How to Build a Chat Room From Scratch
Web-based chat programs are very handy applications that allow people to communicate and exchange messages with each other online. Compared to other chat programs, web-based chat doesn't require any installation and can easily be accessed by visiting a website. You can create your own simple chat program from scratch. It may not have all the advanced features of a full-featured IRC (internet relay chat) program, but it performs the basic functions needed for a chat program, allowing site visitors to send messages to each other on your website.
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Instructions
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1
Create the layout of your chat application and the form to display and enter text using HTML. Use an HTML editor such as Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver to design your chat screen. Name this file "index.html."
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2
Save a blank text file on Notepad and name it "chat.txt."
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3
Create the functions to be used in your chat using JavaScript, namely - a function to submit the typed text into the chat screen, a function to update the screen when a new message is typed in, and a function to manage a flat text file (chat.txt) where the chat messages are temporarily stored. Use jQuery's AJAX capabilities for these functions and state a PHP script that allow the functions to communicate with each other. Name this file as "chat.js."
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4
Create the PHP script that ties together the JavaScript functions in the previous step. Name this file as "process.php" and make sure to reference the file in your "chat.js" file.
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5
Edit "index.html" and type in the code to include the jQuery script from Google APIs and the JavaScript file that you created in Step 2. Add more JavaScript for actions on the client side such as displaying and obtaining user names, and limiting the length of the chat message. Set the <body> tag to call the JavaScript function for message updates after a specific amount of time:
<body onload="setInterval('update.chat()', 2000)">
Replace "update.chat()" with the name of the function that you created to update the chat. Save the HTML file.
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6
Upload "index.html," "chat.txt," "process.php" and "chat.js" to your web server. Access "index.html" to run your chat program.
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