Chat

A simple chat application for android with a python flask server as the backend.

Setup

Chat server: Ubuntu (quick and easy)

Run this command to clone the repository, install dependencies, and get the Chat server up and running in daemon mode.

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/auroranil/Chat/master/setup_server.sh | sh

Chat server: All operating systems (more challenging)

• Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/auroranil/Chat

• Install these following dependencies:
  • python
  • bcrypt (flask-bcrypt needs this)
  • eventlet (flask-socketio prefers this the most; "gevent" is an alternative)
  • sqlite (for portable database; easier to setup than mysql)
  • pip packages
    • flask
    • flask-bcrypt
    • flask-socketio
    • sqlalchemy
    • flask-sqlalchemy
• Run python /path/to/Chat/server_app -d to start the server in daemon mode.

Chat client: Web

(Currently work in progress)

Once Chat server is running, Chat client is accessible via a web browser by heading to http://localhost:<port>

Chat client: Android

• Open android_app gradle project in either Android Studio or Eclipse with the gradle plugin.
• Install android application on your phone and run the app.

Chat server

Run

• Run python /path/to/Chat/server_app -d to start the server in daemon mode, or
• Run python /path/to/Chat/server_app -t to start the server within a terminal.

Help

• Run python /path/to/Chat/server_app -h to view help details.

Stop daemon

• Run sh /path/to/Chat/server_app/stop_daemon_server.sh to stop the daemon for Chat server.

Features

• Able to remember user when logging in/signing up
• Rooms
  • Public rooms (displays a list of rooms to join, and a edittext and button to host a room)
  • Display rooms in a list
  • Shows list even if you cannot connect to the server (if you choose to be remembered)
• User
  • User profile (username, joined date, last active date, is online)
• Friends
  • Ability to add (via requests) and remove friends
  • Display friends (and friend requests) in a list
  • Private message chat to a friend
• Server can run in daemon mode.

TODO:

At all stages of development

• Refactor code
• Remove bugs
• Refine UI constantly

Friends

• In friends listview, make ignore request button work
• In friends listview, add menu features
• When a friend is removed, manage their conversations (currently its left alone in the database but inaccessible in the client app)
• Block list
• Ordering
• Able to search a friend

Delete access

• Ability to delete room
• Ability to delete account

Caching

• Messages
• Friends

Communication

• Replace HTTP POST API requests with RESTful HTTP API requests
• Isolate controller code from activities within android application
• Ensure message delivery

Rooms

• Private rooms (request to join, join with password)
• Able to search a room
• Vote rooms
• Ordering (most recent, most voted)

Chat

• Show where people have read up to (like in google+ hangouts)
• Notifications
• End to end encryption (via HTTPS + Let's Encrypt; will sign public keys if requested)
• Able to search chat messages

Web

• Replicate android features onto the web application

User

• Able to edit and save user bio
• Able to recover by using email address (optional)
• Show user activity in user profile

Welcome screen

• Dynamically form-validate welcomeActivity as credentials are being entered.

Testing

• Write test cases