Here's a professional and well-documented README file for your WebSocket chat application:

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WebSocket Chat Application

Overview

This project is a WebSocket-based chat application that allows users to register, log in, and communicate in real-time. It supports one-on-one messaging as well as group chats. The application uses native WebSocket with Node.js on the server side and a simple HTML/CSS frontend.

Features

• User Registration & Login: Users can register and log in to access the chat functionalities.

• Real-time Messaging: Supports one-on-one messaging and group chats.

• Group Management: Users can create groups and add members.

• Conversation History: Fetches and displays conversation history for a selected user or group.

• Online User List: Displays the list of currently online users.

Getting Started

To run the chat application locally, follow these steps:

Prerequisites

• Node.js: Ensure you have Node.js installed. You can download it from nodejs.org.

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone

cd

2. Install Dependencies

Navigate to the project directory and install the required dependencies:

npm install

3. Run the Server

Start the WebSocket server:

node server.mjs

4. Open the Application

Open index.html in your web browser. You can do this by navigating to the file in your file explorer and double-clicking it, or by serving it through a local HTTP server.

File Structure

• index.html: The main HTML file that contains the front-end of the chat application. It includes the chat UI, registration, and login forms.

• server.mjs: The Node.js WebSocket server script. Handles WebSocket connections, user authentication, message broadcasting, and group management.

Code Overview

Frontend (index.html)

• WebSocket Initialization: initializeWebSocket function establishes a WebSocket connection to the server.

• User Registration/Login: Functions register and login handle user registration and authentication.

• Message Handling: Functions sendMessage, displayMessage, and populateOnlineUserAndGroupList manage message sending, display, and updating the user and group lists.

• Group Management: Functions createGroup and addToGroup handle group creation and member addition.

• Conversation History: Function fetchConversation retrieves and displays conversation history.

Backend (server.mjs)

• WebSocket Upgrade: Handles WebSocket upgrade requests and establishes connections.

• Message Handling: Functions handleMessage, registerUser, authenticateUser, sendMessage, createGroup, addToGroup, and sendConversationHistory process various WebSocket messages.

• Broadcasting: Functions broadcastToGroup and broadcastUpdateUsersAndGroups manage broadcasting messages and updates to users and groups.

• Connection Management: Functions send, sendError, and onSocketClose handle sending messages, errors, and closing connections.

Usage

• Register: Enter a username and password to register a new account.

• Login: Use your registered credentials to log in.

• Send Messages: Select a user or group from the sidebar to start chatting.

• Create Groups: Enter a group name and click "Create Group" to create a new group.

• Add Members: Enter a username and group name to add a member to a group.

Troubleshooting

• Connection Issues: Ensure that the WebSocket server is running and accessible at ws://localhost:1337.

• Authentication Errors: Verify that you are using the correct username and password.

• UI Issues: Check the browser console for any JavaScript errors and ensure that index.html is correctly loaded.

Contact

For any questions or feedback, please contact the project maintainer at [email protected].

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