Collaborative Text Editor

This is a collaborative text editor application that allows multiple users to edit the same document in real-time. The application consists of:

• Server: A Rust-based WebSocket server that manages document state and synchronizes edits between clients.
• Web Client: A Flutter web application that connects to the server and provides a user interface for editing the document.
• Rust Client: An alternative client written in Rust for command-line interaction with the document.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Directory Structure
• Setup and Run with Docker Compose
  • 1. Clone the Repository
  • 2. Build and Run the Services
• Using the Application
  • Accessing the Web Client
  • Interacting with the Rust Client
• Services Details
  • Server
  • Web Client
  • Rust Client
• Troubleshooting
• License

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Docker: Install Docker
• Docker Compose: Install Docker Compose

Directory Structure

The repository is organized as follows:

.
├── docker-compose.yml
├── README.md
├── server
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── src
│       └── main.rs
├── web_client
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── lib
│       └── main.dart
└── client
    ├── Dockerfile
    └── src
        └── main.rs

Setup and Run with Docker Compose

Build and Run the Services

docker-compose up --build

This command will:

Build the Docker images for the server, web client, and Rust client. Start the services and connect them via Docker Compose. Note: The first build may take several minutes to complete.

Using the Application

Accessing the Web Client

• Open your web browser.
• Navigate to http://localhost.
• You should see the collaborative text editor interface. You can open this URL in multiple browser windows or on different devices connected to the same network to test real-time collaboration.

Interacting with the Rust Client

The Rust client runs as a service in the Docker Compose setup. To interact with it:

• Open a terminal.

• Attach to the Rust client container:

docker-compose exec client bash

• Once inside the container, you can interact with the client via the command line.

Example Usage:

• To enter an edit:

Enter an edit (position,insert/delete):

• Follow the prompt to input your edits in the format:

For insertion: position,text_to_insert
For deletion: position,deleteN (where N is the number of characters to delete)

Note: The Rust client logs will display information about edits sent and received.

Services Details

Server

Description: A Rust-based WebSocket server that manages the collaborative editing session. Dockerfile Location: ./server/Dockerfile Port Mapping: Exposes port 8080 to the host. Build Context: ./server

Web Client

Description: A Flutter web application that connects to the server and provides a user interface. Dockerfile Location: ./web_client/Dockerfile Port Mapping: Exposes port 80 to the host. Build Context: ./web_client Access URL: http://localhost

Rust Client

Description: A command-line client written in Rust for interacting with the server. Dockerfile Location: ./client/Dockerfile Build Context: ./client Interaction: Via terminal after attaching to the container.

Troubleshooting

Docker Permission Issues: If you encounter permission issues during the build, ensure you are not running Docker commands as root and that your user has the appropriate permissions.

Port Conflicts: Ensure that ports 80 and 8080 are not in use by other applications on your host machine.

WebSocket Connection Errors: If the web client cannot connect to the server, verify that the server is running and accessible at ws://localhost:8080.

Rebuilding Containers: If you make changes to the code, rebuild the Docker images:

docker-compose build
docker-compose up