Simple Chatroom Application
Objectives of the project:
The main objective of the project is to create a chat application which helps different users
to communicate with each other through a server connected. This is a simple chat program
with a server and can have many clients. The server needs to be started first and clients can
be connectedlater. It provides a bidirectional communication between client and server.
Itenables user to seamlessly communicate with each other. The user has an option to login
to the chat room. The usershould be able to give the ip address of the server and the port at
which he is connecting. The user can chat using this chat application. The server shall poll for
other users that are active in the chatroom and make those users visible. If the user at the
other end is active then they can start a chat session. The chat is recorded in the application.
The user can save the chat transcript or clear it based on his requirement.
Existing System:
Earlier there was no mode of online communication between users. In big or small
organizations communication between users posed a challenge. There was a requirement to
record these communications and store the data for further evaluation. The idea is to
automate the existing system and make the users to utilize the software so that their
valuable information is stored digitally and can be retrieve for further management
purposes. There was no online method of communicating to different users. There were
many different interfaces available in the market but this method of using windows sockets
to communicate between nodes would be fast and reliable.
Proposed System:
This application will enable the user to chat with the logged users in the chatroom. The
server should be active. The users shall connect to this server at the predefined port
number. To start using this tool, the user has to register with this tool. Through the valid
login, password details, the application shall allow the user to use the chatroom. The user
shall be able to connect to this server and can chat with other users. The logged in user can
view other active users in the chatroom. The usercan initiate the conversation through the
chat window. For the communication to happen, both the usersshould have connected to
the server. This application is developed using visual Basic. The windows sockets are used in
the application for communication between client and server. They provide a robust way of
communication between nodes. The user also can clear the chat transcript if required. It
also provides an option to save the chat transcript. Users can view the status of other users
in the chatroom like if the user is currently online or offline or busy.
System Specifications:
Modules:
User: This module shall consist of the user details like the user id password etc. It shall also
hold the Ip address of the server he is connecting to.
Connection: This module shall hold the connection details between the client and the
server. The connection is done through windows sockets and all the network related details
are included in this module.
Hardware configuration
Processor Pentium III 866 MHz
RAM 128 MD SD EAM
Monitor 15 inch color
Hard disk 20 GB
Floppy drive 1.44 MB
CD drive LG 52X
Key board Standard 102 keys
Mouse 3 buttons
Software configuration
Operating system Windows XP Professional
Environment Visual studio NET 2005 4.6
Language Visual Basic 6.0
Technologies used
Windows sockets
