ChitChat: Simple Multiple User Chat (Client)

ChitChat: Simple Multiple User Chat (Client)

Client side of the multiple user chat application. Previously, we have shown you how to send all incoming messages back to clients via ChatServer example. Here is a simple chat client application:



As the picture above shows, the application has the following features:

• Multiple clients can chat with each other simultaneously.


• Each user have their own random color that indicates their message.


• Hitting enter key or pushing send button will send the message right away.


• Users recieve acknowledge messages from the server.


• As users receive messages, scrollBar automatically goes down.

Areas that this application needs progress:

• Need a protocol to encrypt and secure messages package to be sent.


• Sending files, emotions and notification features are missing.


• User Interface should include message status and time for each message.


• and many other features…

Things to consider using Swing library:

• Swing objects must only be accessed from only one thread (The Event Dispatch Thread)


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• Forcing one thread to handle Swing components and background tasks lead application to freeze.


• In order to handle backgorund tasks, we can use either threads or SwingWorker  subclass as a worker thread.


• SwingWorker allows to handle long running task that are needed to be run in the background.


• Using TextPane instead of TextArea allows you to use sytles for each line.

You can find the repository of my work in my Github page: https://github.com/iesirma/