LetsChat Documentation: A Python Group Chat Server, Lecture notes of Advanced Computer Programming

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LetsChat Documentation

Release 0

Rajdeep Mukherjee

Jul 20, 2017

ii

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

LetsChat is a simple python group chat server. It is similar in application to any ordinary chat server except that this application can be used only for the purpose of chatting in a group which means we cannot use this application for the purpose of chatting one-to-one. It is a console based application.

CHAPTER 2

Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to set up both the server and the client.

2.1 Pre-requisites

There are 2 pre-requisites for installing the application.

• Python 3.6.0 must be installed in your system. In case you do not have python 3.6.0 installed head over to the official download site of python. The official site contains all required documentation for installing python in your local machine.
• pip must be installed in your system in order to install all modules required for running the application. pip is an extrememly popular installer that is extensively used for installing python modules. For guidelines on installing pip head to the official pip installation site.

2.2 Installing

The entire project is uploaded on github.

2.2.1 Installing requisite modules

To start the server go to the source directory present in the root directory. Then execute the following command on the command prompt on your Windows machine or the terminal on your Linux/Max machines.

pip install requirements.txt

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2.2.2 Starting the server

Once you are through with installing all necessary modules you should be okay to start the server. The server runs on port 1337 so its important that this port is free. To check that no process is currently active in port 1337 execute the following command on the command prompt on your Windows machine.

netstat -a

The above command will show all process running on all ports available on the machine. If port 1337 is not shown, it means that the port is not currently running any process.

On Linux/Mac you can check the ports running on the local machine using the following terminal command.

netstat -pnlt | grep ':1337'

If there are any processes running on port 1337, we would need to kill that process before starting the server. Once you are reaady to start the server, head over to the source directory inside the root directory. Next go inside the server directory present in the source directory. Then execute the following command on the command prompt on your Windows machine or the terminal on your Linux/Max machines. T

python serverSocket.py

With this command the server should be started on your local machine and listening on port 1337.

2.2.3 Connecting to the server

If you are a client and would like to start a group chat or get involved in an existing group chat, you will be required to connect to the server through port 1337. Make sure that the port is not blocked by another process. To check for processes running on port 1337 follow the procedure listed above.

Once you are ready to connect to the server head over to the Client directory inside source. Now execute the following command in the command prompt of your Windows machine or in the terminal of your Linux/Mac machine.

python clientSocket.py

Now the client should be connected to the server. Now you can exchange messages with other clients on the network.

4 Chapter 2. Tutorial

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init (self, threadID, name, counter, clientSocket, allClients) This init method overrides the init function of the Thread class in the threading module. It calls the init function to actually create an instance of the Thread class. It then initializes other variables to be required by the thread. Parameters

• threadID – unique ID given to each thread
• name – name given to the thread
• counter – number of threads of this name generated
• clientSocket – Socket instance of the client.
• allClients – a list of Socket instances of all clients connected to the server Return type None run (self ) This method is executed when a thread is started. Here the run method checks the client it is assigned to for any messages and if found broadcasts it to all other clients connected to the server. Return type None

3.2 Client

class writingThread. WritingThread The WritingThread is a thread class. Its instance is created as a thread that is spawned by the clientSocket module for sending data from the client to the server. It reads data from the standard input and sends it to the server. init (self, threadID, name, counter, clientSocket) This init method overrides the init function of the Thread class in the threading module. It calls the init function to actually create an instance of the Thread class. It then initializes other variables to be required by the thread. Parameters

• threadID – unique ID given to each thread
• name – name given to the thread
• counter – number of threads of this name generated
• clientSocket – Socket instance of the client. Return type None

class readingThread. ReadingThread The ReadingThread is a thread class. Its instance is created as a thread that is spawned by the clientSocket module. init (self, threadID, name, counter, clientSocket) This init method overrides the init function of the Thread class in the threading module. It calls the init function to actually create an instance of the Thread class. It then initializes other variables to be required by the thread. Parameters

• threadID – unique ID given to each thread
• name – name given to the thread

6 Chapter 3. API Reference

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• counter – number of threads of this name generated
• clientSocket – Socket instance of the client. Return type None run (self ) The run method contains code that must be executed when the thread is started. Here the run method checks the clientSocket for any messages that the server has sent. If so the message is displayed on the client’s console. Return type None

3.2. Client 7

CHAPTER 4

Indices and tables

• genindex
• modindex
• search

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10 Chapter 4. Indices and tables

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12 Python Module Index

Index

Symbols

init() (clientThread.ClientThread method), 5 init() (clientThreadReadHan- dle.ClientThreadReadHandle method), 5 init() (readingThread.ReadingThread method), 6 init() (writingThread.WritingThread method), 6

C

clientSocket (module), 6 ClientThread (class in clientThread), 5 clientThread (module), 5 ClientThreadReadHandle (class in clientThreadReadHan- dle), 5 clientThreadReadHandle (module), 5

R

ReadingThread (class in readingThread), 6 readingThread (module), 6 run() (clientThread.ClientThread method), 5 run() (clientThreadReadHan- dle.ClientThreadReadHandle method), 6 run() (readingThread.ReadingThread method), 7

S

serverSocket (module), 5

W

WritingThread (class in writingThread), 6 writingThread (module), 6