MeChat 💬

A modern, feature-rich React Native chat application that brings people together through seamless messaging, file sharing, and social networking features.

✨ Features

🗨️ Real-time Messaging

• Instant messaging with real-time synchronization
• Message status indicators (sent, delivered, read)
• Typing indicators
• Message history and persistence

📁 File Sharing

• Share images, documents, and media files
• File preview and download functionality
• Support for multiple file formats
• Optimized file compression

👥 Social Networking

• Search and discover friends
• Send and receive friend requests
• Friend list management
• Online status indicators

👤 Profile Management

• Customizable user profiles
• Profile picture upload and management
• Status updates
• Privacy settings

🔐 Authentication

• Secure user registration and login
• Password encryption and validation
• Session management
• Account recovery options

🎨 Modern UI/UX

• Clean and intuitive interface
• Responsive design for all screen sizes
• Dark/Light theme support
• Smooth animations and transitions

📱 Screenshots

Coming soon - Screenshots will showcase the beautiful interface of MeChat

Home	Chat	Frinde Req	Add Friend

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Framework: React Native 0.79.5
• Runtime: Node.js 22.16.0
• Package Manager: npm 10.9.2
• Development Environment:
  • Android Studio AI-243.26053.27.2432.13536105
  • Visual Studio Community 2022 (17.14.36408.4)
• Language: JavaScript/TypeScript
• Java Version: 17.0.15

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v22.16.0 or higher)
• npm (v10.9.2 or higher)
• Android Studio (for Android development)
• Visual Studio (for Windows development)
• Java JDK (v17.0.15 or higher)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/JaniduChamika/MeChat.git
   cd MeChat

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Set up environment variables

   # Create a .env file in the root directory
   cp .env.example .env
   
   # Configure your environment variables
   # Add your API endpoints, database URLs, etc.

4. Install iOS dependencies (macOS only)

   cd ios && pod install && cd ..

📱 Running the Application

For Android:

# Start Metro bundler
npm start

# Run on Android device/emulator
npm run android

For iOS:

# Run on iOS simulator
npm run ios

For Development:

# Start with cache reset
npm start --reset-cache

# Run with specific device
npx react-native run-android --device="Your-Device-Name"

🔧 Configuration

Android Setup

1. Ensure Android SDK is properly configured
2. Set up environment variables for Android development
3. Configure signing keys for release builds

iOS Setup (macOS only)

1. Install Xcode from the App Store
2. Install CocoaPods: sudo gem install cocoapods
3. Configure iOS development certificates

Backend Configuration

// Example API configuration
const API_CONFIG = {
  BASE_URL: process.env.API_BASE_URL,
  SOCKET_URL: process.env.SOCKET_URL,
  TIMEOUT: 10000,
};

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions to MeChat! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature'
4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
5. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Follow the existing code style and conventions
• Write meaningful commit messages
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation as needed
• Ensure all tests pass before submitting

🐛 Issues & Support

If you encounter any issues or need support:

1. Check existing Issues
2. Create a new issue with detailed description
3. Include system information and error logs
4. Follow the issue template

🌟 Acknowledgments

• React Native community for the amazing framework
• All contributors who helped make MeChat better
• Open source libraries that power this application

⭐ Star this repository if you found it helpful! ⭐

Built with ❤️ using React Native