Flutter Chat Application

A modern, real-time chat application built with Flutter, featuring customer and vendor login functionality, real-time messaging, and offline support.

Features

🔐 Authentication

• Dual User Types: Support for both Customer and Vendor login
• Secure Login: Email and password authentication with role-based access
• Session Management: Persistent login sessions with automatic token refresh

💬 Real-time Chat

• Instant Messaging: Real-time message delivery using Socket.IO
• Chat History: Persistent chat history with offline support
• Message Types: Support for text, image, and file messages
• Delivery Status: Message delivery and read receipts
• Typing Indicators: Real-time typing status updates

🏠 Chat Management

• Chat List: Overview of all conversations
• Unread Counts: Track unread messages per chat
• Last Message Preview: Quick preview of recent conversations
• Search Functionality: Find specific chats and messages

🏗️ Architecture

• MVVM Pattern: Clean separation of concerns
• BLoC State Management: Reactive state management with Flutter BLoC
• Repository Pattern: Clean data access layer
• Offline First: Local storage with API synchronization

Technical Stack

Frontend

• Flutter: Cross-platform mobile development framework
• Dart: Programming language
• Material Design 3: Modern UI components

State Management

• flutter_bloc: BLoC pattern implementation
• equatable: Value equality for immutable objects

Networking & Real-time

• HTTP/Dio: REST API communication
• Socket.IO: Real-time bidirectional communication
• WebSocket: Fallback transport for Socket.IO

Local Storage

• SharedPreferences: User preferences and settings
• Local Database: Offline message and chat storage

Testing

• flutter_test: Unit and widget testing
• mockito: Mocking for testing

Project Structure

lib/
├── blocs/           # Business Logic Components
│   ├── auth_bloc.dart
│   └── chat_bloc.dart
├── constants/       # App constants and configurations
│   └── api_constants.dart
├── models/          # Data models
│   ├── chat_model.dart
│   └── user_model.dart
├── services/        # Business logic services
│   ├── api_service.dart
│   └── socket_service.dart
├── utils/           # Utility functions and helpers
│   └── helpers.dart
├── views/           # UI screens and widgets
│   ├── chat_list_screen.dart
│   ├── chat_screen.dart
│   ├── login_screen.dart
│   └── splash_screen.dart
└── main.dart        # App entry point

API Endpoints

Base URL

http://45.129.87.38:6065/

Authentication

• POST /user/login - User login with email, password, and role

Chat Management

• GET /chats/user-chats/:userId - Get user's chat list
• GET /messages/get-messagesformobile/:chatId - Get chat messages
• POST /messages/sendMessage - Send a new message

Socket Events

• Connection: Automatic reconnection with exponential backoff
• Join/Leave Rooms: Real-time chat room management
• Message Events: New message, delivery, and read receipts
• Typing Indicators: Real-time typing status

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Flutter SDK (3.0.0 or higher)
• Dart SDK (3.0.0 or higher)
• Android Studio / VS Code
• Android SDK / Xcode (for mobile development)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/flutter_chat_app.git
   cd flutter_chat_app

2. Install dependencies

   flutter pub get

3. Run the application

   flutter run

Configuration

1. API Configuration: Update API endpoints in lib/constants/api_constants.dart
2. Socket Configuration: Configure Socket.IO server URL in the same file
3. Build Configuration: Update app signing and bundle identifiers for production

Usage

Login

1. Launch the application
2. Select your role (Customer or Vendor)
3. Enter your email and password
4. Tap "Login" to authenticate

Chatting

1. View your chat list on the home screen
2. Tap on a chat to open the conversation
3. Type your message and tap send
4. Messages are delivered in real-time

Offline Support

• Messages are stored locally for offline access
• Automatic synchronization when connection is restored
• Seamless offline-to-online transition

Development

Code Style

• Follow Flutter and Dart style guidelines
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Add comprehensive comments for complex logic
• Maintain consistent indentation and formatting

Testing

# Run unit tests
flutter test

# Run widget tests
flutter test test/widget_test.dart

# Run specific test file
flutter test test/api_test.dart

Building

Android APK

flutter build apk --release

iOS

flutter build ios --release

Web

flutter build web --release

Deployment

Android

1. Build release APK: flutter build apk --release
2. APK location: build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk
3. Test on multiple devices before distribution

iOS

1. Build release: flutter build ios --release
2. Archive in Xcode
3. Upload to App Store Connect

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Socket Connection Failed

• Check internet connectivity
• Verify server URL configuration
• Check firewall settings

API Calls Failing

• Verify API endpoint URLs
• Check network connectivity
• Review API response format

Build Errors

• Run flutter clean and flutter pub get
• Check Flutter and Dart versions
• Verify platform-specific configurations

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging by setting debugPrint statements throughout the codebase.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name
3. Commit changes: git commit -m 'Add feature'
4. Push to branch: git push origin feature-name
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For support and questions:

• Create an issue in the GitHub repository
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation and troubleshooting guide

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release with basic chat functionality
• Customer and vendor authentication
• Real-time messaging with Socket.IO
• Offline support and local storage
• Modern Material Design 3 UI

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Built with ❤️ using Flutter and Dart