Chat App

General look of the app

Group chat view

Personal chats view

A chat platform designed to facilitate direct messaging and group discussions around academic subjects.

Features

Messaging and Discussions

• Direct Messaging: Private conversations between students
• Question Threads: Topic-based group discussions organized by subject
• Subject-Based Groups: Join groups like "Anatomists", "Alchemists", etc.

User Experience

• Dark Theme: Modern dark theme with salmon accents for improved readability
• Real-time Status: See which contacts are online and when others were last active
• Message Reactions: React to messages with emojis
• Achievements: Display user expertise and accomplishments

Technical Features

• Pagination: Efficient loading of chat messages
• Error Handling: Graceful handling of network issues and image loading failures
• Responsive Design: Consistent experience across different devices
• State Management: Proper state management using Provider
• Firebase Backend: Real-time messaging, authentication, and storage
• Push Notifications: Get notified about new messages
• Offline Support: Access previous conversations even without internet

Architecture

Folder Structure

• lib/models: Data models for users, messages, and threads
• lib/providers: State management using the Provider pattern
• lib/screens: UI screens for the application
• lib/widgets: Reusable UI components
• lib/utils: Utility services and helper functions

Design Patterns

• Provider Pattern: For state management
• Repository Pattern: For data access with Firebase
• Factory Pattern: For creating model instances from various data sources

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Flutter SDK (version 3.7.2 or higher)
• Dart SDK (version 3.0.0 or higher)
• Firebase account for backend services

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/academic-chat-app.git
   

2. Install dependencies:

   flutter pub get
   

3. Setup Firebase:

   • Create a new Firebase project at Firebase Console
   • Add Android and iOS apps to your Firebase project
   • Download and add the configuration files (google-services.json and GoogleService-Info.plist)
   • Enable Authentication, Firestore, and Storage in the Firebase Console

4. Run the application:

   flutter run
   

Production Deployment Guide

Android Release

1. Update the app information in android/app/build.gradle.kts:

   defaultConfig {
       applicationId = "com.yourdomain.chatapp"
       versionCode = flutter.versionCode
       versionName = flutter.versionName
   }

2. Set up signing configuration:

   • Create a keystore file: keytool -genkey -v -keystore ~/key.jks -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 -alias key
   • Create a key.properties file in the android folder with your keystore information
   • Configure gradle to use your keystore in android/app/build.gradle.kts

3. Build the release APK or App Bundle:

   # For APK
   flutter build apk --release
   
   # For App Bundle (Google Play)
   flutter build appbundle --release

iOS Release

1. Update the Bundle Identifier in Xcode to your domain
2. Configure app signing and provisioning profiles
3. Build the release version:

   flutter build ios --release

4. Archive and upload to App Store Connect using Xcode

Performance Optimizations

• Enable Proguard for Android by configuring android/app/build.gradle.kts
• Implement image caching and compression
• Use pagination for loading chat messages
• Enable Firebase Performance Monitoring

Error Handling and Monitoring

• Implement Firebase Crashlytics for crash reporting
• Add proper error boundaries and fallback UI
• Set up logging for critical operations
• Create a feedback mechanism for users to report issues

Roadmap

Short-term Plans

• Enhanced file and media sharing
• Advanced user profiles
• Rich text formatting in messages
• Read receipts

Long-term Vision

• Voice and video calls
• Study material sharing
• AI-powered study assistants
• Integration with learning management systems

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

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