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edd1159
feat: Add .gitignore for Node.js project
Iswanna May 9, 2026
d465322
feat: Set up Express backend server for chat app
Iswanna May 18, 2026
f8b8593
feat: Add POST /messages endpoint to create new chat messages
Iswanna May 18, 2026
0f9b122
feat: Add GET /messages endpoint to retrieve all chat messages
Iswanna May 18, 2026
c1086ee
feat: Create frontend HTML structure for chat app
Iswanna May 19, 2026
4d6cdc0
feat: Add frontend script to fetch and display chat messages
Iswanna May 19, 2026
4b2fecc
refactor: Fix backend server structure and indentation
Iswanna May 19, 2026
8b67a04
feat: Add backend package.json with dependencies
Iswanna May 19, 2026
47dfcc8
feat: Add form IDs and fix message input element in frontend
Iswanna May 19, 2026
6c32598
feat: Add form submission handler to send messages to backend
Iswanna May 19, 2026
31426bf
feat: Poll messages every 5 seconds for real-time updates
Iswanna May 19, 2026
6419e29
fix: Correct HTML syntax for message input element
Iswanna May 19, 2026
53c9419
refactor: Clean up code formatting and update README documentation
Iswanna May 19, 2026
928c5e9
feat: Add npm start script to package.json
Iswanna May 19, 2026
ac2c99d
feat: Update frontend API endpoints to use production backend URL
Iswanna May 20, 2026
4fa083d
refactor: Implement incremental message fetching with lastIdSeen trac…
Iswanna May 20, 2026
13987e9
feat: Add message filtering by ID to GET /messages endpoint
Iswanna May 20, 2026
6a53a4f
feat: Add error handling to form submission with try-catch
Iswanna May 20, 2026
a1369e5
refactor: Implement sequential message polling with setTimeout
Iswanna May 21, 2026
34c26ec
chore: Add newline at end of package.json
Iswanna May 21, 2026
9c172f5
feat: Implement long polling for real-time message updates
Iswanna May 22, 2026
c3a9cb0
refactor: Switch frontend API endpoints from production to local deve…
Iswanna May 22, 2026
ee7c2c1
feat: Add POST /messages/:id/like endpoint for liking messages
Iswanna May 22, 2026
e8655db
feat: Add response handling and error checking to POST /messages/:id/…
Iswanna May 22, 2026
786398a
feat: Add immediate like button feedback with optimistic UI update
Iswanna May 22, 2026
4e0f1c5
style: Add CSS styling for chat messages and buttons
Iswanna May 22, 2026
a80fe4f
refactor: Switch frontend API endpoints to production Render backend
Iswanna May 22, 2026
4f4cb01
refactor: Update all frontend API endpoints to CodeYourFuture backend
Iswanna May 25, 2026
ad2aff0
fix: Remove double slashes from backend API URLs
Iswanna May 25, 2026
c9b4dde
refactor: Remove scripts section from backend package.json
Iswanna May 25, 2026
c1bcf2c
docs: Add comprehensive project documentation in changes-made.md
Iswanna May 27, 2026
cea6285
refactor: Rename changes-made.md to CHANGELOG.md
Iswanna May 27, 2026
8972d95
docs: Replace README with comprehensive CHANGELOG documentation
Iswanna May 27, 2026
e3efea2
refactor: Improve POST /messages validation with type checking
Iswanna May 27, 2026
07982a1
docs: Improve README formatting with consistent spacing
Iswanna May 27, 2026
eb16726
feat: Trim and validate chat form inputs before submission
Iswanna May 27, 2026
d45de2c
refactor: Make frontend backend URL configurable via API_BASE_URL
Iswanna May 28, 2026
5131e28
refactor: remove `dislikes` property from new message objects
Iswanna May 28, 2026
f6635eb
refactor(frontend): simplify fetch call formatting and standardize fo…
Iswanna May 28, 2026
a513439
feat(frontend): set API_BASE_URL and add per-client UUID for polling
Iswanna May 28, 2026
a86e070
feat: make long-polling client-aware and harden message/like handling
Iswanna May 29, 2026
2f855fe
refactor(server): send compact like update to waiting clients
Iswanna May 29, 2026
9b430f3
refactor: use direct index lookup for message and tidy response object
Iswanna May 29, 2026
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8 changes: 8 additions & 0 deletions .gitignore
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
node_modules/
package-lock.json
.env
.DS_Store
*.log
dist/
build/
.vscode/
87 changes: 66 additions & 21 deletions chat-app/README.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,34 +1,79 @@
# Write and Deploy Chat Application Frontend and Backend
## Changes Made

