ChatApp

A Python-based client-server chat application with a modern PyQt6 graphical user interface, real-time messaging, and basic account management.

Features

• User Registration & Login — Create accounts and securely authenticate.
• Real-time Messaging — Send broadcast messages instantly to connected users.
• User Presence — See when users join or leave the chat.
• Intuitive GUI — PyQt6-based interface with colored messages and multiple views (connect, login, register, chat).
• Session Management — Server tracks users and enforces session validity.
• Simple CLI server management — Launch the server and configure host and port from the terminal.

Directory Structure

ChatApp/
├── Client/
│   ├── Client.py         # Client networking, authentication, messaging
│   ├── UserList.py       # User tracking and updates in the GUI
│   ├── mainWindow.py     # Main PyQt6 GUI application
│   └── __init__.py
├── Server/
│   ├── Server.py         # Core server logic: socket handling, session/user management
│   ├── Authenticate.py   # Authentication handling
│   ├── Database.py       # SQLite-based persistence for users/sessions
│   ├── Logout.py         # Logout/session cleanup
│   ├── Messages.py       # Incoming/outgoing message processing
│   ├── Register.py       # Registration handler
│   └── __init__.py
├── Icons/                # Chat application icons (used in GUI)
├── requirements.txt
├── serve.py              # Entry point to start the server
└── README.md

Quick Start

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Raysh454/ChatApp.git
cd ChatApp

2. Install Dependencies

Ensure you have Python 3.9+.

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the Server

python serve.py --host 0.0.0.0 --port 9999

• --host and --port are optional; defaults are shown above.

4. Run the Client

In another terminal or on a different machine:

cd Client
python mainWindow.py

Connect to the server using its IP and port.

Usage

• First time? Use the “Register” button on the client to create a new account.
• Messaging: After login, type messages and press Enter or click Send to broadcast.
• User List: The GUI updates in real time as users join/leave.

Architecture

• Communication: TCP sockets; messages serialized with JSON.
• Persistence: User data and sessions stored in a local SQLite database on the server.
• Threading: Server spawns a new thread per client connection.

Requirements

• Python 3.9 or later
• PyQt6
• sqlite3 (included in standard Python)

Install all requirements using:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Customization

• Icons: Place custom icons in the Icons/ folder; update mainWindow.py if you want to use your own.
• Server Settings: Modify serve.py or provide different --host/--port arguments.

Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! Please open an issue first to discuss your proposed changes.