Real-Time-Chat-Application

Overview:

This project is a real-time chat application where users can send and receive messages over a network. It demonstrates key C++ features such as networking (TCP/IP), multithreading, and STL. Optionally, it can include SQL integration for storing chat history in a Microsoft SQL Server database.

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Key Features:

1. Client-Server Architecture:

   • The server handles multiple clients concurrently using multithreading.
   • Clients connect to the server via TCP/IP sockets.

2. Message Broadcasting:

   • Messages sent by one client are broadcast to all connected clients in real time.

3. STL Usage:

   • Use std::vector or std::unordered_map to manage connected clients.
   • Use std::thread and std::mutex for thread-safe operations.

4. Optional SQL Integration:

   • Store chat messages in a Microsoft SQL Server database for persistence.
   • Allow users to retrieve past messages from the database.

5. Error Handling:

   • Handle disconnections gracefully.
   • Ensure thread safety when accessing shared resources.

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Folder Structure:

RealTimeChat/
├── include/
│   ├── Client.hpp          // Client class definition
│   ├── Server.hpp          // Server class definition
│   ├── Message.hpp         // Message struct definition
│   └── Database.hpp        // Optional: SQL database wrapper
├── src/
│   ├── Client.cpp
│   ├── Server.cpp
│   ├── Message.cpp
│   └── Database.cpp        // Optional: SQL implementation
├── main.cpp                // Main entry point
├── CMakeLists.txt          // Build configuration
└── README.md               // Project documentation

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Workflow:

1. Server:

   • Listens for incoming client connections.
   • Maintains a list of connected clients.
   • Broadcasts messages received from one client to all other clients.

2. Client:

   • Connects to the server via TCP/IP.
   • Sends messages to the server and displays messages received from other clients.

3. Database (Optional):

   • Stores chat messages in a table (Messages) with columns: Timestamp, Sender, Message.
   • Allows users to query past messages.

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Technologies Used:

1. STL: std::vector, std::unordered_map, std::thread, std::mutex.
2. OOP: Encapsulation and modularity in designing Client, Server, and Database classes.
3. Multithreading: Concurrent handling of multiple clients using threads.
4. Networking: TCP/IP sockets for client-server communication.
5. SQL: Interaction with Microsoft SQL Server using ODBC (optional).

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Example Use Case:

• A user starts the server application.
• Multiple clients connect to the server and join the chat room.
• When a client sends a message, the server broadcasts it to all connected clients.
• Optionally, the server stores the message in a database for later retrieval.