How to make Realtime chat Application in Android
Hi friends , In my previous post How to create Chat Application in Android studio we had seen how To make user Interface of a chat Application . Though there are lots of way to make realtime chat apps like using parse Integration ,making chat application from scratch ,Google Cloud Messaging (GCM),etc. I will explain it one by one in my upcomming post .
In this post I am going to share how to do server side Socket programming so that you can chat from your handset and also from the web. This Application is made in Eclipse adding J2EE and Tomcat server support.
Prerequisite:
- JDK 6.0 or above
- Eclipse and Android SDk
- Tomcat 7 server.
1. First Download apache tomcat 7 from tomcat website. Once download complete, extract it in some location.
2. In Eclipse go to Help ⇒ Install New Software. Click on Work with drop down and select Juno – http://download.eclipse.org/releases/juno. (You need to select the appropriate eclipse release depending upon your eclipse flavour)
3. Expand Web, XML, Java EE and OSGi Enterprise Development and select below Extension and proceed to installation.
- Eclipse java EE developer Tools.
- JST server Adapters
- JST server Adapter extension
4. Once Installation complete , Eclipse will prompt you to restart. When the eclipse re-opened, we need to create a server first. From goto Windows ⇒ Show View ⇒ Server ⇒ Servers.
5. In servers tab, click on new server wizard and select Apache ⇒ Tomcat v7.0 Server. Give your server name, browse and select the tomcat home directory which you downloaded.
6. Find your IP address . from windows open Terminal and type ipconfig or on Mac type ifconfig .
7. Building the Socket Server
In Eclipse create a new Dynamic Web Project by navigating to File ⇒ New ⇒ Other ⇒ Web ⇒ Dynamic Web Project. Give the project name and select the Target runtime as Tomcat 7. I gave my project name as MobileGroupChatServer. it has following structures.