### Link to the coursework
### Backend Implementation (`backend/`)

https://sdc.codeyourfuture.io/decomposition/sprints/2/prep/
#### `server.js` (New)

You must complete and deploy a chat application. You have two weeks to complete this.
- Set up Express server with CORS middleware
- Implemented **POST `/messages`** endpoint with input validation
- Validates sender name and message text
- Creates message objects with id, sender, text, likes, and dislikes
- Returns 201 status on success, 400 on validation error
- Triggers long polling callbacks to notify waiting clients
- Implemented **GET `/messages`** endpoint with long polling
- Accepts `?since=` query parameter for incremental message loading
- Returns only messages with id > sinceId
- Holds client requests until new messages arrive (long polling)
- Handles edge case where since=0 correctly
- Implemented **POST `/messages/:id/like`** endpoint
- Increments like count for specified message
- Notifies all waiting clients via long polling
- Returns 200 on success, 404 if message not found

It must support at least the following requirements:
* As a user, I can send add a message to the chat.
* As a user, when I open the chat I see the messages that have been sent by any user.
* As a user, when someone sends a message, it gets added to what I see.
#### `package.json` (New)

It must also support at least one additional feature.
- Configured as ES module project (`"type": "module"`)
- Added Express 5.2.1 dependency
- Added CORS 2.8.6 dependency

### Why are we doing this?
### Frontend Implementation (`frontend/`)

Learning about deploying multiple pieces of software that interact.
#### `index.html` (New)

Designing and implementing working software that users can use.
- Semantic HTML structure with proper meta tags
- Chat form with sender name and message inputs
- Message container div for displaying chat history
- Deferred JavaScript execution for proper DOM loading

Exploring and understanding different ways of sending information between a client and server.
#### `script.js` (New)

### Maximum time in hours
- **`getAllMessages()`** async function
- Fetches messages from backend with `?since=` parameter
- Implements incremental message loading via `lastIdSeen` tracking
- Updates existing message likes without re-rendering
- Creates DOM elements for new messages with text, like count, and like button
- Uses long polling with `setTimeout(getAllMessages, 0)` for real-time updates
- Includes error handling with automatic retry on fetch failure

16
- **Form submission handler**
- Validates sender name and message text
- Sends POST request with JSON payload
- Clears input fields after successful submission
- Includes try-catch error handling

### How to submit
- **Like button functionality**
- Sends POST request to `/messages/:id/like` endpoint
- Extracts current like count from DOM
- Provides immediate UI feedback (optimistic update)
- Updates display instantly without waiting for server response

* Fork the Module-Decomposition repository
* Develop and deploy your chat app
* Create a pull request back into the original Module-Decomposition repo, including:
* A link to the deployed frontend on the CYF hosting environment
* A link to the deployed backend on the CYF hosting environment
#### `styles.css` (New)

- Styled message containers with border, padding, and rounded corners
- Light gray background (#f9f9f9) for message boxes
- Styled like buttons with blue background (#007bff) and white text
- Proper spacing and cursor pointer for better UX

