NPMChat

Real-Time Chat & Code Collaboration for Developers

CodeChat is an open-source platform that lets developers chat, share code, run snippets, and collaborate in real time — all in one place. Designed for coding interviews, pair programming, and learning together.

Project Overview

---

⚡ Tech Stack

Core Framework & Backend

• MongoDB – NoSQL database for storing chat data and user info
• Express.js – Backend framework for API and server-side logic
• Next.js – React framework for building the frontend with SSR & routing
• Node.js – JavaScript runtime powering the backend

Authentication & User Management

• Clerk (Optional) – Advanced authentication, user profiles, and management
• JWT & bcryptjs – Secure token-based authentication and password hashing

Real-Time Communication

• Socket.IO – WebSocket-based real-time messaging

---

Features

💬 Real-Time Chat Instant messaging with live user presence indicators	🔐 Secure Authentication Sign up, log in, and manage sessions with JWT or Clerk integration
🛡 Role-Based Access Control Assign different roles and permissions for better management	💻 Collaborative Code Editor Edit and share code in real-time with syntax highlighting
📂 Shared Scratchpads & Snippets Save, organize, and share reusable code snippets	🎯 Live Interview Mode Built-in timer, problem prompts, and private interviewer notes
📎 File Sharing & Code Preview Upload files and preview supported code formats directly in chat	⚡ In-Chat Code Execution Run and test code instantly using integrated APIs
👤 Profile Management Customize avatar, bio, and personal information	🌍 Open Source Free to use, improve, and contribute to the community

---

📸 Screenshots

🏠 Landing Page	📝 Sign-Up & Authentication	💬 Real-Time Chat Interface

---

⚙️ Setup Instructions (Run Locally)

Follow these steps to set up CodeChat on your local machine.

Step	Action	Command / Details
1	Install Prerequisites	Node.js v18+ MongoDB (local or MongoDB Atlas) Cloudinary Account (Optional) Clerk account for authentication
2	Clone Repository	git clone https://github.com/ThePlator/NPMChat cd NPMChat
3	Setup Backend	cd backend npm install Configure Environment: Create .env file in backend/ with: MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string 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 Run Backend: npm run dev Backend runs at http://localhost:8080
4	Setup Frontend	cd ../frontend npm install Configure Environment: Create .env.local in frontend/ with: NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:8080 Run Frontend: npm run dev Frontend runs at http://localhost:3000
5	Done! 🎉	You now have CodeChat running locally with both frontend & backend active.

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open issues or pull requests for new features, bug fixes, or improvements.

---

License

ISC