Realtime Chat Application

This full-stack tutorial project shows how to build and deploy a real-time chat app using React on the client and Node/Express with Socket.io on the server. It covers the mechanics of establishing WebSocket connections, broadcasting and receiving messages, and maintaining active user rooms. The repository includes scripts and instructions to spin up both client and server quickly so you can experiment locally. It illustrates common patterns like event-driven messaging, joining/leaving rooms, and rendering live message streams in the UI. The goal is to teach production-adjacent concepts such as minimal state management, basic routing, and environment configuration without overwhelming the learner. The project has been widely referenced by learners tackling socket-based chat as an entry point to real-time web development.