.
• Start the backend server and frontend application.

4. Access the App

Once the containers are up and running, you can access the app:

• Frontend: http://localhost:5173
• Backend: http://localhost:3000/api/

or centrally via the reverse proxy

• Frontend: http://localhost:8080
• Backend: http://localhost:8080/api/

Usage

• Register a New User: Navigate to the frontend and sign up with your email and password.
• Log In: After registration, log in to access the chat features.
• Send Messages: Once logged in, you can send and receive messages in real-time.

License

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