8. Create a new class named JSONUtils.java under project’s src package folder. This class contains methods to generate JSON strings those are required to have the communication b/w socket server and clients. In the following code, if you observe each json contains flag node which tell the clients the purpose of JSON message. On the client side we have to take appropriate action considering the flag value.
public class JSONUtils {
// flags to identify the kind of json response on client side
private static final String FLAG_SELF = "self", FLAG_NEW = "new",
FLAG_MESSAGE = "message", FLAG_EXIT = "exit";
public JSONUtils() {
}
/**
* Json when client needs it's own session details
* */
public String getClientDetailsJson(String sessionId, String message) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_SELF);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("message", message);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
/**
* Json to notify all the clients about new person joined
* */
public String getNewClientJson(String sessionId, String name, String message, int onlineCount) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_NEW);
jObj.put("name", name);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("message", message);
jObj.put("onlineCount", onlineCount);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
/**
* Json when the client exits the socket connection
* */
public String getClientExitJson(String sessionId, String name,
String message, int onlineCount) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_EXIT);
jObj.put("name", name);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("message", message);
jObj.put("onlineCount", onlineCount);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
/**
* JSON when message needs to be sent to all the clients
* */
public String getSendAllMessageJson(String sessionId, String fromName, String message) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_MESSAGE);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("name", fromName);
jObj.put("message", message);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
}
// flags to identify the kind of json response on client side
private static final String FLAG_SELF = "self", FLAG_NEW = "new",
FLAG_MESSAGE = "message", FLAG_EXIT = "exit";
public JSONUtils() {
}
/**
* Json when client needs it's own session details
* */
public String getClientDetailsJson(String sessionId, String message) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_SELF);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("message", message);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
/**
* Json to notify all the clients about new person joined
* */
public String getNewClientJson(String sessionId, String name, String message, int onlineCount) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_NEW);
jObj.put("name", name);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("message", message);
jObj.put("onlineCount", onlineCount);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
/**
* Json when the client exits the socket connection
* */
public String getClientExitJson(String sessionId, String name,
String message, int onlineCount) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_EXIT);
jObj.put("name", name);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("message", message);
jObj.put("onlineCount", onlineCount);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
/**
* JSON when message needs to be sent to all the clients
* */
public String getSendAllMessageJson(String sessionId, String fromName, String message) {
String json = null;
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject();
jObj.put("flag", FLAG_MESSAGE);
jObj.put("sessionId", sessionId);
jObj.put("name", fromName);
jObj.put("message", message);
json = jObj.toString();
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return json;
}
}
9. Create another class SocketServer.java and add the following code. here we implement actual socket server.
@ServerEndpoint("/chat")
public class SocketServer {
// set to store all the live sessions
private static final Set<Session> sessions = Collections.synchronizedSet(new HashSet<Session>());
// Mapping between session and person name
private static final HashMap<String, String> nameSessionPair = new HashMap<String, String>();
private JSONUtils jsonUtils = new JSONUtils();
// Getting query params
public static Map<String, String> getQueryMap(String query) {
Map<String, String> map = Maps.newHashMap();
if (query != null) {
String[] params = query.split("&");
for (String param : params) {
String[] nameval = param.split("=");
map.put(nameval[0], nameval[1]);
}
}
return map;
}
/**
* Called when a socket connection opened
* */
@OnOpen
public void onOpen(Session session) {
System.out.println(session.getId() + " has opened a connection");
Map<String, String> queryParams = getQueryMap(session.getQueryString());
String name = "";
if (queryParams.containsKey("name")) {
// Getting client name via query param
name = queryParams.get("name");
try {
name = URLDecoder.decode(name, "UTF-8");
} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
// Mapping client name and session id
nameSessionPair.put(session.getId(), name);
}
// Adding session to session list
sessions.add(session);
try {
// Sending session id to the client that just connected
session.getBasicRemote().sendText(
jsonUtils.getClientDetailsJson(session.getId(),"Your session details"));
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
// Notifying all the clients about new person joined
sendMessageToAll(session.getId(), name, " joined conversation!", true,
false);
}
/**
* method called when new message received from any client
*
* @param message
* JSON message from client
* */
@OnMessage
public void onMessage(String message, Session session) {
System.out.println("Message from " + session.getId() + ": " + message);
String msg = null;
// Parsing the json and getting message
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject(message);
msg = jObj.getString("message");
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
// Sending the message to all clients
sendMessageToAll(session.getId(), nameSessionPair.get(session.getId()),
msg, false, false);
}
/**
* Method called when a connection is closed
* */
@OnClose
public void onClose(Session session) {
