Introduction to Chattt
Chattt is a unique and straightforward tool designed for chatting directly from the terminal. It's a project built to provide users with a simple way to communicate without the need to leave the command line interface.
Installation and Usage
To begin using Chattt, users need to install it via npm. The following commands will set everything up:
> npm install -g chattt
> chattt
Once installed, simply run the chattt command to start chatting. Users are prompted to enter the channel name they wish to join and their preferred user handle. After entering this information, they can start chatting with others in the channel.
Motivation Behind Chattt
The creator developed Chattt primarily as an experimentation platform to learn and play around with technologies like socket.io and the terminal interface library called blessed. Although Chattt does not offer any particular advantages over conventional chat systems, such as IRC, it provides an accessible and straightforward chat option directly from the terminal without needing any prior command memorization. This ease of use makes it ideal for quick interactions.
How Chattt Works
When a user starts Chattt and enters a channel, a chat session begins. The operation is inspired by the mechanics of IRC; users receive notifications when others join or leave the channel, enhancing the interactive experience.
Technologies Used
Chattt relies on several robust technologies, including:
- socket.io: Facilitates real-time communication between clients.
- blessed: A library used to create the command-line interface.
- Express.js: A backend framework that powers the server-side operations of the application.
- Glitch: Offers free hosting for the backend, making deployment easy and cost-effective.
Backend Details
The backend of Chattt is hosted on Glitch, which provides an accessible platform for running server-side codes. The source code for Chattt’s backend can be found on GitHub at aviaryan/chattt-backend, offering a transparent look into how the service operates.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Freepik, who created the icon used in this project, available from www.flaticon.com.
Overall, Chattt represents a delightful blend of functionality and simplicity, enabling terminal enthusiasts to enjoy chatting without the distraction of graphical interfaces.