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https://github.com/jmrashed/chat-backend

This is the server-side of a real-time chat application with file-sharing capabilities. Built using Node.js, Express, Socket.IO, and MongoDB
https://github.com/jmrashed/chat-backend

api express mongodb

Last synced: about 2 months ago
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This is the server-side of a real-time chat application with file-sharing capabilities. Built using Node.js, Express, Socket.IO, and MongoDB

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README 

          
# Real-Time Chat Application (Server)



[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)

[![Node.js Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/node-%3E%3D18.0.0-brightgreen)](https://nodejs.org/)

[![Express.js](https://img.shields.io/badge/Express.js-4.19.2-000000)](https://expressjs.com/)

[![Socket.IO](https://img.shields.io/badge/Socket.IO-4.8.1-010101)](https://socket.io/)

[![MongoDB](https://img.shields.io/badge/MongoDB-7.0.14-47A248)](https://www.mongodb.com/)

[![Mongoose](https://img.shields.io/badge/Mongoose-8.7.0-880000)](https://mongoosejs.com/)

[![JWT](https://img.shields.io/badge/JWT-9.0.2-000000)](https://jwt.io/)

[![Bcrypt](https://img.shields.io/badge/Bcrypt-5.1.1-3178C6)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/bcrypt)

[![Joi](https://img.shields.io/badge/Joi-17.13.3-blue)](https://joi.dev/)

[![Jest](https://img.shields.io/badge/Jest-29.7.0-C21325)](https://jestjs.io/)

[![Docker](https://img.shields.io/badge/Docker-Ready-2496ED)](https://www.docker.com/)

[![API](https://img.shields.io/badge/API-RESTful-FF6C37)](https://restfulapi.net/)

[![PRs Welcome](https://img.shields.io/badge/PRs-welcome-brightgreen.svg)](http://makeapullrequest.com)

[![GitHub Stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/jmrashed/chat-backend?style=social)](https://github.com/jmrashed/chat-backend/stargazers)

[![GitHub Forks](https://img.shields.io/github/forks/jmrashed/chat-backend?style=social)](https://github.com/jmrashed/chat-backend/network/members)



This is the server-side of a real-time chat application with file-sharing capabilities. Built using **Node.js**, **Express**, **Socket.IO**, and **MongoDB**, it allows users to join chat rooms, send/receive real-time messages, and share files using Node.js streams and buffers. User authentication, chat history, and file metadata are stored securely in MongoDB.



## Related Repositories



**Frontend Client**: For the complete chat application experience, you'll also need the frontend client. Check out the [Chat Frontend Repository](https://github.com/jmrashed/chat-frontend) which provides:

- Modern Next.js React interface

- Real-time UI updates

- Responsive design

- Optimized performance

- Socket.IO client integration



## Features



### Core Messaging

- **Real-time Communication**: Users can send and receive messages in real-time using Socket.IO

- **Message Reactions**: React to messages with emojis, real-time reaction updates

- **Message Editing/Deletion**: Edit sent messages and soft delete with permissions

- **Message Threads/Replies**: Reply to specific messages and create threaded conversations

- **Mentions**: @mention functionality with real-time notifications

- **Message Status**: Sent, delivered, and read status indicators

- **Typing Indicators**: Real-time "user is typing" notifications

- **Message Search**: Full-text search within chat history with pagination

- **Pinned Messages**: Pin important messages to chat rooms

- **Starred Messages**: Personal message bookmarking system



### File & Media

- **File Sharing**: Efficient file uploads/downloads with Node.js streams and buffers

- **File Metadata**: Store and retrieve file information with messages



### Authentication & Security

- **User Authentication**: Secure JWT-based login and registration

- **Permission System**: Role-based access control for message operations

- **Input Validation**: Comprehensive Joi-based validation

- **Rate Limiting**: Configurable rate limits for different endpoints



### Data & Performance

- **Persistent Storage**: MongoDB with optimized schemas and indexing

- **Real-time Updates**: Socket.IO events for all messaging features

- **Scalability**: Horizontal scaling support with concurrent user optimization

- **Comprehensive Testing**: 80%+ coverage with unit, integration, and performance tests



