Bind is a production-ready, full-stack real-time chat application. It features a robust decoupled architecture using a RESTful API for persistent data storage and a Socket.io WebSocket server for instantaneous message broadcasting.

Features

Enterprise-Grade Authentication

• JWT Token Rotation: Dual-token system (15-min Access, 10-day Refresh) securely stored in HTTP-Only cookies to prevent XSS attacks.
• Silent Refresh Pipeline: Automatic session renewal via Axios interceptors.
• Hybrid Login: Support for both secure email/password (Bcrypt hashing) and Google OAuth 2.0.

Profile Management

• Cloudinary Integration: Direct avatar uploads using Multer with automatic stale-file cleanup.
• Dynamic Profiles: Update display names, bios, and securely change passwords.

Real-Time Messaging Engine

• Bi-directional WebSockets: Live message broadcasting using Socket.io.
• In-Memory Phonebook: Custom Socket ID mapping to ensure messages are instantly routed to the correct active user.
• Cursor-Based Pagination: Highly optimized "infinite scroll" for the conversation sidebar, preventing database overload at scale.
• Offline Delivery: Messages sent to offline users are securely stored in MongoDB and served upon their next login.

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Architecture & Tech Stack

The repository is strictly separated into decoupled Frontend and Backend environments.

Backend (/backend)

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Database: MongoDB (with Mongoose ODM)
• Real-time: Socket.io
• Security: JSON Web Tokens (jsonwebtoken), Bcrypt, Cookie-Parser
• Storage: Cloudinary & Multer

Frontend (/frontend)

• Framework: React / Next.js
• Network: Axios (with interceptors for token refresh)
• Real-time: Socket.io-client
• State Management: Zustand

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+)
• MongoDB Atlas URI (or local MongoDB instance)
• Cloudinary Account (for image hosting)
• Google Cloud Console (for OAuth Client ID)

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🚀 Backend Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-username/Talk_8iv.git
cd Talk_8iv/backend

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

PORT=5000

MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string

CORS_ORIGIN=http://localhost:3000

ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_token_secret
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRY=15m

REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=your_refresh_token_secret
REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRY=10d

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret

4. Run the Development Server

npm run dev

The server should now be running at:

http://localhost:5000

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📦 Key Dependencies

• Express.js
• MongoDB & Mongoose
• JSON Web Token (JWT)
• Bcrypt
• Cookie Parser
• Cloudinary
• Multer
• CORS
• Dotenv
• Socket.io

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🎨 Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to the Frontend Directory

cd Talk_8iv/frontend

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file in the frontend directory:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api
NEXT_PUBLIC_SOCKET_URL=http://localhost:5000

4. Run the Development Server

npm run dev

The frontend should now be running at:

http://localhost:3000

📂 Project Structure

Talk_8iv/
│
├── backend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── models/
│   │   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── middlewares/
│   │   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── db/
│   │   ├── app.js
│   │   └── index.js
│   │
│   ├── public/
│   ├── .env
│   ├── package.json
│   └── README.md
│
└── frontend/
    ├── app/
    ├── components/
    ├── lib/
    ├── public/
    ├── store/
    ├── .env.local
    ├── package.json
    └── README.md