LitCord (Discord Clone) Application

Overview

This project is a simplified clone of the popular Discord platform, featuring real-time messaging and user interaction. The backend is powered by Spring Boot, and the frontend is built with Angular.

Features:

• User authentication (login, registration)
• Real-time messaging with WebSockets
• Private and group channels
• User profile management
• Role-based permissions

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Table of Contents

1. Tech Stack
2. Architecture
3. Setup
4. Running the Application
5. API Endpoints
6. Frontend Overview
7. Contributing
8. License

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Tech Stack

Backend:

• Java 17 or later
• Spring Boot (REST, WebSocket, Security, JPA)
• MySQL/PostgreSQL (or any other relational database)
• WebSocket for real-time communication

Frontend:

• Angular 14+ (with TypeScript)
• Bootstrap or Angular Material for UI design
• Socket.io for WebSocket-based messaging

Other Tools:

• Maven/Gradle for build management
• Docker for containerization (optional)
• JWT for authentication and session management
• Redis for caching (optional)

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Architecture

• Backend: The backend is designed using a microservices architecture with RESTful services for user authentication, messaging, and channel management. Real-time messaging is implemented using WebSockets.
• Frontend: The Angular frontend interacts with the backend using REST APIs and WebSockets for real-time communication.

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Setup

Prerequisites:

• Java 17 or later
• Node.js (with npm)
• Angular CLI
• MySQL/PostgreSQL (or any database)
• Maven (or Gradle)

Backend Setup:

1. Clone the repository.

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/discord-clone.git
   cd discord-clone/backend

2. Set up the database:

   • Create a database in MySQL/PostgreSQL named discord_clone.
   • Configure the application.properties (or application.yml) file with your database details.

   spring.datasource.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/discord_clone
   spring.datasource.username=yourusername
   spring.datasource.password=yourpassword
   spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update

3. Build and run the backend.

   ./mvnw clean install
   ./mvnw spring-boot:run

Frontend Setup:

1. Navigate to the frontend directory.

   cd ../frontend

2. Install the dependencies.

   npm install

3. Serve the Angular application.

   ng serve

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Running the Application

Backend:

• Once the backend is running, the REST APIs will be available at http://localhost:8080/api.
• WebSocket endpoints will be available at ws://localhost:8080/ws.

Frontend:

• The Angular frontend can be accessed at http://localhost:4200.

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API Endpoints

Authentication:

• POST /api/auth/register - Register a new user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login an existing user

Messaging:

• GET /api/channels/{channelId}/messages - Retrieve messages from a channel
• POST /api/channels/{channelId}/messages - Send a message in a channel

Channels:

• GET /api/channels - List all available channels
• POST /api/channels - Create a new channel

Users:

• GET /api/users/{userId} - Retrieve user profile
• PUT /api/users/{userId} - Update user profile

WebSockets:

• Endpoint: ws://localhost:8080/ws
• Events:
  • message - Send/receive messages
  • channel_join - Notify users when someone joins a channel

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Frontend Overview

The frontend allows users to:

• Sign Up and Log In using JWT authentication.
• Join/Create Channels: Users can join existing channels or create their own.
• Real-time Messaging: Users can send and receive messages in real time.
• Manage User Profiles: Users can update their profiles and view other users.

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Contributing

We welcome contributions! If you'd like to contribute, please fork the repository and submit a pull request.

Steps:

1. Fork the repo
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/YourFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add YourFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/YourFeature)
5. Create a new Pull Request

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License

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

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Contact

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the project maintainer at [[email protected]].

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Let me know if you'd like any changes or additional details!