Squirrel Communicator

Squirrel Communicator is a software project designed to deliver high-performance communication capabilities, leveraging C++ and complementary tools for modular design, efficient communication, and ease of deployment.

The application currently supports both REST API (using the CROWCPP library) and WebSocket communication (powered by uWebSockets) to provide stable and fastest available communication.

You can explore a live working example of this project at: http://comm.sqrll.net/.

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Current Functionality

Squirrel Communicator offers the following features:

• Real-time chat functionality: Seamlessly send and receive messages between users in real time.
• Login and Registration: Secure user authentication and onboarding.
• User search: Easily locate and select other users to create new chats.
• User status display: See the online or offline status of other users.
• Typing indicator: View when other users are actively typing messages in real time.
• Automatic message loading: Messages are automatically loaded when scrolling to the top of the chat history.

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Repository Overview

Primary Technologies

• C++: The core of the project is written in C++ to ensure high performance and efficient execution of critical functionalities.
• CROWCPP: Provides the REST API functionality for user authentication, chat management, and data retrieval.
• uWebSockets: Enables real-time event-driven WebSocket communication for the chat application.
• CMake: Simplifies the build process and allows configuration for multiple platforms.
• Docker: Allows containerized setup and deployment in a consistent environment.
• Build Scripts: Preconfigured build scripts for Windows and Linux are available in the configsrv directory.

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How to Build

Prerequisites

You will need the following tools to build and run the project:

• A C++ compiler (e.g., g++ or clang).
• CMake (version 3.10 or higher).
• (optional) Docker (for running the application in a containerized environment).

Build Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Przemek2122/SquirrelCommunicator.git
   cd SquirrelCommunicator

2. Download submodules First download

3. Use Build Scripts (Optional): If you're on Windows or Linux, you can use the pre-configured build scripts from the buildsrv directory:

   • For Windows, execute the .bat file in the buildsrv directory.
   • For Linux, execute the .sh file in the buildsrv directory:

     ./buildsrv/build-linux.sh

4. Manual Build: If you'd like to build the project manually:

   • Change to the ProjectServer directory where the build files are located:

     cd ProjectServer

   • Create a build directory:

     mkdir build
     cd build

   • Use CMake to configure and compile:

     cmake ..
     make

   The compiled binaries will appear in the ProjectServer/build directory.

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Running with Docker

The project provides Docker support for simplified setup and consistent application environments.

Pre-written Docker Scripts

Two scripts are available in the repository under the docker directory to simplify Docker operations:

• build_docker.sh: Builds a Docker image using the default cache layer.
• build_docker_clean.sh: Builds the Docker image without using the cache (forcing a clean build).

Steps to Use the Scripts

1. Use the build_docker.sh script to build the Docker image:

   cd docker
   chmod +x build_docker.sh
   ./build_docker.sh

   This will build the Docker image with the tag squirrelcommunicator:latest.

2. Alternatively, use the build_docker_clean.sh script for a fresh build:

   chmod +x build_docker_clean.sh
   ./build_docker_clean.sh

3. Run the Docker container:

   docker run --rm -it squirrelcommunicator:latest

Using these predefined scripts ensures that Docker images are built properly without manually typing long commands.

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Repository Limitations

• Platform-Specific Utilities:
  • The repository includes Shell scripts for UNIX/Linux and Batch files for Windows. Ensure you use the appropriate one for your platform.
• Documentation:
  • Some features and modules may require further documentation.
• Experimental Features:
  • Certain areas of the codebase may be under development or require testing in production-like environments.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here’s how you can contribute:

1. Fork the repository and create a feature branch.
2. Make your changes and add commits.
3. Open a pull request to propose your changes.

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License

For any usage or distribution inquiries, please contact the repository owner, Przemek2122.

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About the Author

The repository is maintained by Przemek2122. Feedback, ideas, and collaboration are warmly invited.