System.out.println("Session " + session.getId() + " has ended");
// Getting the client name that exited
String name = nameSessionPair.get(session.getId());
// removing the session from sessions list
sessions.remove(session);
// Notifying all the clients about person exit
sendMessageToAll(session.getId(), name, " left conversation!", false, true);
}
/**
* Method to send message to all clients
*
* @param sessionId
* @param message
* message to be sent to clients
* @param isNewClient
* flag to identify that message is about new person joined
* @param isExit
* flag to identify that a person left the conversation
* */
private void sendMessageToAll(String sessionId, String name,
String message, boolean isNewClient, boolean isExit) {
// Looping through all the sessions and sending the message individually
for (Session s : sessions) {
String json = null;
// Checking if the message is about new client joined
if (isNewClient) {
json = jsonUtils.getNewClientJson(sessionId, name, message, sessions.size());
} else if (isExit) {
// Checking if the person left the conversation
json = jsonUtils.getClientExitJson(sessionId, name, message,
sessions.size());
} else {
// Normal chat conversation message
json = jsonUtils
.getSendAllMessageJson(sessionId, name, message);
}
try {
System.out.println("Sending Message To: " + sessionId + ", + json);
s.getBasicRemote().sendText(json);
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("error in sending. " + s.getId() + ", "+ e.getMessage());
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
public class SocketServer {
// set to store all the live sessions
private static final Set<Session> sessions = Collections.synchronizedSet(new HashSet<Session>());
// Mapping between session and person name
private static final HashMap<String, String> nameSessionPair = new HashMap<String, String>();
private JSONUtils jsonUtils = new JSONUtils();
// Getting query params
public static Map<String, String> getQueryMap(String query) {
Map<String, String> map = Maps.newHashMap();
if (query != null) {
String[] params = query.split("&");
for (String param : params) {
String[] nameval = param.split("=");
map.put(nameval[0], nameval[1]);
}
}
return map;
}
/**
* Called when a socket connection opened
* */
@OnOpen
public void onOpen(Session session) {
System.out.println(session.getId() + " has opened a connection");
Map<String, String> queryParams = getQueryMap(session.getQueryString());
String name = "";
if (queryParams.containsKey("name")) {
// Getting client name via query param
name = queryParams.get("name");
try {
name = URLDecoder.decode(name, "UTF-8");
} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
// Mapping client name and session id
nameSessionPair.put(session.getId(), name);
}
// Adding session to session list
sessions.add(session);
try {
// Sending session id to the client that just connected
session.getBasicRemote().sendText(
jsonUtils.getClientDetailsJson(session.getId(),"Your session details"));
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
// Notifying all the clients about new person joined
sendMessageToAll(session.getId(), name, " joined conversation!", true,
false);
}
/**
* method called when new message received from any client
*
* @param message
* JSON message from client
* */
@OnMessage
public void onMessage(String message, Session session) {
System.out.println("Message from " + session.getId() + ": " + message);
String msg = null;
// Parsing the json and getting message
try {
JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject(message);
msg = jObj.getString("message");
} catch (JSONException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
// Sending the message to all clients
sendMessageToAll(session.getId(), nameSessionPair.get(session.getId()),
msg, false, false);
}
/**
* Method called when a connection is closed
* */
@OnClose
public void onClose(Session session) {
System.out.println("Session " + session.getId() + " has ended");
// Getting the client name that exited
String name = nameSessionPair.get(session.getId());
// removing the session from sessions list
sessions.remove(session);
// Notifying all the clients about person exit
sendMessageToAll(session.getId(), name, " left conversation!", false, true);
}
/**
* Method to send message to all clients
*
* @param sessionId
* @param message
* message to be sent to clients
* @param isNewClient
* flag to identify that message is about new person joined
* @param isExit
* flag to identify that a person left the conversation
* */
private void sendMessageToAll(String sessionId, String name,
String message, boolean isNewClient, boolean isExit) {
// Looping through all the sessions and sending the message individually
for (Session s : sessions) {
String json = null;
// Checking if the message is about new client joined
if (isNewClient) {
json = jsonUtils.getNewClientJson(sessionId, name, message, sessions.size());
} else if (isExit) {
// Checking if the person left the conversation
json = jsonUtils.getClientExitJson(sessionId, name, message,
sessions.size());
} else {
// Normal chat conversation message
json = jsonUtils
.getSendAllMessageJson(sessionId, name, message);
}
try {
System.out.println("Sending Message To: " + sessionId + ", + json);
s.getBasicRemote().sendText(json);
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("error in sending. " + s.getId() + ", "+ e.getMessage());
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
10. Now to Build the WebApp you need to put html ,css, jquery file in WebContent folder. Download the whole project source code from below link

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Comments ( 5 )

Alexey Rykov:
Thanks from Ukraine
Thanks from Ukraine

Admin:
thanx to all of you
thanx to all of you

Alexey Rykov:
Thanks from Ukraine
Thanks from Ukraine

Admin:

محمد مساوى:
Thanks from yemen
Thanks from yemen

Admin:
thanx to all of you
thanx to all of you

Fatih Han:
Thanks from Macedonia
Thanks from Macedonia

Admin:
thanx to all of you
thanx to all of you

Tosif Hakeem:
sir i does not have Eclipse in my system. will you please give same explanation for android studio user? Thank you in advance
sir i does not have Eclipse in my system. will you please give same explanation for android studio user? Thank you in advance
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