How to C# Chat Client

By: Rajesh P.S.

The Microsoft .NET framework provides two namespaces, System.Net and System.Net.Sockets for managed implementation of Internet protocols that applications can use to send or receive data over the Internet . The C# Chat Client here is a Windows based Application and its main function is to send message to the Chat Server.

In the previous section C# Multi Threaded Socket Program we saw a C# Multithreaded Server Socket Program communicate with more than one Client at the same time . If you don't know the basics of Socket programming , take a look at the section C# Socket Programming before you start this section.

The C# Chat Server Program has two sections.

1. C# Chat Server

2. Chat Client

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Chat Client

The Chat Client here is to connect the PORT 8888 of the C# Chat Server in " 127.0.0.1 " . Here we give " 127.0.0.1 " , because Chat Server and Chat Client are running on the same machine . When we start the Chat Client program , we have to enter a User Name for identifying the client in Server side . The Client program connect to the Chat Server and start a Thread for receive the messages from Server side client . Here we implement an infinite loop in the function getMessage() and call this function in a Thread .

Create a new C# Windows based project and put the source code in it.

Full Source C#

The C# Chat Server Program has two sections.

1. C# Chat Server

2. Chat Client

How to run Chat Server program ?

Create the C# Chat Server and C# Chat Client are two separate C# projects and compile and build the program. Open a DOS Prompt and run the Server Program first and then run the Client program .

In the Client program, Enter a Chat name and click " Connect to Server " button . Then you can see the message in the Server program User "Joined Chat Room" . Similarly you can connect more than one Clients at the same time and start chatting each other. If you plan to run more than one client, it is better to copy the .exe file in separate folders and run from the .exe file.

Full Source C#

using System; using System.Windows.Forms; using System.Text; using System.Net.Sockets ; using System.Threading; namespace WindowsApplication2 { public partial class Form1 : Form { System.Net.Sockets.TcpClient clientSocket = new System.Net.Sockets.TcpClient(); NetworkStream serverStream = default(NetworkStream); string readData = null; public Form1() { InitializeComponent(); } private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { byte[] outStream = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(textBox2.Text + "$"); serverStream.Write(outStream, 0, outStream.Length); serverStream.Flush(); } private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { readData = "Conected to Chat Server ..."; msg(); clientSocket.Connect("127.0.0.1", 8888); serverStream = clientSocket.GetStream(); byte[] outStream = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(textBox3.Text + "$"); serverStream.Write(outStream, 0, outStream.Length); serverStream.Flush(); Thread ctThread = new Thread(getMessage); ctThread.Start(); } private void getMessage() { while (true) { serverStream = clientSocket.GetStream(); int buffSize = 0; byte[] inStream = new byte[10025]; buffSize = clientSocket.ReceiveBufferSize; serverStream.Read(inStream, 0, buffSize); string returndata = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(inStream); readData = "" + returndata; msg(); } } private void msg() { if (this.InvokeRequired) this.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(msg)); else textBox1.Text = textBox1.Text + Environment.NewLine + " >> " + readData; } } }

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