PulseChat — Anonymous WebSocket Chatrooms

PulseChat is a real-time anonymous chatroom application built using Express and WebSockets (express-ws). The platform enables instant topic-based conversations without requiring user accounts or identity storage.

🖥️ Website UI

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🌟 Overview

PulseChat provides:

• Real-time messaging via WebSockets
• Dynamic room-based conversations
• Anonymous participation (no authentication layer)
• Live member presence updates
• Optional server-generated joke messages
• Responsive modern UI
• Animated canvas-based background

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

Frontend

Tools & Libraries

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📂 Project Structure

graph TD
    A[Root] --> B[server.js]
    A --> C[app.js]
    A --> D[Room.js]
    A --> E[ChatUser.js]
    A --> F[jokes.js]
    A --> G[static/]
    G --> H[css/]
    H --> I[styles.css]
    H --> J[tailwind.css]
    G --> K[js/]
    K --> L[chat.js]
    K --> M[animateBG.js]
    K --> N[features.js]
    G --> O[index.html]
    G --> P[chat.html]
    
    style A fill:#1e3a8a,stroke:#3b82f6,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style G fill:#7c3aed,stroke:#a855f7,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style H fill:#059669,stroke:#10b981,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style K fill:#059669,stroke:#10b981,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

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🏗️ Application Architecture

PulseChat follows a WebSocket-driven event model.

Backend Event Flow

sequenceDiagram
participant Client
participant WebSocket
participant ChatUser
participant Room
Client->>WebSocket: Establish connection
WebSocket->>ChatUser: Create user instance
Client->>ChatUser: Send JOIN event
ChatUser->>Room: Add member
Room->>All Clients: Broadcast join notification
Client->>ChatUser: Send CHAT event
ChatUser->>Room: Broadcast message
Room->>All Clients: Deliver message
Client->>ChatUser: Disconnect
ChatUser->>Room: Remove member
Room->>All Clients: Broadcast leave notification

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Frontend Flow

sequenceDiagram
participant User
participant Browser
participant WebSocket
participant UI
User->>Browser: Open room URL
Browser->>User: Prompt for username
Browser->>WebSocket: Connect to room socket
WebSocket->>UI: Receive events
UI->>UI: Render chat messages
UI->>UI: Update member presence
UI->>UI: Display notifications

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⚙️ Core Functionalities

Room Management

• Dynamic room creation via URL
• In-memory room registry

Real-Time Messaging

• Instant message broadcasting
• Server-sent events (notes, chat, members)

Presence Awareness

• Join / Leave detection
• Live member count updates

Server Utilities

• Joke generation via external API

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🔒 Privacy Model

PulseChat is designed as an anonymous communication platform.

• No account system
• No identity persistence
• No message storage
• All sessions are temporary

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm or yarn

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/pulsechat.git
cd pulsechat

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Start the server

npm start

4. Open your browser and navigate to

http://localhost:3000

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📝 Usage

1. Home Page: Browse available chatrooms or create a custom room
2. Join Room: Click on any room or create your own
3. Enter Username: Provide a temporary username (not stored)
4. Start Chatting: Send messages in real-time with other users

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🎨 Features

• Anonymous Chatting: No registration required
• Real-time Communication: Powered by WebSockets
• Dynamic Rooms: Create custom rooms on the fly
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
• Animated Background: Modern canvas-based animations
• Live Presence: See who's online in real-time

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📧 Contact and links

• Email: 2003abinashdash@gmail.com
• LinkedIn: AbiDev2003
• 🔗 Website Live Link: PulseChat

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with Express and WebSockets
• Icons by Lucide
• Map integration by OpenStreetMap

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© 2026 PulseChat. All rights reserved.