Real-Time Chat Application

A lightweight, real-time chat application built with Node.js and vanilla JavaScript for LAN or WIFI. This project demonstrates the implementation of a simple but functional chat system with features like message persistence, real-time updates, and a clean user interface.

🌟 Features

• Real-time message updates
• Message persistence with timestamps
• Clean and responsive user interface
• Error handling and user feedback
• Automatic message polling
• Message logging system
• Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) support

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v12.0.0 or higher)
• npm (Node Package Manager)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/CodeRafay/chat-app_using-NodeJS--over-wifi-or-lan.git
   cd chat-app_using-NodeJS--over-wifi-or-lan

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the server:

   node server.js

4. Open your browser and navigate to:

   http://localhost:3277
   

🛠️ Configuration

The server can be configured using environment variables:

• PORT: The port number the server will listen on (default: 3277)
• HOST: The host address (default: '0.0.0.0')

Example:

PORT=3000 HOST=localhost node server.js

🌐 Using on LAN or Wi-Fi

To use this chat application within a local area network (LAN) or Wi-Fi network, follow these steps:

🔌 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Run the server on one machine (host):

   node server.js

   By default, the server listens on port 3277. You can change it using:

   PORT=3277 HOST=0.0.0.0 node server.js

2. Find the IP address of the host machine:

   On Windows, run:

   ipconfig

   Look for the IPv4 Address under your active network adapter (e.g., 192.168.1.10).

   On Linux/macOS, run:

   ifconfig

   or

   ip a

3. Access the chat room from other devices on the same network:

   Open a browser on any other device and enter:

   http://<HOST_IP>:3277
   

   For example:

   http://192.168.1.10:3277
   

   All connected users will now be able to send and receive real-time messages across devices on the same network.

✅ Requirements

• All devices (host and clients) must be connected to the same LAN or Wi-Fi.
• Firewall settings should allow Node.js to accept incoming connections on the specified port (3277).

📁 Project Structure

real-time-chat/
├── server.js          # Main server file
├── index.html         # Frontend interface
├── chat-log.txt       # Message log file
└── README.md          # Project documentation

🔧 Technical Details

Server Features

• HTTP server implementation using Node.js
• Message storage in memory (with logging to file)
• RESTful API endpoints for message handling
• CORS support for cross-origin requests
• Error handling and logging

Frontend Features

• Real-time message updates using polling
• Responsive design
• Error handling and user feedback
• Timestamp display for messages
• Auto-scrolling message container

🔒 Security Considerations

• Input validation and sanitization
• CORS configuration
• Error handling and logging
• No sensitive data storage

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

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

📝 License

This project is licensed under the Apache-2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

👥 Authors

• Rafay Adeel

📞 Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please open an issue in the GitHub repository.

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