Build a Real-Time Chat (Node + WebSockets)
Build a real-time chat app with Node and WebSockets - a server that broadcasts messages, a browser client, usernames, and rooms - built and run on your machine.
- Setup and a WebSocket Server Set up a Node project, install the ws library, and run a server that accepts WebSocket connections and logs every message it receives.
- Broadcasting Messages Relay each incoming message out to every connected client using the broadcast pattern, so one person's words reach the whole room.
- The Browser Client Build an HTML page that opens a WebSocket to your server, sends what you type, and shows a live, scrolling list of incoming messages.
- Usernames and Join/Leave Add a join message so each person picks a name, attach that name to every message, and announce when someone joins or leaves the room.
- Rooms, and Running It Split the chat into separate rooms so messages stay within a channel, then run the whole app end to end and map out where to take it next.