Flutter Redis Real-time Chat App

A high-performance, real-time 1-to-1 chat application built with Flutter 3.x and a Node.js backend powered by Redis for ephemeral message storage and Socket.io for instant bidirectional communication.

🚀 Features

• Real-time Messaging: Instant message delivery using Socket.io (WebSocket).
• Ephemeral Chat: Messages are stored in Redis with TTL (Time-To-Live), ensuring privacy and automatic cleanup.
• Cross-Platform: Flutter app runs on Android, iOS, and Web.
• Scalable Backend: Designed with Redis for high-speed read/write operations.
• Modern UI: Dark-themed, premium interface using Google Fonts (Outfit).
• Status Updates: Real-time "Chat Started" and "Chat Ended" notifications.

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend (Mobile/Web)

• Framework: Flutter
• Networking: socket_io_client
• Typography: google_fonts
• State Management: setState / StreamController

Backend (Server)

• Runtime: Node.js
• Framework: Express.js
• Real-time Engine: Socket.io
• Database: Redis (used for session management and message buffer)

📂 Project Structure

├── flutter_chat_app/      # Flutter application source code
│   ├── lib/
│   │   ├── models/        # Data models (Message)
│   │   ├── screens/       # UI Screens (Login, Home, Chat)
│   │   └── services/      # SocketService singleton
│   └── pubspec.yaml
│
└── redis-chat-backend/    # Node.js Server source code
    ├── src/
    │   ├── config/        # Redis configuration
    │   ├── services/      # Chat business logic
    │   ├── socket/        # Socket.io event handlers
    │   └── server.js      # Entry point
    └── package.json

⚡ Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Flutter SDK installed.
• Node.js (v16+) installed.
• Redis server running locally or via Docker.

1. Setup Backend

Navigate to the backend directory, install dependencies, and start the server.

cd redis-chat-backend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start Redis (if using Docker)
# docker run --name redis-chat -p 6379:6379 -d redis

# Start the server
npm start

The server works on port 3000 by default.

2. Setup Frontend (Flutter)

Navigate to the app directory, install dependencies, and run.

cd flutter_chat_app

# Get packages
flutter pub get

# Run on Android Emulator or Real Device
flutter run

Note for Real Devices: The app is configured to connect to XXX.XXX.XX.XX:3000. Ensure your phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network and your firewall allows connections on port 3000.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository and submit a pull request for any enhancements or bug fixes.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

flutter redis chat-application real-time-chat one-to-one-chat session-based in-memory-database backend frontend mobile-app