Go Chat Server

This repository contains the implementation of a real-time chat server written in Go. The server handles user connections, message broadcasting, and user management efficiently, leveraging Go's concurrency model.

Features

• Real-time messaging using TCP sockets.
• User connection and disconnection handling.
• Broadcast messages to all connected clients.
• Lightweight and efficient server design.
• Docker support for containerized deployment.

Requirements

• Go 1.18 or later.
• Docker (optional, for containerized deployment).

Installation and Usage

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/TheArcus02/chat-app-go.git
cd chat-app-go

Build the Server

Locally

1. Navigate to the directory containing the server code (e.g., cmd/server).

2. Run the server:

   go run cmd/server/main.go
   

With Docker

1. Build the Docker image:

   docker build -t chat-app-go .
   

2. Run the container:

   docker run -p 8080:8080 chat-app-go
   

3. The server will be accessible at localhost:8080.

Configuration

• The server's configuration (e.g., host, port) can be adjusted via environment variables or configuration files.

Directory Structure

chat-app-go/
├── cmd/
│   └── server/
│       └── main.go                 # Entry point of the application
├── config/
│   └── config.go                   # Configuration setup (e.g., server port)
├── internal/
│   ├── handlers/
│   │   ├── connection.go           # Logic for handling individual connections
│   │   └── chat_handler.go         # Chat message handling
│   ├── models/
│   │   └── user.go                 # User model definition
│   ├── services/
│   │   ├── connection_pool.go      # Managing connected users
│   └── utils/
│       └── logger.go               # Logging utility
├── pkg/
│   └── protocol/
│       ├── message.go              # Structs and utilities for message parsing
│       └── constants.go            # Message types or protocol constants
└── go.mod                          # Go module file

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Cannot connect to server: Ensure the server is running and accessible at the specified host and port.
• Docker networking issues: Use docker inspect to check the container's IP address and ensure proper port mapping.

Logs

• Logs are printed to the console and can be redirected to a file if needed.

Contributions

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests to improve the server or add new features.