💬 Real-Time Chat Application

✨ Features

Real-Time Communication: Instant messaging with no delays, powered by Socket.IO.
User Authentication: Secure login and registration using JWT (JSON Web Tokens).
Responsive Design: A mobile-friendly interface that adapts to any screen size.
Group Chats and Direct Messages: Communicate privately or in groups with ease.
Message Notifications: Receive real-time notifications for new messages.
User Status Indicators: See who is typing in real-time.
Chat History: Persistent message storage, allowing users to see past conversations.

MongoDB: Database to store user data and messages.
Express.js: Backend framework to handle API requests and WebSocket connections.
React: Frontend library for building the user interface.
Node.js: Server environment to run the backend application.
Socket.IO: Library to enable real-time, bidirectional communication between clients and servers.
JWT (JSON Web Tokens): For secure user authentication.
Chakra UI: For styling the user interface with a modern, responsive design.

To run this project locally, follow these steps:

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/chat-application.git
cd chat-application

Install dependencies for both the client and server:
```
cd client
npm install
cd ../server
npm install
```
Create a .env file in the server directory and add the following variables:
```
MONGO_URI=your_mongo_database_uri
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
```
Run the server:
```
npm run start
```
Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to see the application in action.