Live Chat Application

Welcome to the Live Chat Application built using Django! This project provides real-time messaging functionality, allowing users to engage in live conversations.

Features

• Real-time messaging with multiple users
• Authentication and user registration
• Chat room creation and management
• Persistent chat history
• Notifications for new messages
• Responsive design, optimized for mobile and desktop
• Secure and scalable backend

Technologies Used

• Django 4.2.16 – Backend framework
• Django Channels – Enables real-time communication via WebSockets
• Redis – Used as the message broker for WebSocket handling
• HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript – Frontend technologies
• SQLite (or other database options) – Data storage
• Docker (Optional) – For containerization and easy deployment

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.9+
• Django 4.2.16+
• Redis (for WebSocket handling)
• Docker (Optional)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/live-chat-django.git
   cd live-chat-django

2. Create a virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use `venv\Scripts\activate`

3. Install the dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up the database:

   Run the migrations to set up the initial database schema.

   python manage.py migrate

5. Start the Redis server:

   Ensure Redis is running for WebSocket handling.

   redis-server

6. Run the development server:

   Start the Django development server to view the app in your browser.

   python manage.py runserver

Access the Application

After running the server, open your web browser and navigate to:

http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Usage

1. Register or log in to create an account.
2. Join an existing chat room or create a new one.
3. Start chatting in real-time with other users!
4. Messages are stored and can be viewed even after logging out.

Docker Setup (Optional)

You can also run this application using Docker for easy deployment.

1. Build and run the application with Docker:

   docker-compose up --build

2. Visit the app at http://localhost:8000/ in your browser.

Contributing

Contributions to the project are welcome! Feel free to:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch.
3. Make your changes and submit a pull request.

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please open an issue.

Acknowledgements

• Django framework
• Django Channels for WebSocket handling
• Redis for real-time messaging
• All contributors to this project