Chat Ping Server

Welcome to the Chat Ping Server! This project is the backend implementation of a messaging application that provides secure and scalable server-side services. It handles user authentication, message exchanges, thread management, and more, making it an essential component for real-time communication platforms.

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Table of Contents

1. Authors
2. Project Summary
3. Features
4. Installation
5. Usage Guide
6. API Documentation
7. File Structure
8. License
9. Feedback
10. Contributing

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Authors

• CSC207: Group 167
• Contributors:
  • Ali Rahbar
  • Wilton Miller
  • Matteo Gentili
  • Benedict Cummins-Mburu
  • Benjamin Gavriely
  • Robert Reder

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Project Summary

The Chat Ping Server was developed to provide a robust backend solution for a messaging application. It offers:

• Secure authentication and authorization using JWT.
• Real-time messaging support with thread-based communication.
• Scalable architecture using Spring Boot and PostgreSQL.
• Comprehensive API documentation for ease of integration.

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Features

• User Authentication: Secure login and registration with password hashing.
• JWT-Based Authorization: Stateless session management for scalability.
• Messaging System:
  • Create threads for group or individual messaging.
  • Send and retrieve messages within threads.
• Swagger API Documentation: Easily explore and test endpoints.
• Error Handling: Unified error response format for consistency.
• Validation:
  • Email and password validation for secure user management.
  • Unique username validation.
• Database Integration:
  • Supports PostgreSQL for production.
  • H2 in-memory database for testing.

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Installation

Prerequisites

• Java: JDK 17+
• Maven: Latest version
• PostgreSQL: For production database
• Git: For cloning the repository

Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/chat-ping-server.git
   cd chat-ping-server

2. Configure the database in application.properties:

   • For production:

     spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://<your-db-url>:5432/<your-db-name>
     spring.datasource.username=<your-db-username>
     spring.datasource.password=<your-db-password>
     

   • For local testing (optional):

     spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/
     spring.datasource.username=postgres
     spring.datasource.password=1230
     

3. Build the project using Maven:

   mvn clean install

4. Run the application:

   mvn spring-boot:run

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Usage Guide

1. Start the server on http://localhost:5000/.

2. Access the Swagger UI for API exploration:

   http://localhost:5000/swagger-ui/index.html
   

3. Common Endpoints:

   • Authentication:
     • POST /api/v1/auth/register - Register a new user.
     • POST /api/v1/auth/login - Login with credentials.
   • Threads:
     • POST /api/v1/threads - Create a new thread.
     • GET /api/v1/threads - List all threads.
   • Messages:
     • POST /api/v1/messages - Send a message.
     • GET /api/v1/messages/{threadId} - Retrieve messages in a thread.

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API Documentation

View the full API documentation and try out endpoints via the Swagger UI:

• Swagger UI: http://localhost:5000/swagger-ui/index.html

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File Structure

├── .ebextensions
│   └── nginx.config
├── README.md
├── pom.xml
├── src
│   ├── main
│   │   ├── java
│   │   │   └── chat
│   │   │       └── ping
│   │   │           ├── MainApplication.java
│   │   │           ├── config
│   │   │           ├── entity
│   │   │           ├── infrastructure
│   │   │           ├── shared
│   │   │           └── usecase
│   └── resources
│       └── application.properties
└── test
    ├── java
    └── resources

For a detailed breakdown, refer to the complete file structure in this README's File Structure section.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. For details, refer to the LICENSE file.

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Feedback

We value your feedback! Submit your suggestions, bug reports, or feature requests via:

• GitHub Issues

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Contributing

We welcome contributions! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (feature-branch).
3. Commit and push your changes.
4. Open a pull request with a detailed description (pull requet template is in the repo).

Guidelines for contributions:

• Write clear and concise commit messages.
• Ensure all tests pass before submitting a pull request.
• Follow the existing code style conventions.

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Happy coding!