RapidChat

Real-time Communication Platform with AI Intelligence

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Overview

RapidChat is a modern, full-featured communication platform combining real-time messaging, AI-powered conversations, and multimedia capabilities. Built with a scalable microservices architecture, it delivers seamless chat experiences with intelligent features.

Key Highlights

✨ Real-Time Messaging - Instant message delivery with Socket.io
🤖 AI Integration - Smart AI responses with RAG capabilities
🎥 Video Calls - High-quality peer-to-peer video communication
📱 Group Chat - Organize conversations in collaborative groups
🎙️ Voice Features - Speech-to-text and audio message support
⚡ High Performance - Redis caching and optimized queries
🔐 Secure - JWT authentication and encrypted connections
📄 Document Support - PDF handling and processing

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Tech Stack

Backend

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Database: MongoDB
• Cache: Redis
• Real-time: Socket.io
• Media: Cloudinary
• AI/ML: Embeddings & RAG Engine

Frontend

• Framework: React 19+
• Build Tool: Vite
• State Management: Redux
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Media Upload: Multer
• HTTP Client: Axios

DevOps

• Containerization: Docker
• Orchestration: Docker Compose
• Deployment: Vercel (Frontend)

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Project Structure

RapidChat/
├── backend/                  # Node.js Express Server
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── controllers/      # Request handlers
│   │   ├── models/           # MongoDB schemas
│   │   ├── routes/           # API routes
│   │   ├── middleware/       # Auth, cache, file upload
│   │   ├── lib/              # Utilities & services
│   │   │   ├── rag/          # RAG pipeline
│   │   │   ├── socket.js     # WebSocket config
│   │   │   ├── db.js         # Database connection
│   │   │   └── redisClient.js # Cache layer
│   │   └── index.js          # App entry point
│   ├── Dockerfile            # Docker config
│   └── package.json          # Dependencies
│
├── frontend/                 # React Vite App
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/       # Reusable UI components
│   │   ├── pages/            # Page components
│   │   ├── redux/            # State management
│   │   ├── store/            # Custom hooks
│   │   ├── lib/              # Utilities
│   │   └── main.jsx          # App entry
│   ├── vite.config.js        # Vite configuration
│   └── package.json          # Dependencies
│
└── readme.md                 # This file

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• Redis (optional, for caching)
• Docker (optional)

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

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

2. Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install

# Configure environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration

npm run dev

3. Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install

# Configure environment variables
cp .env.example .env

npm run dev

4. Using Docker (Optional)

cd backend
docker-compose up --build

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Environment Configuration

Backend (.env)

PORT=5000
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/rapidchat
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
CLOUDINARY_NAME=your_cloudinary_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

Frontend (.env)

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000
VITE_SOCKET_URL=http://localhost:5000

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Core Features

💬 Real-Time Messaging

• Send and receive messages instantly
• Typing indicators
• Message read receipts
• Media sharing support

🤖 AI Chat

• Context-aware responses using RAG
• Document embeddings
• Semantic search
• PDF processing and Q&A

👥 Group Chat

• Create and manage groups
• Role-based permissions
• Group notifications
• Invite system

🎥 Video Calling

• Peer-to-peer video calls
• Screen sharing capabilities
• Call history and logs

📊 Stream Support

• Live streaming capabilities
• Stream management
• Real-time broadcast

🎙️ Voice Features

• Speech-to-text transcription
• Audio message recording
• Voice call support

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API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• POST /api/auth/logout - User logout

Messages

• GET /api/messages/:userId - Fetch messages
• POST /api/messages/send - Send message
• GET /api/messages/:messageId - Get message

Groups

• GET /api/groups - List all groups
• POST /api/groups/create - Create group
• POST /api/groups/:groupId/messages - Send group message

AI

• POST /api/ai/chat - AI chat endpoint
• POST /api/ai/embed - Generate embeddings
• POST /api/ai/search - Semantic search

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Running Tests

cd backend
npm test

cd frontend
npm test

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Contributing

We welcome contributions! 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 amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

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Tips & Tricks

• Performance: Enable Redis caching for faster queries
• Scaling: Use Docker Compose for multi-container orchestration
• Development: Hot reload enabled for both backend and frontend

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THANK YOU