## Technologies Used



- **Node.js**: JavaScript runtime for building server-side logic

- **Express**: Fast web framework for Node.js with RESTful API design

- **Socket.IO**: Real-time, bidirectional communication with comprehensive event handling

- **MongoDB**: NoSQL database with optimized schemas for chat features

- **Mongoose**: ODM for MongoDB with advanced querying and population

- **JWT**: Secure user authentication using JSON Web Tokens

- **Joi**: Schema validation for all API endpoints

- **Bcrypt**: Password hashing and security

- **Multer**: File upload handling with stream processing

- **Jest**: Comprehensive testing framework



## Project Structure



```bash

.

├── .env.example

├── .gitignore

├── LICENSE

├── package.json

├── README.md

├── API.md

├── CHANGELOG.md

├── CONTRIBUTING.md

├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

├── SECURITY.md

├── swagger.js

├── seeder.js

├── .github/

│   ├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/

│   │   ├── bug_report.md

│   │   ├── feature_request.md

│   │   └── question.md

│   └── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

├── src/

│   ├── app.js

│   ├── config/

│   │   ├── database.js

│   │   ├── environment.js

│   │   ├── jwtConfig.js

│   │   └── socket.js

│   ├── controllers/

│   │   ├── authController.js

│   │   ├── chatController.js

│   │   ├── chatRoomController.js

│   │   └── fileController.js

│   ├── middleware/

│   │   ├── authMiddleware.js

│   │   ├── errorHandler.js

│   │   └── rateLimiter.js

│   ├── models/

│   │   ├── ChatRoom.js

│   │   ├── File.js

│   │   ├── Message.js

│   │   └── User.js

│   ├── routes/

│   │   ├── authRoutes.js

│   │   ├── chatRoomRoutes.js

│   │   └── chatRoutes.js

│   ├── services/

│   │   ├── authService.js

│   │   ├── chatService.js

│   │   ├── fileService.js

│   │   ├── messageService.js

│   │   └── socketService.js

│   ├── utils/

│   │   ├── fileUpload.js

│   │   ├── logger.js

│   │   └── responseFormatter.js

│   └── validations/

│       ├── auth.js

│       ├── chatRoom.js

│       ├── file.js

│       └── message.js

├── tests/

│   ├── auth.test.js

│   ├── chat.test.js

│   ├── chatRoom.test.js

│   ├── fileUpload.test.js

│   ├── integration.test.js

│   ├── message.test.js

│   └── performance.test.js

├── uploads/

└── views/

    ├── layouts/

    └── *.ejs

```

 



## Installation



### Prerequisites



- **Node.js** (version 14 or above)

- **MongoDB** (locally or cloud-hosted)

- **Docker** (optional, for containerized deployment)



### Step-by-Step Setup



1. **Clone the repository:**



    ```bash

    git clone https://github.com/jmrashed/chat-backend.git

    cd chat-backend

    ```



2. **Install dependencies:**



    ```bash

    npm install

    ```



3. **Create a `.env` file:**



    In the root of the project directory, create a `.env` file with the following content:



    ```env

    PORT=3000

    MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/realtime-chat-app

    JWT_SECRET=your_secret_key

    ```



4. **Start MongoDB:**



    Make sure MongoDB is running locally or connect to your cloud MongoDB instance.



    ```bash

    mongod

    ```



5. **Run the server:**



    Start the application with:



    ```bash

    npm start

    ```



6. **Access the Application:**



    Open your browser and navigate to `http://localhost:3000`.



## Running Tests



Comprehensive test suite covering unit, integration, and performance tests:



```bash

# Run all tests

npm test



# Run specific test suites

npm run test:unit          # Unit tests (auth, chat rooms, messages, files)

npm run test:integration   # Integration tests (full API flows)

npm run test:performance   # Performance tests (load testing)

npm run test:coverage      # Generate coverage report

npm run test:watch         # Watch mode for development

```



## Docker Setup



To run the server in a Docker container:



1. **Build the Docker image:**



    ```bash

    docker build -t realtime-chat-app-server .

    ```



2. **Run the Docker container:**



    ```bash

    docker run -d -p 3000:3000 realtime-chat-app-server

    ```



3. **Access the Application:**



    Navigate to `http://localhost:3000` to use the chat application.



