Chat Client Server - CodeProject®

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Introduction

Recently I got myself introduced to socket programming. I read through many books and articles to get an insight into the subject. After learning a bit, I decided to share my knowledge with the world. For this purpose, I created a simple console based chat application. I hope this will be a good reference code for C++ socket programming. I am going to introduce the following concepts to you here.

Sockets
Multi threading

What is Chat Client Server?

The demo project given along with this article consists of two console-based applications.

Chat Server

Chat server is an application which does the following operations:

Listens for incoming calls from clients. Client running in any PC can connect to the server if IP address of the server is known.
Listens for messages from all the connected clients.
Broadcasts the message from clients to all the clients connected to the server.
You can also type-in messages in the server, which will be broadcasted to all the clients.

Chat Client

Chat client does the following things:

Sends messages to server as well as to all the connected clients.
Views the messages from all the clients and server.

Please download the PDF document to read the rest of the documentation. I have created a PDF because the article consists of 2-3 diagrams.

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

About the Author

Boby Thomas P

Australia

Member

Check my homepage for more details - Click Here

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My vote of 1

Zeshan Khan

21:45 15 Jan '12

download failed
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My vote of 4

sonu janjua

3:27 28 Oct '11

This article is pretty much helpful for beginers.
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My vote of 5

peejaysales

4:57 11 Oct '11

nice and simple
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Afxwin.h not found

Member 8088657

1:51 16 Jul '11

how do i fix this?
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Re: Afxwin.h not found

peejaysales

4:58 11 Oct '11

use dev C++ or add lib.
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thanks for sharing

ClaireClaire

21:39 12 Jul '11

similar project is our assignment in our Master degree course here in Philippines. It is kind and thoughtful of you to share this one. Thanks also for the pdf, it helped a lot. Cheers
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Question

franchela

6:12 19 Mar '11

Hi, your code is very interesting. But what modification do i have to make in order to connect remotely? I've managed to connect from my laptop, but when the 2nd client connects from his laptop, the first one disconnects automaticaly. Some sort of problem regarding the router? or multithreading?
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	2.00/5 (1 vote)

Unhandled exception

ad_robot

4:07 7 Jan '11

This is a great example but some comments in the code would make it easier to follow Confused | :confused:

. Also, whenever I close the server I get the following pop-up error:

Unhandled exception at 0x004c7ac0 in chat_server.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0x00000000

I then have to manually stop the debugger. Sorry if this is a simple question (I'll admit that I'm a newbie) but can anyone explain why this might happen? I'm running Visual Studio 2008.

Cheers,

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My vote of 4

Gokulnath007

21:52 26 Dec '10

It fulfilled my requirements what i had been looking for a long time..
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c code for chat server........plzzzzzzzzzz...urgent..........

ankit101187

4:37 3 Apr '10

I have to implement two type of chatting: -Multicasting(client-server chatting):once connected the server recive massege from any client and transmit to all client.The client client theen display massege at console. accept a chat login namem,maintain chat prompt please provide me with code at akawatia@yahoo.co.in
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.80/5 (4 votes)

plzzzzzzzzzzzz

harsh_amity

22:10 1 Apr '10

I have to implement two type of chatting:
-Multicasting(client-server chatting):once connected the server recive massege from any client and transmit to all client.The client client theen display massege at console.
-Client-Client chatting(do not transmit conversation to other client.

accept a chat login namem,maintain chat prompt

conversation must be stored in shared memory segment.there will be a scrubbing daemon(forked)that write the compleated segment into a file
plz mail me the source code at erricool@gmail.com or harsh_amity@in.com

Connectin to my server on remote machine

mehul9595

6:25 26 Mar '10

hello sir, My project is on chat application so i have made my application using java. i have used socket programing concept n rmi for authentication... when i try to connect to my server its gives me rmi remote exception error. so can u please guide me through d process of connecting to server n recover this error.. Thanks mehul makwana
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My vote of 1

sathiyapraka

23:44 7 Jan '10

ur not giving correct explanation
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thnx

harshmttl

8:21 22 Jan '09

i found this article really helpful..plz keep writing more such helpful tutorials
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	2.00/5 (4 votes)

Respected sir

shakher sumsher

19:54 21 Jan '09

this is shakher from Gangtok, i need to make a client server chat system using socket. each client must be able to communicate with all other client and server too individually and simultanously without interference. can u please send me the source code for this application. Thankyou my contact sumsher7@yahoo.co.in
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.25/5 (4 votes)

C cde for chat server

avinashk14

1:08 29 Aug '08

I want to implement a chat server/client

richa.cseit

4:58 28 Feb '08

Hi! I want the source code for implementing the chat server/client using socket theory.Actually,I have to submit it in my collage after 2 days.I am trying to implement it but not getting success.Please help me!!!!!!!! You can also contact me on my id if you want to help me.Its richa.cseit@gmail.com richa
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.75/5 (8 votes)

Re: I want to implement a chat server/client

chandreshpratapsrivastava

5:18 23 Mar '09

i also want to implement tcp/ip client server chatting application ? if u got any kind of assistant then please help me? thankyou!!
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.33/5 (3 votes)

Want to develop a chat client

dipuThegr8

19:16 14 Nov '07

Hi !! I want to develop a chat client using CAsyncSocket class in MFC which should be dialog based application .... What i got on net is Win32 application . Please help . Thank You. BOBO
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.33/5 (3 votes)

wchar_t

Man_cool

20:42 9 Jul '07

how to send string as wchar_t ? thanks. Live and Learn!!!
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Error?

XHungChung

1:33 10 Nov '06

Hi ! Thanks your project . But when i start exe va press Enter (>3 times). Alert "Memory can not read"? ????????????????????? How i can fix? Blackmask. XXX
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Re: Error?

Boby Thomas P

1:37 10 Nov '06

Which one? chat client / server? Regards, Boby
Sign In·View Thread·Permalink	1.50/5 (2 votes)

behavior after cable break Win2k/ Winxp

Bennet Yee

21:13 12 May '06

We tested the application under Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
We need to detect a cable break.
Under Windows 2000 - select() returns with readfds signaled after some seconds.
The following recv() returns 0, e.g. connection lost is recognised.
BUT: Under Windows XP nothing happens! No signal was send by select().

Why the application shows different behaviour in Win2k / winXP?
How to detect cable break under WinXP?

i have an idea

noise@BUPT

16:52 9 May '06

glad to view this article.i have a little idea.when a client sends message to the server, can u define a message format?for example,char[4096],the first 256bytes used for the nickname,when server send these back to all clients,them print the nickname before(-->),so the server donnot need to maintain a database for the nickname,and the clinet can change the nickname anytime he/she wants.
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