GoChat 💬

A simple, elegant real-time chatroom application built with Node.js and Socket.IO. Create private rooms with unique codes and chat with friends in a minimal, dark-themed interface.

✨ Features

🏠 Room Management

• Create Rooms: Generate private chatrooms with unique 6-character codes
• Join Rooms: Enter any room using its code to join the conversation
• Leave Rooms: Easily switch between different rooms
• Room Isolation: Messages are only visible to users in the same room

💬 Real-time Messaging

• Instant Delivery: Messages appear immediately for all room participants
• User Presence: See when users join or leave your room
• Online Counter: Live count of active users in each room
• Message Timestamps: Every message shows when it was sent

🎨 User Interface

• Minimal Design: Clean, distraction-free black theme
• No Registration: Just pick a username and start chatting
• Mobile Responsive: Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile devices
• Intuitive Navigation: Simple flow from username → room selection → chat

🔧 Technical Features

• Auto-reconnection: Handles network interruptions gracefully
• Input Validation: Username (20 chars) and message (500 chars) limits
• XSS Protection: Messages are safely escaped to prevent code injection
• Room Cleanup: Empty rooms are automatically deleted

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/nickxcii/gochat.git
   cd gochat

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Start the server

   npm start

4. Open your browser Navigate to http://localhost:3000

📖 How to Use

Creating a Room

1. Enter your username
2. Click "Create Room"
3. Optionally enter a custom room name
4. Share the generated room code with friends

Joining a Room

1. Enter your username
2. Enter the 6-character room code
3. Click "Join Room"
4. Start chatting!

Room Codes

• Room codes are 6 characters long (e.g., ABC123)
• They contain uppercase letters and numbers
• Each code is unique and automatically generated
• Codes are case-insensitive when entering

🛠️ Project Structure

gochat/
├── server.js              # Express + Socket.IO server
├── package.json           # Dependencies and scripts
├── public/
│   ├── index.html        # Main HTML interface
│   ├── style.css         # Minimal dark theme styles
│   └── script.js         # Client-side Socket.IO logic
└── README.md             # This file

🔌 API Events

Client → Server

• create-room - Create a new chatroom
• join-room - Join an existing room by code
• message - Send a chat message
• leave-room - Leave the current room

Server → Client

• room-created - Room successfully created
• room-joined - Successfully joined a room
• room-error - Error joining room (invalid code)
• message - Incoming chat message
• user-joined - User joined the room
• user-left - User left the room
• user-count - Updated count of online users

🎯 Use Cases

• Friend Groups: Create private rooms for casual conversations
• Study Groups: Collaborate on projects with dedicated chat rooms
• Gaming: Coordinate with teammates in private channels
• Events: Set up temporary chat rooms for specific occasions
• Teams: Quick communication without account setup

🔒 Privacy & Security

• No Data Storage: Messages are not saved to any database
• Temporary Rooms: Rooms are deleted when all users leave
• No Personal Info: Only usernames are required (no email/phone)
• Local Hosting: Run on your own server for complete privacy

🌐 Browser Support

GoChat works on all modern browsers:

• ✅ Chrome/Chromium
• ✅ Firefox
• ✅ Safari
• ✅ Edge
• ✅ Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile)

🛡️ Technical Details

• Backend: Node.js with Express.js framework
• Real-time: Socket.IO for WebSocket communication
• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript (no frameworks)
• Styling: Pure CSS with CSS Grid/Flexbox
• Port: Default port 3000 (configurable via PORT env variable)

📱 Mobile Features

• Responsive design adapts to all screen sizes
• Touch-friendly buttons and inputs
• Optimized chat interface for mobile typing
• Swipe-friendly navigation

🔧 Customization

Change the Port

PORT=8080 npm start

Modify Room Code Length

Edit the generateRoomCode() function in server.js:

for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) { // Change 6 to desired length

Customize Styling

Edit public/style.css to change colors, fonts, or layout.

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

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

🙋‍♂️ Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue if your problem isn't already reported
3. Provide clear steps to reproduce any bugs

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Made with ❤️ using Node.js and Socket.IO

GoChat - Simple, private, real-time chat rooms for everyone.