WireChat in action

Registering a New User

The user issues the registration command from the input box. The client validates it and pushes a registration packet.

// Inside the TUI Client input field
/register alice supersecurepassword

Network Packet Payload & Server Hashing

The server receives a register JSON packet, generates a secure argon2 hash, and saves it in the SQLite database.

{
  "type": "register",
  "username": "alice",
  "password": "supersecurepassword"
}

SELECT * FROM users;
┌──────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│ username │ password (Argon2 Hash)       │
├──────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ alice    │ $argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=3...│
└──────────┴──────────────────────────────┘

Logging In & Session Bind

Once registered, the user logs in. The server verifies the password, maps the user to the websocket connection, and auto-joins the user to the general chat room.

Creating a Custom Room

A user can spin up a custom room at runtime with an optional description using /create-room.

/create-room tech "Technical discussions and logs"

{
  "type": "command",
  "command": "create-room",
  "name": "tech",
  "description": "Technical discussions"
}

{
  "type": "system",
  "content": "Room 'tech' created/updated."
}

Joining and Switching Channels

Switching rooms leaves the previous room, joins the new one, and notifies other room members in real time.

/join tech

Initiating a Direct Message

A user types a DM using /dm <target> <msg>. The server finds the socket connected to the target and routes the message exclusively to them.

/dm bob Hey bob, did you check the SQLite logs?

Packet Routing

The server intercept matches the target "bob" against the active users list and emits a private `dm` packet.

{
  "type": "command",
  "command": "dm",
  "target": "bob",
  "content": "Hey bob, check logs."
}

{
  "type": "dm",
  "from": "alice",
  "content": "Hey bob, check logs.",
  "timestamp": 1715901243100
}

TUI Presentation (Bob's Screen)

Bob receives the DM, styled in magenta to clearly distinguish it from public room messages.

Fetching Room History

Users who join a room or need context can pull historical messages using `/history` with a custom limit.

/history 3

SQLite Query & WebSocket Delivery

The server runs a SQL query on chat.db, formats the records, and replies with a history collection.

SELECT sender, content, timestamp 
FROM messages 
WHERE room = 'tech' 
ORDER BY timestamp DESC 
LIMIT 3;

{
  "type": "history",
  "messages": [
    {"username":"bob","content":"test"...},
    {"username":"alice","content":"hi"...}
  ]
}

Chronological Log Rendering

The TUI client reverses the fetched array so history prints in order (oldest to newest), flanked by gray boundary markers.