Amici is a modern, real-time chat application built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js), featuring a responsive and efficient frontend integrated with Socket.IO, Zustand, and Tailwind CSS. The backend leverages Redis for caching and a robust Pub/Sub model to enable efficient group messaging functionality.
(amici translates to 'friend' in French)

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About Amici

Amici provides a seamless and scalable messaging platform designed to facilitate both private and group communication in real time. It supports structured conversations through "channels" and incorporates real-time updates using web sockets, with state managed efficiently on the client side.

Core Features

• Real-Time Messaging: Instant communication powered by Socket.IO
• Group Chats named as Channels: Organized discussions within defined user groups
• State Management: Lightweight global state handling using Zustand
• Responsive UI: Clean and adaptive design using Tailwind CSS
• Redis Integration: Efficient caching and Pub/Sub implementation for group messages
• Secure Authentication: JWT-based authentication system
• Email Support: Integration for account verification using Nodemailer

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Getting Started: Running Amici Locally

Follow the steps below to set up and run the application on your local development environment.

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/rahulks01/amici.git
cd amici

2. Install Dependencies

Navigate into both the backend and frontend directories and install the required dependencies:

cd Backend
npm install

cd ../Frontend
npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in both the backend and frontend directories with the following structure:

📁 Backend .env

PORT=<your-backend-port>
JWT_SECRET=<your-jwt-secret>
ORIGIN=<your-frontend-url>
DATABASE_URL=<your-database-url>
DATABASE_PASSWORD=<your-database-password>

REDIS_USERNAME=<your-redis-username>
REDIS_PASSWORD=<your-redis-password>
REDIS_HOST=<your-redis-host>
REDIS_PORT=<your-redis-port>

EMAIL_HOST=<your-email-host>
EMAIL_PORT=<your-email-port>
EMAIL_USER=<your-sender-email-address>
EMAIL_PASS=<your-email-password>
EMAIL_FROM=<your-email-user>

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=<your-cloudinary-cloud-name>
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=<your-cloudinary-api-key>
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=<your-cloudinary-api-secret>

📁 Frontend .env

VITE_BACKEND_URL=<your-backend-base-url>

Example: VITE_BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8000

4. Run the Application

Start both the backend and frontend development servers in separate terminal sessions:

Start Backend

cd backend
npm run dev

Start Frontend

cd frontend
npm run dev

5. Access the Application

Once both servers are running, open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:5173