PyChat: A Simple Python Chat Application

PyChat is a basic chat application built using Python, PyQt5 for the graphical user interface, and MongoDB for the backend database. It allows users to create accounts, join chat rooms, and exchange messages.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure user registration and login with password hashing (using bcrypt).
• Chat Rooms: Create and join chat rooms with optional passwords and user limits.
• Messaging: Send and receive text messages within chat rooms.
• Basic GUI: A simple and intuitive graphical user interface built with PyQt5.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+: Ensure you have Python 3.7 or higher installed on your system. You can download it from https://www.python.org/downloads/.
• MongoDB: You need a running MongoDB server. You can download and install MongoDB Community Edition from https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community. Instructions for setting up a MongoDB server can be found in the official MongoDB documentation.

Installation Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/PyChat.git  # Replace with your repository URL
   cd PyChat
   
   

2. Create a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv .venv
   source .venv/bin/activate   # Activate the virtual environment (Linux/macOS)
   .venv\Scripts\activate     # Activate the virtual environment (Windows)
   
   

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   
   

4. Set up environment variables

• Create a file named .env in the project's root directory.
• Add your MongoDB connection string to the .env file (replace <your_connection_string> with your actual MongoDB connection URI):

  DATABASE="mongodb://<your_connection_string>"
  
  

5. Run the application

   python main.py