## API Documentation



For API documentation, you can explore the endpoints through Postman or Swagger:



- **Postman Documentation**: [Postman Collection](your-postman-link)

- **Swagger UI**: Available locally at `/api-docs` after starting the server.



## Scalability and Optimization



- **Horizontal Scaling**: Cluster the app or use multiple instances behind a load balancer.

- **Redis**: Use Redis to handle session management and WebSocket scaling with Socket.IO.

- **Database Indexing**: Ensure MongoDB collections are indexed for optimal query performance.

- **Rate Limiting**: Implement rate limiting to control API usage and prevent server overload.



## Quality Assurance



### Error Handling

Robust error handling throughout the application:

- Invalid JWT tokens and authentication failures

- Database connection and query errors

- File upload/download issues and validation

- Input validation with detailed error messages

- Consistent error response format



### Testing

- **Unit Tests**: Individual component testing (auth, rooms, messages, files)

- **Integration Tests**: Full API workflow testing

- **Performance Tests**: Load testing and concurrent user simulation

- **Coverage**: 80%+ test coverage with detailed reports



### Security

- Rate limiting on all endpoints (configurable per endpoint type)

- Input validation and sanitization

- File type and size restrictions

- Environment-specific CORS configuration

- Secure password hashing with bcrypt



### Code Quality

- JSDoc documentation for all functions

- Consistent error handling patterns

- Environment-specific configurations

- Clean, maintainable code structure



## API Endpoints



### Messages

- `POST /api/chat/messages` - Send message with optional reply/mentions

- `GET /api/chat/messages/:room` - Get messages with pagination

- `PUT /api/chat/messages/:id` - Edit message (owner only)

- `DELETE /api/chat/messages/:id` - Soft delete message (owner only)

- `GET /api/chat/messages/search` - Search messages with filters



### Reactions

- `POST /api/chat/messages/:id/react` - Add emoji reaction

- `DELETE /api/chat/messages/:id/react/:reactionId` - Remove reaction



### Message Status

- `PUT /api/chat/messages/:id/read` - Mark message as read

- `PUT /api/chat/messages/:id/pin` - Pin/unpin message



### Favorites

- `POST /api/chat/favorites` - Add message to favorites

- `DELETE /api/chat/favorites/:messageId` - Remove from favorites

- `GET /api/chat/favorites` - Get user's favorite messages



### Socket Events

- `sendMessage`, `receiveMessage`, `receiveReply`

- `addReaction`, `removeReaction`, `reactionAdded`, `reactionRemoved`

- `editMessage`, `deleteMessage`, `messageEdited`, `messageDeleted`

- `markAsRead`, `messageRead`, `messageDelivered`

- `typingStart`, `typingStop`, `userTyping`, `userStoppedTyping`

- `pinMessage`, `messagePinned`, `messageUnpinned`

- `mention` - Real-time mention notifications



## Future Improvements



- **Push Notifications**: Mobile and web push notifications for mentions

- **Voice Messages**: Audio message recording and playback

- **Message Encryption**: End-to-end encryption for sensitive conversations

- **Advanced Search**: Search by date range, file type, user, etc.

- **Message Templates**: Quick reply templates and saved responses

- **Admin Dashboard**: Comprehensive admin panel for user and content management



## License



This project is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE). 



 ## Screenshots



Here are some screenshots of the project:



### Screenshot 1

![Screenshot 1](docs/1.png)



## 👨💻 Author



**Md Rasheduzzaman**  

Full-Stack Software Engineer & Technical Project Manager  



Building scalable, secure & AI-powered SaaS platforms across ERP, HRMS, CRM, LMS, and E-commerce domains.  

Over 10 years of experience leading full-stack teams, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise-grade software delivery.



**🌐 Portfolio:** [jmrashed.github.io](https://jmrashed.github.io/)  

**✉️ Email:** [jmrashed@gmail.com](mailto:jmrashed@gmail.com)  

**💼 LinkedIn:** [linkedin.com/in/jmrashed](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmrashed/)  

**📝 Blog:** [medium.com/@jmrashed](https://medium.com/@jmrashed)  

**💻 GitHub:** [github.com/jmrashed](https://github.com/jmrashed)



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