🚀 Real-time chat application built exclusively for developers
Where code meets conversation
🎯 Developer-First Design - Terminal-inspired UI that feels like home
⚡ Real-Time Everything - Instant messaging with typing indicators
🔥 Code Syntax Highlighting - Support for 15+ programming languages
🛡️ Production Ready - JWT auth, bcrypt hashing, CORS protection
📱 Mobile Responsive - Beautiful on desktop, tablet, and mobile
React 19 • Redux Toolkit • Socket.IO Client • Tailwind CSS • Vite
Node.js • Express • Socket.IO • MongoDB • JWT • Cloudinary
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ Frontend │◄──►│ Backend API │◄──►│ Database │
│ (React) │ │ (Express) │ │ (MongoDB) │
│ │ │ │ │ │
└─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
│ │ │
│ ┌────────────────┐ │
└──────────────►│ Socket.IO │◄──────────────┘
│ Real-time │
│ Connection │
└────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Live Features: │
│ • Instant Messages │
│ • Typing Indicators │
│ • Online Presence │
│ • File Sharing │
└─────────────────────────┘
# Clone & Install
git clone https://github.com/your-username/alpha-chats.git
cd alpha-chats
npm run install:all
# Set Environment Variables (see DOCUMENTATION.txt)
# Backend: MongoDB URL, JWT Secret, Cloudinary Config
# Frontend: API URLs
# Run Development
npm run dev🌐 Open: http://localhost:5173
- 💬 Real-time Messaging - Socket.IO powered instant chat
- 👥 Online Presence - See who's active right now
- ⌨️ Typing Indicators - Live typing feedback
- 🎨 Code Highlighting - JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, and more
- 📁 File Sharing - Images and documents via Cloudinary
- 🔐 Secure Auth - JWT tokens with bcrypt password hashing
- 📱 Mobile First - Responsive design for all devices
- 🌙 Dark Theme - Easy on developer eyes
👉 Check out DOCUMENTATION.txt for:
- Complete setup guide
- API documentation
- Deployment options
- Architecture deep-dive
- Security features
- Performance optimizations
Recommended: Railway (backend) + Vercel (frontend)
Alternative: Render + Vercel
Limited: Vercel only (loses real-time features)
See DOCUMENTATION.txt for detailed deployment guides.
Found a bug? Have a feature idea? Contributions welcome!
- Fork the repo
- Create your feature branch
- Submit a pull request
Built with ❤️ by Vikash (Team Lead)
⭐ Star this repo if you find it useful!