I have many tips and opinions about building a mini-chat app. It's been on my mind, so why not create a series covering everything? It could include guides, tutorials, and commentary. With feedback, I can focus on what readers find most useful. Adding case studies, expert interviews, and practical examples will make it more engaging.
Expectations
Let's clearly define and limit the expectations of what we will deliver at the end of this blog series. Setting realistic goals from the beginning is important to avoid misunderstandings.
No, you won't pitch the mini-chatting application to investors for funding. Additionally, you won't be taking it to market once we finish this series. Our primary aim is to provide a learning experience, focusing on the development process and the technical challenges involved.
At the end of the day, users will be able to:
Sign in/sign up (based on whether an account record exists)
Sync contacts
Start a chat
Create a group
Chat with a group
Leave a group
See who is online
Note: Users can only use text, no media sharing.
Tools Used
Technology | Purpose |
NestJs | Our backend framework |
Flutter App | Our cross-platform technology for building the app |
Firebase Cloud Messaging | For signaling and event streaming |
PostgreSQL | Our database for building relationships |
Docker, k8s, and Terraform | For containerization, orchestration, and IAC |
Redis | For scalable memory cache |
Series Outline
Part 1: Setting Up the Development Environment
Installing necessary tools and dependencies
Setting up NestJS for the backend
Initializing a Flutter project for the frontend
Part 2: Building the Authentication System
Implementing sign-in and sign-up functionality
Integrating JWT for secure authentication
Part 3: Contact Synchronization
Creating a service for syncing contacts
Handling contact permissions and access
Part 4: Chat Functionality
Setting up the chat backend
Developing the chat UI in Flutter
Implementing real-time messaging using Firebase Cloud Messaging
Part 5: Group Chat Features
Creating and managing groups
Implementing group chat functionality
Handling group events like adding or removing members
Part 6: User Presence
Tracking online/offline status
Displaying user presence in the app
Part 7: Deployment and Scaling
Containerizing the application with Docker
Deploying with Kubernetes
Managing infrastructure with Terraform
Part 8: Final Touches and Best Practices
Ensuring code quality and performance
Implementing security best practices
Preparing the application for production use
Stay tuned as we build our mini chatting app step-by-step. By the end, you'll understand the development process and have the skills to tackle similar projects. Let's get started!