README.md

Chattr - Real-time Chatting Application

Chattr is a real-time chatting application built using the MERN stack with a modern UI, designed to provide a seamless communication experience. The project features a responsive interface, file sharing, and group messaging capabilities.

Technologies Used

• Frontend: React, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn framework
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB
• Build Tool: Vite
• Encryption & Authentication: JWT tokens, bcrypt.js

Features

• Login/Sign Up: Secure authentication system.
• Real-time Chat: Send text messages, images, and files.
• Group Messaging: Create channels with groups of people for collective communication.

Demo

How to Set Up the Application

Prerequisites

• Node.js installed on your system.
• MongoDB instance for database connection.

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/damarudhvarma/Chattr.git
cd chattr

Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to the client directory:

   cd client

2. Create a .env file in client/ and add the following environment variable:

   VITE_SERVER_URL="<Your Backend Server URL>"

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

4. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to the backend directory:

   cd backend

2. Create a .env file in backend/ and add the following environment variables:

   PORT=<Server URL Port>
   JWT_KEY="<Your JWT Secret Key>"
   ORIGIN="<Your Frontend URL>"
   DATABASE_URI="<Your MongoDB URI>"

3. Install dependencies:

   npm install

4. Start the backend server using Nodemon:

   npx nodemon index.js

Ready to Use

Once both the frontend and backend servers are running, you can access the application from your browser and start chatting in real-time!

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you'd like to contribute, please fork the repository and create a pull request with your changes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.