## Testing Instructions

### Setup

```bash
# Install backend dependencies
cd backend
npm install

# Start backend server
node server.js

```
7 changes: 7 additions & 0 deletions chat-app/backend/package.json
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
{
"type": "module",
"dependencies": {
"cors": "^2.8.6",
"express": "^5.2.1"
}
}
125 changes: 125 additions & 0 deletions chat-app/backend/server.js
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
import express from "express";
import cors from "cors";

const app = express();
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;

const messages = [];
let callBacksForNewMessages = {};

// Enable CORS for all routes
app.use(cors());

// Middleware to parse JSON request body
app.use(express.json());

app.post("/messages", (req, res) => {
// Check if re.body exists at all
if (!req.body) {
return res.status(400).send("No body provided");
}

const { text, sender } = req.body;

// Check if the inputs are strings
if (typeof text !== "string" || typeof sender !== "string") {
return res.status(400).send("Inputs must be strings");
}

// Check if the inputs are not a falsy value
if (!text.trim() || !sender.trim()) {
return res.status(400).send("Please provide both text and a sender name.");
}
Comment thread
cjyuan marked this conversation as resolved.

// Create the message object
const newMessage = {
id: messages.length,
sender: sender,
text: text,
likes: 0,
};

// Add the new message to the messages array (the storage)
messages.push(newMessage);

// long polling logic
const waitingCallbacks = Object.values(callBacksForNewMessages);
if (waitingCallbacks.length > 0) {
waitingCallbacks.forEach((eachClient) => eachClient([newMessage]));

// SInce the waiting room still has all the clients I just sent responses to, I need to manually delete them
callBacksForNewMessages = {};
}

// Finally, respond to the person who actually sent the POST request
res.status(201).send(newMessage);
Comment thread
cjyuan marked this conversation as resolved.
});
app.get("/messages", (req, res) => {
const sinceValue = req.query.since;

let sinceId;
// We check if the value exists at all.
// If it's "0", this check is true, and we use 0.
if (sinceValue !== undefined) {
sinceId = Number(sinceValue);
} else {
sinceId = -1;
}

const messagesSinceId = messages.filter((message) => message.id > sinceId);

if (messagesSinceId.length === 0) {
const clientId = req.query.clientId;

if (!clientId) {
return res.send([]);
}
callBacksForNewMessages[clientId] = (value) => {
try {
res.send(value);
} catch (e) {
delete callBacksForNewMessages[clientId];
}
};
Comment on lines +77 to +83
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@cjyuan cjyuan May 29, 2026

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Note: The new logic involving clientId might complicate things.

If the client becomes unreachable for any reason, res.send(value) may not throw an error. As a result, the server may retain references to disconnected clients and gradually leak memory.

Your previous approach (which you clear the waiting room after sending a response) is actually quite robust. If a client is unreachable when the server calls res.send(value), the response simply never reaches the client. As long as the client can detect lost connection, it can always issue a new request to re-establish communication.

Note: You can keep this mechanism as is. No change needed.

} else {
res.send(messagesSinceId);
}
});

app.post("/messages/:id/like", (req, res) => {
// Get the id from the URL
const idFromUrl = req.params.id;

//convert to number
const idAsNumber = Number(idFromUrl);

const messageWithIdAsNumber = messages[idAsNumber];

if (!messageWithIdAsNumber) {
return res.status(404).send("Message not found");
}
messageWithIdAsNumber.likes += 1;

// Get a snapshot list of all the clients' callback in the waiting room (Array)
const waitingCallbacks = Object.values(callBacksForNewMessages);

const dataToSendToClient = {
id: messageWithIdAsNumber.id,
likes: messageWithIdAsNumber.likes,
};

if (waitingCallbacks.length > 0) {
waitingCallbacks.forEach((eachClient) => {
eachClient([dataToSendToClient]);
});

// clear the waiting room
callBacksForNewMessages = {};
}
res.status(200).send(dataToSendToClient);
});

