🧑‍💻 C Socket Realtime Chat App (Windows)

This is a simple real-time chat application implemented in C using sockets and multithreading (Windows Winsock API). It demonstrates basic client-server communication over TCP sockets, similar to a terminal-based messenger.

🔧 Features

• Client-server architecture using TCP (IPv4)
• Real-time 2-way messaging with multithreading
• Graceful connection close with exit command
• ANSI C + Windows-only (uses winsock2.h and _beginthread)

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⚙️ Requirements

• Windows OS
• GCC compiler (e.g., via MinGW or Dev-C++)
• CMD or Windows Terminal

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🛠️ How to Build and Run

🖥️ Server

gcc server.c -o server.exe -lws2_32
./server.exe

Compile 💻 Client_side

gcc client.c -o client.exe -lws2_32
./client.exe

📌 On client startup, you will be asked to enter the server IP (e.g., 127.0.0.1 for localhost). You can chnage the code to IpV6 for Online or with other user interaction

💬 Example Demo Terminal 1 – Server

waiting for connection.. at port 9090 connected successfully.. from IP 127.0.0.1 Send message ... Hello from server!

Terminal 2 – Client

Enter the ip to connect... 127.0.0.1 Connected successfully.. to server127.0.0.1 Host: Hello from server! Send message ... Hello from client!

Use exit to quit the chat gracefully.

🧠 How It Works The server binds to port 9090 and listens for incoming connections.

The client connects to the server using the given IP.

After connection:

Server and client both launch two threads:

One for receiving (recv())

One for sending (send())

The loop runs until either side sends "exit".

❗ Notes This code uses blocking sockets, so each thread handles one direction of communication.

Only works on Windows due to winsock2.h and _beginthread().

Doesn't support multiple clients (one-to-one chat only).

Be sure to compile with -lws2_32 to link Windows Socket library.
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Contact

📬 Follow or DM me on X (Twitter): @aadityansha_06
Dm on telegram : Aadityansha

🙌 Credits

Made with 💻 and a lot of effort by @aadityansha06