A

Minor Project
Chat Application

Submitted to

For the partial fulfillment of

Award of the degree

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
By

Vineet Rajput
(BETN1CS22020)
Ansh Shrivastva
(BETN1CS22016)

Under the Supervision of

Dr. Nidhi Dandotiya

Associate Professor, Department of CSA
SOET, ITM University
Gwalior
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Broad Area of Work 1

Introduction 1
Literature Survey/ Work done in the 2
field of proposed work
Existing Gaps 3
Objectives of the proposed work 4-5
Proposed Methodologies 6
Expected Outcome of the proposed work 7-8
Future scope of the work 9
References 9
1. Board Area of Work -:
This project falls under the domain of real-time communication systems and web-based
messaging applications. The primary objective is to develop a secure, scalable, and
efficient chat application that facilitates real-time messaging using Java Spring Boot for
backend development and MySQL for database management. The chat system will
support user authentication, one-to-one and group messaging, multimedia sharing, and
WebSocket-based real-time communication.

2. Introduction -:
With the rapid advancement in instant messaging services, chat applications have become
integral to social networking, professional collaboration, and customer service.
Applications like WhatsApp, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Discord have set industry
standards for real-time communication. However, many businesses require a custom-built
chat application that ensures data privacy, flexibility, and scalability without relying on
third-party services.

This project aims to develop a real-time chat application that offers secure messaging,
multimedia sharing, and group communication while maintaining a self-hosted, scalable
infrastructure. Spring Boot will serve as the backend framework, ensuring robust API
development, security, and database integration, while MySQL will be used for storing
chat history, user data, and group interactions.

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3. Literature Survey -:
3.1 Existing Work

Several chat applications and frameworks exist in the market, including:

1.​ WhatsApp -: End-to-end encrypted messaging with multimedia support.

2.​ Slack -: Business-oriented chat system with integration capabilities.
3.​ Microsoft Teams -: Enterprise collaboration with messaging, calls, and file
sharing.
4.​ Firebase Realtime Database -: Cloud-based database solution for real-time
messaging.

3.2 Key Technologies in Chat Applications

1.​ WebSockets -: Used for persistent bi-directional communication.

2.​ RESTful APIs -: For handling user authentication and message storage.
3.​ JWT (JSON Web Token) -: Secure authentication mechanism.
4.​ Database Optimization Techniques -: Indexing, sharding, and caching for high
performance.

3.3 Challenges in Existing Solutions

1.​ Lack of Privacy -: Many applications store chat data on external servers.
2.​ Scalability Issues -: High concurrent users cause performance bottlenecks.
3.​ Limited Customization -: Businesses cannot modify proprietary software.
4.​ High Costs -: Subscription-based models increase costs over time.

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4. Existing Gaps -:
Despite advancements in chat applications, several gaps exist:

1.​ Security and Privacy Concerns

○​ Many chat applications store user conversations on centralized servers,
increasing the risk of data breaches.
○​ End-to-end encryption is often not implemented at the database level.
2.​ Limited Customization
○​ Proprietary platforms (WhatsApp, Slack, Microsoft Teams) do not allow
self-hosting or custom feature additions.
3.​ Performance and Scalability Issues
○​ Real-time chat applications must handle high volumes of concurrent users
without latency issues.
○​ Poorly optimized databases lead to slow message retrieval and storage
issues.
4.​ Dependency on Third-Party Services
○​ Many real-time chat applications rely on cloud-based services (e.g.,
Firebase, AWS, Azure), increasing operational costs and limiting control.

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5. Objectives of the Proposed Work -:
The primary objective of this project is to develop a secure, real-time chat application
using Java Spring Boot and MySQL. The proposed system aims to overcome the existing
gaps in security, scalability, customization, and performance that are prevalent in current
chat applications. Below are the key objectives explained in detail:

1. Develop a Robust Real-Time Chat Application Using Java Spring

Boot and MySQL

●​ Build a fully functional chat application that supports instant messaging,

multimedia sharing, and group chat.
●​ Use Java Spring Boot as the backend framework for handling user requests,
authentication, and database interactions.
●​ Implement MySQL as the database for storing chat messages, user profiles, and
group conversations efficiently.

2. Enable Secure Authentication and Authorization Using JWT and

OAuth 2.0

●​ Implement JWT (JSON Web Token)-based authentication for secure user login
sessions.
●​ Integrate OAuth 2.0 to allow users to sign in using Google, Facebook, or
enterprise authentication providers.
●​ Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to differentiate between users,
admins, and moderators.

3. Implement WebSockets for Real-Time Messaging

●​ Use WebSocket technology to establish a persistent bidirectional communication

channel between clients and the server.
●​ Ensure instant delivery of messages without repeated HTTP polling.
●​ Use STOMP (Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol) over WebSockets to
manage chat message exchange efficiently.

4. Support Multimedia Sharing (Images, Videos, Documents)

●​ Enable file sharing within chat conversations, supporting formats such as JPEG,
PNG, MP4, PDF, and DOCX.
●​ Implement cloud storage integration (optional) for large file storage.
●​ Use metadata indexing to allow quick searching and retrieval of shared files.
5. Implement One-to-One and Group Messaging Features

●​ Provide one-on-one private chats with end-to-end encryption.