// Start the server
app.listen(port, () => {
console.log(`Chat app listening on port ${port}`);
});
23 changes: 23 additions & 0 deletions chat-app/frontend/index.html
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css" />
<script src="script.js" defer></script>
<title>Chat App</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Chat App</h1>

<form id="chat-form">
<label for="chat-sender">Name</label>
<input type="text" id="chat-sender" />
<label for="chat-message">Message</label>
<input id="chat-message" />
<button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

<div id="all-messages"></div>
</body>
</html>
110 changes: 110 additions & 0 deletions chat-app/frontend/script.js
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
const API_BASE_URL = "https://iswanna-chat-app-backend.hosting.codeyourfuture.io";
//const API_BASE_URL = "http://localhost:3000";
const myClientId = crypto.randomUUID();

let lastIdSeen = -1;

async function getAllMessages() {
try {
const response = await fetch(
`${API_BASE_URL}/messages?since=${lastIdSeen}&clientId=${myClientId}`,
);

const data = await response.json();
Comment on lines +9 to +13
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A better and more robust pattern is:

try {
  const res = await fetch(url, { signal });

  if (!res.ok) {
    throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
  }

  const data = await res.json();

} catch (err) {
  console.error(err);
}

This way, the error caught in the catch block would be an error about the HTTP response and not a decoding error thrown by res.json().


const messageContainer = document.getElementById("all-messages");

data.forEach((message) => {
const elementId = "msg-" + message.id;

const existingElement = document.getElementById(elementId);

Comment on lines +15 to +21
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If the presentation logic (lines 15 to 61) is kept in a separate function that take messages as its parameter, it would make the rendering logic easier to develop and test independently.

if (existingElement) {
// find the specific span that hold the likes
const likeSpan = document.getElementById("likes-count-" + message.id);

// update only that span
if (likeSpan) {
likeSpan.textContent = `(${message.likes} Likes) `;
}
} else {
const newElement = document.createElement("div");
newElement.id = "msg-" + message.id;

// layer 1: the text
const textSpan = document.createElement("span");
textSpan.textContent = `${message.sender}: ${message.text} `;

//Layer 2: the counter (this is the one we will update later)
const likeSpan = document.createElement("span");
likeSpan.id = "likes-count-" + message.id;
likeSpan.textContent = `(${message.likes} Likes) `;

// Layer 3: the button
const likeButton = document.createElement("button");
likeButton.textContent = "Like";

likeButton.addEventListener("click", async () => {
await fetch(`${API_BASE_URL}/messages/${message.id}/like`, {
method: "POST",
});
});

// put it all together
newElement.appendChild(textSpan);
newElement.appendChild(likeSpan);
newElement.appendChild(likeButton);
messageContainer.appendChild(newElement);

lastIdSeen = message.id;
}
});
setTimeout(getAllMessages, 0);
} catch (error) {
setTimeout(getAllMessages, 0);
console.error("Error fetching messages:", error);
}
Comment on lines +62 to +66
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Could consider using a finally block:

try {
   ...
} catch (error) {
}
finally {
  setTimeout(getAllMessages, 0);
}

}

getAllMessages();

const formElement = document.getElementById("chat-form");
const senderElement = document.getElementById("chat-sender");
const messageElement = document.getElementById("chat-message");

formElement.addEventListener("submit", async (event) => {
event.preventDefault();

// Get the values and trim them
const senderValue = senderElement.value.trim();
const messageValue = messageElement.value.trim();

// The validation
if (senderValue === "" || messageValue === "") {
alert("Please enter both a name and a message!");

return;
}

try {
// Send the data
const response = await fetch(`${API_BASE_URL}/messages`, {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
body: JSON.stringify({
sender: senderValue,
text: messageValue,
}),
});

if (response.ok) {
// clear the sender and message input values
senderElement.value = "";
messageElement.value = "";
}
} catch (error) {
console.error("Error sending message:", error);
}
});
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