Chat-Me-App

A real-time chat application built with Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, Socket.io, and PugJS. The app allows users to register, log in, join chat rooms, and exchange messages in real-time.

Features

• Real-Time Messaging: Powered by Socket.io for live chat experience.
• User Authentication: Built-in registration and login system.
• Message Persistence: Messages are stored in MongoDB for later retrieval.
• User-Specific Rooms: Users can join specific rooms and chat with others in real-time.
• Message History: View the last 50 messages from each room, sorted by timestamp.

Technologies Used

• Node.js for the backend server.
• Express.js for the server framework.
• Socket.io for real-time web socket communication.
• MongoDB for message persistence.
• Mongoose for modeling MongoDB data.
• Handlebars.js for the frontend templating engine.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js
• MongoDB or a MongoDB Atlas account.

Steps to Install and Run Locally

1. Install dependencies: Navigate to the project folder and install dependencies:

   cd chat-notes-app
   npm install

2. Set up MongoDB:

   • If you're using MongoDB locally, make sure MongoDB is running on your machine.
   • If you're using MongoDB Atlas, create a .env file at the root of the project and add the MongoDB URI like so:

   MONGO_URI=your-mongodb-uri

3. Start the server:

   npm start

   The server will start on http://localhost:3000.

Usage

1. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.
2. Register a new account or log in with an existing one.
3. Join a chat room and start sending messages!