●​ Allow users to create groups with multiple participants.
●​ Implement group admin functionalities (adding/removing users, muting users,
message deletion, etc.).

6. Optimize Database Performance for Fast Message Retrieval

●​ Use MySQL indexing techniques (e.g., B-Tree indexing) to improve message

retrieval speed.
●​ Implement message pagination to load chat history efficiently.
●​ Optimize database queries to handle millions of messages without performance
degradation.

7. Ensure Security Through Data Encryption and Secure API

Communication

●​ Implement AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption for storing sensitive

data (e.g., passwords, chat messages).
●​ Secure API communications using HTTPS and SSL/TLS encryption.
●​ Prevent common security vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting
(XSS), and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF).

8. Build a Scalable Architecture to Handle Large Concurrent Users

●​ Use load balancing techniques to distribute user requests across multiple servers.
●​ Implement microservices architecture to separate functionalities such as
authentication, messaging, and multimedia management.
●​ Optimize server performance using Redis caching for frequently accessed
messages.
6. Proposed Methodologies -:
The project will be developed using Java Spring Boot and MySQL, ensuring a modular
and scalable architecture. Below is a breakdown of the development approach:

6.1 Backend Development (Spring Boot)

●​ REST APIs for authentication, messaging, and user management.

●​ WebSocket implementation for real-time communication.
●​ Spring Security with JWT authentication for secure login.
●​ Role-based access control (RBAC) for admin and user management.

6.2 Database Design (MySQL)

●​ User Table – Stores user details (username, email, password hash).

●​ Chat Messages Table – Stores chat history with timestamps.
●​ Group Chat Table – Handles group members and messages.
●​ Multimedia Table – Stores image and file metadata.

6.3 Security Measures

●​ AES encryption for storing sensitive data.

●​ JWT-based authentication for secure API communication.
●​ HTTPS protocol for encrypting network traffic.

6.4 Frontend

●​ HTML CSS and Javascript for a modern user interface.

●​ REST API calls for backend communication.
7. Expected Outcome of the Proposed Work -:

The proposed chat application using Java Spring Boot and MySQL aims to address the
existing gaps in security, scalability, and customization found in current messaging
platforms. The expected outcomes of this project are outlined below in detail:

1. Fully Functional, Secure, and Scalable Chat Application

●​ A real-time messaging platform supporting one-to-one chats and group

conversations.
●​ Web-based application with a user-friendly interface for seamless communication.
●​ Optimized for high performance and low latency, ensuring instant message
delivery.

2. Real-Time Communication with WebSockets and STOMP

●​ Persistent WebSocket connections replacing traditional HTTP polling.

●​ Low-latency, real-time message delivery using STOMP protocol over
WebSockets.
●​ Ability to handle thousands of simultaneous users without performance
degradation.

3. Strong Security Measures for Data Protection

●​ AES encryption for storing messages securely in the database.

●​ JWT-based authentication for secure user login sessions.
●​ Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for restricting access to certain
functionalities.
●​ Protection against SQL Injection, XSS, and CSRF attacks.

4. Advanced User Authentication and Authorization

●​ JWT-based authentication ensures secure login sessions.

●​ OAuth 2.0 integration for Google/Facebook sign-in.
●​ Multi-factor authentication (MFA) (optional) for added security.

5. Efficient Message Storage and Retrieval Using MySQL

●​ Indexing and optimized database queries for fast message retrieval.

●​ Message pagination to efficiently load chat history.
●​ Storage optimization to handle millions of messages without performance
bottlenecks.
6. Support for Multimedia Sharing (Images, Videos, Documents)

●​ Users can share images, videos, and documents within chat conversations.
●​ Secure storage of multimedia files with proper access control.
●​ Efficient file compression to minimize storage space usage.

7. Customization and Business Use-Case Support

●​ A modular and self-hosted chat system that can be customized for various
industries.
●​ Admin dashboard for monitoring chat activity and managing users.
●​ Role-based permissions for controlling access to different features.

8. High Scalability for Large Concurrent Users

●​ Microservices architecture to separate chat services, improving scalability.

●​ Load balancing and caching (Redis) to handle heavy traffic efficiently.
●​ Asynchronous processing for handling messages efficiently.

9. Deployment-Ready Chat Application

●​ Can be deployed on-premises or on cloud servers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).

●​ Docker and Kubernetes support for containerized deployment.
●​ Easy CI/CD pipeline integration for automated deployment and updates.
8. Future Scope of the Work
The chat application can be enhanced in the future with additional features:

1.​ AI Chatbots -: Integrate AI-powered bots for automated responses.

2.​ Cloud-based Deployment -: Deploy on AWS, GCP, or Azure for scalability.
3.​ Mobile App Development -: Create Android and iOS versions.
4.​ End-to-End Encryption -: Implement advanced encryption protocols for better
privacy.
5.​ Voice and Video Calls -: Extend functionality to include VoIP communication.

9. References
1.​ Spring Boot Documentation - https://spring.io/projects/spring-boot
2.​ MySQL Official Documentation - https://dev.mysql.com/doc/
3.​ WebSockets Guide -
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebSockets
4.​ OAuth 2.0 Authentication - https://oauth.net/2