Full Stack Chat Application

This is a real-time chat application built with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) and powered by Socket.io for live messaging and Cloudinary for image uploads. It features user authentication, chat history, media sharing, and online status indicators.

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Features

• User Authentication (JWT based)
• One-to-One Messaging
• Image Uploads via Cloudinary
• Unseen Message Count
• Online/Offline Status Indicators
• Real-time Communication using Socket.io
• User Search
• Message Seen Tracking

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Tech Stack

Frontend:

• React.js
• Tailwind CSS
• Axios (API requests)
• Socket.io-client
• React Context API (state management)
• Vite (build tool)

Backend:

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB + Mongoose
• Cloudinary SDK
• Socket.io
• JWT for authentication

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📦 Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/sowmya-rebbavarapu/SocketTalk
cd SocketTalk

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2. Setup Backend

cd server
npm install

• Create a .env file in the server folder:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret

npm run dev

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3. Setup Frontend

cd client
npm install
npm run dev

Ensure both frontend and backend are running concurrently.