Realtime Full-Stack Chat Application

This project is a fully functional real-time chat application built using the MERN stack, integrated with Socket.io for seamless communication. The app features authentication, online user status, and efficient global state management, making it a scalable and user-friendly chat solution.

🚀 Features

• Tech Stack: MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js) + Socket.io + TailwindCSS + Daisy UI
• Authentication & Authorization: Secured with JWT for user authentication
• Real-time Messaging: Powered by Socket.io for instant message delivery
• Online Status Tracking: Users can see who is online in real time
• Global State Management: Zustand is used for efficient state management across the app
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling on both the client and server sides
• Cloudinary Integration: Handles media uploads for profile pictures and shared files
• Optimized Deployment: Easily deployable with free hosting solutions

🛠️ Getting Started

1️⃣ Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/repo-name.git
cd repo-name

2️⃣ Install dependencies

npm install

3️⃣ Setup environment variables

Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following configuration:

MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
PORT=5001
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret

NODE_ENV=development

4️⃣ Build the app

npm run build

5️⃣ Start the server

npm start

📌 Additional Notes

• The frontend is built using React and styled with TailwindCSS and Daisy UI.
• WebSockets (via Socket.io) enable real-time communication between users.
• MongoDB stores user data and messages securely.
• Zustand efficiently manages the application's global state.
• The application is structured to support easy scalability and future feature expansion.

Feel free to fork, modify, and enhance this project as needed! 🚀