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Real-Time Chat Application

Welcome to the Real-Time Chat Application! This project is a simple yet powerful real-time chat application built with Node.js and Socket.io. It allows users to send and receive messages in real time.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Tech Stack
• Installation
• Usage
• Contributing
• License

Features

• Real-time messaging between users.
• Simple and intuitive user interface.
• User-friendly design with Material Design Lite (MDL).
• Server-side message broadcasting and client-side message handling.

Tech Stack

• Node.js: JavaScript runtime for server-side code.
• Express: Web framework for Node.js.
• Socket.io: Real-time communication library.
• HTML/CSS: For structuring and styling the application.
• Material Design Lite (MDL): For UI components and styling.

Installation

To get started with the chat application, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository:

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

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Start the server:

   npm start

   Alternatively, you can use nodemon for development:

   npm run dev

4. Open your browser and go to:

   http://localhost:3000
   

Usage

• When you visit the application in your browser, you will be prompted to enter your name.
• Type your messages in the textarea and press Enter to send.
• Messages will appear in the chat area for all connected users to see in real time.

Contributing

If you'd like to contribute to the development of this application, please follow these guidelines:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature-branch).
3. Make your changes and commit them (git commit -am 'Add new feature').
4. Push your branch (git push origin feature-branch).
5. Open a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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