HitUp Chat App

HitUp is a real-time chat application built using Flutter and Firebase Realtime Database. It provides a seamless and responsive chatting experience, enabling users to communicate efficiently with their contacts.

Features

• User Authentication: Sign up and log in using email and password.
• Real-time Messaging: Send and receive messages instantly.
• Message Storage: Store chat data in Firebase Realtime Database.
• Group Chats: Create and manage group conversations.
• Profile Management: Update user profile information like name and profile picture.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Flutter (Dart)
• Backend: Firebase Realtime Database
• Authentication: Firebase Authentication

Prerequisites

1. Install Flutter SDK (Flutter Installation Guide).
2. Set up a Firebase project (Firebase Setup Guide).

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/hitup-chat-app.git
   cd hitup-chat-app

2. Install dependencies:

   flutter pub get

3. Set up Firebase:

   • Add the google-services.json file to the android/app directory.
   • Add the GoogleService-Info.plist file to the ios/Runner directory.
   • Configure Firebase project settings in firebase_options.dart (generated using flutterfire configure).

4. Run the application:

   flutter run

Key Features Explained

Real-time Messaging

Messages are stored and retrieved from Firebase Realtime Database. Each chat is represented by a node containing user-specific data and message history.

User Authentication

Firebase Authentication is used to manage user sign-up and log-in securely. Authenticated users are registered in the database under a users node.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch:

   git checkout -b feature-name

3. Commit changes:

   git commit -m "Added new feature"

4. Push to the branch:

   git push origin feature-name

5. Create a pull request.

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