1.
Libraries and Packages
1. javax.swing*
○ Purpose: For building the graphical user interface (GUI).
○ Key Classes Used:
■ JFrame: The main application window.
■ JPanel: A container to organize components like buttons and text fields.
■ JTextField: A single-line input field for user messages.
■ JTextArea: A multi-line area to display chat messages.
■ JButton: A clickable button for actions like sending a message.
■ JLabel: For displaying static text or labels.
2. java.awt*
○ Purpose: For layouts and component arrangement.
○ Key Classes Used:
■ BorderLayout: Organizes components into north, south, east, west,
and center regions.
■ FlowLayout: Arranges components in a flow-like manner.
■ Dimension: To set dimensions of components.
3. java.awt.event*
○ Purpose: For handling user interactions.
○ Key Interfaces Used:
■ ActionListener: Captures and processes events like button clicks.
■ MouseAdapter: Handles mouse-based interactions, like clicks.
4. java.net*
○ Purpose: For network communication between the client and server.
○ Key Classes Used:
■ ServerSocket: Creates a server to listen for client connections.
■ Socket: Represents the connection between the server and a client.
5. java.io*
○ Purpose: For reading and writing data over the network.
○ Key Classes Used:
■ BufferedReader: Reads text data from an input stream efficiently.
■ BufferedWriter: Writes text data to an output stream efficiently.
■ DataInputStream: Reads structured data (e.g., UTF-encoded strings,
integers).
■ DataOutputStream: Writes structured data over a stream.
6. java.util*
○ Purpose: For utility functionalities.
○ Key Classes Used:
■ Vector: To manage a dynamic list of connected clients (on the server).
■ SimpleDateFormat: For formatting timestamps for messages.
2. How It Works
The project works as follows, in simple terms:
Server-Side Functionality
1. ServerSocket Setup:
○ The server creates a ServerSocket that listens on a specific port (e.g., 2003).
○ When a client tries to connect, the accept() method creates a Socket to
represent the connection with that client.
2. Managing Multiple Clients:
○ Each connected client is assigned its own thread (using a Thread class).
○ The server uses BufferedReader to receive messages from a client and
BufferedWriter to send responses.
3. Broadcasting Messages:
○ The server keeps a Vector of all connected clients.
○ When a message is received, it’s sent to all clients in the list using
BufferedWriter.
Client-Side Functionality
1. GUI Interaction:
○ The client application uses JFrame, JPanel, JTextField, and JButton to
provide an interface for users to type and send messages.
○ Messages are displayed in a JTextArea.
2. Socket Communication:
○ The client creates a Socket to connect to the server.
○ It uses DataOutputStream to send messages to the server and
DataInputStream to receive responses.
3. User Actions:
○ User input (e.g., typing a message and clicking the send button) triggers an
ActionListener event.
○ The input is sent to the server, and the response is displayed in the chat area.
3. Interaction Between Components
● The server acts as the central hub, managing connections and relaying messages
between clients.
● Clients interact with the GUI to send and receive messages.
● Networking and I/O libraries handle data exchange between the server and clients.
Summary
The chatbot combines GUI creation (Swing), networking (Socket, ServerSocket), and
input/output (BufferedReader/Writer, DataInputStream/OutputStream) to provide a real-time chat
experience. The server listens for clients, manages their connections, and relays messages,
while the client provides a user-friendly interface for interaction.
Server's Role
● The server is the central hub that connects all clients.
● Each client establishes a connection with the server using a Socket.
● The server:
1. Listens for messages from one client.
2. Broadcasts those messages to all other connected clients (including the sender,
if desired).
