Socket.IO – Chat Application
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Now that we are well acquainted with Socket.IO, let us write a chat application, which we can use to chat on different chat rooms. We will allow users to choose a username and allow them to chat using them. So first, let us set up our HTML file to request for a username −
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>Hello world</title></head>
<script src="/socket.io/socket.io.js"></script>
<script>
var socket = io();
</script>
<body>
<input type="text" name="name" value="" placeholder="Enter your name!">
<button type="button" name="button">Let me chat!</button>
</body>
</html>
Now that we have set up our HTML to request for a username, let us create the server to accept connections from the client. We will allow people to send their chosen usernames using the setUsername event. If a user exists, we will respond by a userExists event, else using a userSet event.
var app = require(''express'')();
var http = require(''http'').Server(app);
var io = require(''socket.io'')(http);
app.get(''/'', function(req, res){
res.sendFile(''E:/test/index.html'');});
users = [];
io.on(''connection'', function(socket){
console.log(''A user connected'');
socket.on(''setUsername'', function(data){
if(users.indexOf(data) > -1){
users.push(data);
socket.emit(''userSet'', {username: data});
} else {
socket.emit(''userExists'', data + '' username is taken! Try some other username.'');
}
})
});
http.listen(3000, function(){
console.log(''listening on localhost:3000'');
});
We need to send the username to the server when people click on the button. If user exists, we show an error message; else, we show a messaging screen −
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head><title>Hello world</title></head>
<script src="/socket.io/socket.io.js"></script>
<script>
var socket = io();
function setUsername(){
socket.emit(''setUsername'', document.getElementById(''name'').value);
};
var user;
socket.on(''userExists'', function(data){
document.getElementById(''error-container'').innerHTML = data;
});
socket.on(''userSet'', function(data){
user = data.username;
document.body.innerHTML = ''<input type="text" id="message">
<button type="button" name="button" onclick="sendMessage()">Send</button>
<div id="message-container"></div>'';
});
function sendMessage(){
var msg = document.getElementById(''message'').value;
if(msg){
socket.emit(''msg'', {message: msg, user: user});
}
}
socket.on(''newmsg'', function(data){
if(user){
document.getElementById(''message-container'').innerHTML +=''<div><b>'' + data.user + ''</b>: '' + data.message + ''</div>''
}
})
</script>
<body>
<div id="error-container"></div>
<input id="name" type="text" name="name" value="" placeholder="Enter your name!">
<button type="button" name="button" onclick="setUsername()">Let me chat!</button>
</body>
</html>
Now if you connect two clients with same username, it will give you an error as shown in the screenshot below −
Once you have provided an acceptable username, you will be taken to a screen with a message box and a button to send messages. Now, we have to handle and direct the messages to the connected client. For that, modify your app.js file to include the following changes −
var app = require(''express'')();
var http = require(''http'').Server(app);
var io = require(''socket.io'')(http);
app.get(''/'', function(req, res){
res.sendFile(''E:/test/index.html'');});
users = [];
io.on(''connection'', function(socket){
console.log(''A user connected'');
socket.on(''setUsername'', function(data){
console.log(data);
if(users.indexOf(data) > -1){
socket.emit(''userExists'', data + '' username is taken! Try some other username.'');
} else {
users.push(data);
socket.emit(''userSet'', {username: data});
}
});
socket.on(''msg'', function(data){
//Send message to everyone
io.sockets.emit(''newmsg'', data);
})
});
http.listen(3000, function(){
console.log(''listening on localhost:3000'');
});
Now connect any number of clients to your server, provide them a username and start chatting! In the following example, we have connected two clients with names Ayush and Harshit and sent some messages from both the clients −
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