Scalable Socket.IO Chat Application

This project is a scalable real-time chat application built using modern web technologies. It leverages Socket.IO for real-time communication, Redis for session management, Kafka for event streaming, and PostgreSQL for data persistence. The client side is built with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Shadcn.

Features

• Real-Time Communication: Instant messaging with Socket.IO.
• Scalability: Kafka handles event streaming, and Redis provides fast access to session data.
• Persistent Data Storage: PostgreSQL is used to store chat history and user data.
• Modern Frontend: Built with React and TypeScript for type safety, Tailwind CSS for styling, and Shadcn for a consistent UI component library.

Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js: JavaScript runtime used to build the server.
• Socket.IO: Library for real-time, bidirectional communication.
• Redis: In-memory data structure store used for managing sessions and caching.
• Kafka: Distributed event streaming platform used to handle chat events.
• PostgreSQL: Relational database used for storing user data and chat history.
• Express.js: Web framework for Node.js, used to create REST APIs.
• TypeScript: Superset of JavaScript that adds static typing.

Frontend

• Next.js: JavaScript library for building user interfaces.
• TypeScript: Superset of JavaScript that adds static typing.
• Tailwind CSS: Utility-first CSS framework for styling.
• Shadcn: Component library for a consistent UI.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js: Ensure you have Node.js installed.
• Docker: Recommended for running Redis, Kafka, and PostgreSQL.
• Kafka and Zookeeper: Ensure Kafka and Zookeeper are running.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/socketio-chat-app.git
   cd socketio-chat-app
   

2. Install backend dependencies:

   cd backend
   npm install
   

3.Install frontend dependencies:

cd ../fronten
npm install

4.Configure Environment Variables: Create a .env file in the backend directory and add the following:

PORT=3001
REDIS_HOST=localhost
REDIS_PORT=6379
KAFKA_BROKER=localhost:9092
POSTGRES_HOST=localhost
POSTGRES_PORT=5432
POSTGRES_DB=chatapp
POSTGRES_USER=youruser
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=yourpassword

Running the Application

5. Clone the repository:

   cd backend
   npm start
   

6. Install backend dependencies:

   cd backend
   npm start