SpeakAPP

SpeakAPP is a chat application built for the Udacity C++ Nanodegree Program final course. The application is built using Qt5 framework based on the "Client-Server" network architecture. Each client should connect to the server to be able to send/receive messages. The server receives messages from any connected client, and then send the message to the other clients.

The application has 2 modes:

1. Server Mode: At least one server should be running to be able to run and receive messages.

2. Client Mode: Users send and receive messages when the application is running in this mode.

Code Structure

These files contain the main classes of the application:

1. clientcommunication.h: Contains ClientCommunication class. This class is responsible for sending/receiving messages from/to the server. It owns the communication socket and the messages model. Implemented in clientcommunication.cpp source file.
2. clientwindow.h: Contains ClientWindow class. This class is responsible for the creation of the client window. It owns a ClientCommunication object that is resposbile for TCP client connection. Implemented in clientwindow.cpp source file.
3. modewindow.h: Contains ModeWindow class. This class is responsible for the creation of the mode window. It owns a client window and a server window. It creates client/server window depending on the user choice. Implemented in modewindow.cpp source file.
4. servercommunication.h: Contains ServerCommunication class. This class is responsible for sending/receiving messages from/to clients. It owns the tcp server object and the clients sockets. Implemented in servercommunication.cpp source file.
5. serverwindow.h: Contains ServerWindow class. This class is responsible for the creation of the server window. It owns a ServerCommunication object that is resposbile for TCP server connection. Implemented in serverwindow.cpp source file.

Dependencies (Linux)

The application depends on Qt5. The build script speakapp_build.sh installs this dependency. The versions required are Qt 5.12.8 and qmake 3.1.

Build Instructions (Ubuntu 16.04 LTS) (Other platforms will be added in the future)

1. Clone this repo.
2. Run the build script speakapp_build.sh from the project root folder i.e. where the .pro file exists. If the application is successfully built, the ../build build directory is created.

Run Instructions

1. From the build directory build/, run the application using ./SpeakAPP
2. Click on I'm the boss, I let conversations happen! button. This will start the server.

3. Choose IP and Port (e.g. `Any` and `50888`) and click on `Connect`.

4. Now, open the application in the first client machine. If you are using `Any` as the server IP, you can open the application in the same machine. Click on `I wanna talk!` button. This will open the application in `Client` mode.

5. Enter IP and Port. If you're running the server and the client on the same machine use the loopback IP 127.0.0.1.

6. Repeat steps 4-5 and open a second client. Now you can send and receive messages between the first and second clients.

Rubric Points

1. README: README.md file.
2. Compiling and Testing: speakapp_build.sh script is used to build the project. It uses qmake and make build system.
3. Loops, Functions, I/O:
   • The project code is clearly organized into functions and classes. Example: servercommunication.cpp file.
   • The project accepts input from a user as part of the necessary operation. This is done using the GUI. Example: Mode Window, Client Window, Server Window
4. Object Oriented Programming: The project implements OOP principles. Example: serverwindow.cpp.
5. Memory Management: The projects uses smart pointers (see clientwindow.h and serverwindow.h). It also uses Destructors properly and implements RAII.
6. Concurrency: The project is multithreaded. Example: ServerWindow::showNumberClients() method in serverwindow.cpp source file.

Authors

• Fedi Salhi Linkedin