Online Chat Backend

This is the backend server for an Online Chat Application built with Django and Django Channels. It was done in team as a project for University.

Project Description

This backend server is the central component of an Online Chat Application built with Django, Django Channels, and Django Rest Framework. It serves as the core infrastructure for real-time messaging and collaboration, allowing users to connect, chat, and engage in conversations in a seamless and interactive manner. The backend server is designed to work with the corresponding frontend client, which is built with React and integrates with the server using the provided API.

Technologies used:

1. Django: Django was selected as web framework due to its robustness, security features, and ease of development. It provides a solid foundation for building web applications and a powerful ORM system for managing data.
2. Django Rest Framework: For building the API endpoints and ensuring smooth communication between the frontend and backend, Django Rest Framework was integrated. This technology allows us to create a well-structured and user-friendly API that the React frontend can seamlessly interact with.
3. Django Channels: For real-time functionality, Django Channels were chosen to enable WebSocket support. This technology ensures that users can engage in live conversations with minimal latency, making it an ideal choice for a chat application.

Challenges Faced:

1. Real-time Communication: Implementing and managing real-time communication using WebSocket technology posed a significant challenge. It required careful planning to ensure that messages were delivered promptly and efficiently.
2. Security: Maintaining the security of user data, messages, and authentication tokens was a top priority. Security measures were implemented, including authorization checks and encryption, to protect user privacy and data integrity.

Key Features:

1. Real-time Messaging: The Online Chat Application offers users the ability to send and receive messages in real-time. Whether it's one-on-one conversations or group chats, users can engage in dynamic and immediate communication, making it an ideal platform for instant messaging.

2. User Account Management: Users can create their accounts by registering with their credentials. The registration process ensures that users have a unique identity on the platform, enabling them to customize their profiles and manage their chat history.

3. User Authentication with JWT: To secure the API endpoints and user data, the application employs JWT (JSON Web Tokens) authentication. When a user logs in, the backend generates a JWT token, which is then provided to the frontend. This token serves as a secure and efficient means of authenticating future requests, ensuring that only authorized users can access their accounts and messages.

4. Django Channels for Real-time Communication: To enable real-time communication between users, the Online Chat Application leverages Django Channels, a powerful Django library that extends the built-in ASGI (Asynchronous Server Gateway Interface) server with WebSocket support. This technology ensures that messages are delivered promptly and efficiently, allowing users to engage in live conversations with minimal latency.

Local Development Environment

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip
• virtualenv (optional)
• Redis
• PostgreSQL (if not using SQLite)

Installation

1. Clone the repository to your local machine and navigate to the project directory.

   git clone https://github.com/Maksvell129/online-chat-backend
   cd online-chat-backend

2. Create a virtual environment and activate it (optional).

   virtualenv env
   source env/bin/activate

3. Install the project dependencies by running:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Install Redis. You can download Redis from the official website or use your operating system's package manager to install it.

5. Create a .env file in the project root directory and add the following lines to it:

   USE_SQLITE=True
   REDIS_HOST=127.0.0.1
   

   This sets the database configuration to use SQLite by default and specifies the Redis server host to 127.0.0.1.

   If you prefer to use PostgreSQL instead of SQLite update the database variables accordingly.

   DATABASE_NAME=mydatabase
   DATABASE_USER=myusername
   DATABASE_PASSWORD=mypassword
   DATABASE_HOST=localhost
   DATABASE_PORT=5432
   

6. Migrate the database by running:

   python manage.py migrate

Running the Server

1. Start Redis server by running:

   redis-server

2. In a separate terminal window, start the Django development server by running:

   python manage.py runserver

3. Access the development server at http://localhost:8000/.

Docker Compose

Requirements

• Docker
• Docker Compose

Installation

1. Clone the repository to your local machine and navigate to the project directory.

   git clone https://github.com/Maksvell129/online-chat-backend
   cd online-chat-backend

Running the Server

1. Build and run the Docker containers by running the following command:

   docker-compose up --build

2. Access the development server at http://localhost:8000/.

Actions

• Start the containers:

  docker-compose up

• Stop the containers:

  docker-compose down

• Create superuser

  docker-compose run web python manage.py createsuperuser

Credits

Development team:

1. https://github.com/Ash1VT
2. https://github.com/Maksvell129
3. https://github.com/Egorfog