Testing the Event Chat Feature

Prerequisites

Server is running on port 5001
Client is running on port 3000
MongoDB is connected
You have a registered user account
There's at least one event with registrations

Manual Testing Steps

1. Create a Test Event (Workshop)

Using Postman or a test script, create a workshop that starts soon:

POST http://localhost:5001/api/workshops
Authorization: Bearer <professor_token>

{
  "name": "Test Chat Workshop",
  "location": "GUC Cairo",
  "startAt": "2025-12-12T14:00:00Z",  // Set to current time + 2 minutes
  "endAt": "2025-12-12T16:00:00Z",
  "startTime": "14:00",
  "endTime": "16:00",
  "shortDescription": "Testing chat feature",
  "fullAgenda": "Test workshop for chat",
  "faculty": "Engineering",
  "professors": ["Test Professor"],
  "requiredBudget": 1000,
  "fundingSource": "GUC",
  "capacity": 50,
  "registrationDeadline": "2025-12-12T13:00:00Z",
  "status": "published"
}

2. Register for the Event

POST http://localhost:5001/api/registrations/register
Authorization: Bearer <user_token>

{
  "eventType": "workshop",
  "eventId": "<workshop_id_from_step_1>",
  "name": "Test User",
  "email": "test@guc.edu.eg",
  "id": "12345"
}

3. Wait for Event Start Time

The chat will automatically activate when:

The event's start time arrives (within 5 minutes)
The scheduled task runs (every 5 minutes)

Or manually trigger it by:

# In the server directory
node -e "require('./services/chatService').manageEventChats().then(() => process.exit())"

4. Test Chat UI

Login to the application as a registered user
Navigate to any page (home, events, etc.)
Look for the minimized chat tab on the right side of the screen
Click the chat tab to open it
Send a test message
Open another browser window/tab (incognito mode)
Login as another registered user
Verify that messages appear in real-time

5. Test Chat Features

Minimizing

Click the minimize button (−) in the chat header
Verify the chat collapses to a tab
Click the tab to reopen

Closing

Click the close button (×) in the chat header
Verify the chat disappears completely
Refresh the page
Verify the chat reappears if still active

Multiple Chats

Register for multiple events
Wait for them to start
Verify multiple minimized tabs appear
Click each tab to switch between chats

Message Display

Verify your messages appear on the right with blue background
Verify other users' messages appear on the left with white background
Verify timestamps are displayed correctly
Verify sender names are shown

Message Validation

Try sending an empty message (should be disabled)
Try sending a very long message (max 1000 chars)
Verify character limit is enforced

6. Test Chat Deactivation

Wait for the event end time or manually deactivate:

POST http://localhost:5001/api/chat/workshop/<event_id>/close
Authorization: Bearer <admin_token>

Verify:

Chat becomes read-only or closes
New messages cannot be sent
Chat tab disappears after refresh

Automated Testing Script

Create a file test-chat.js in the server directory:

const axios = require('axios');

const API_URL = 'http://localhost:5001';
let authToken = '';

async function testChat() {
  try {
    // 1. Login
    console.log('1. Logging in...');
    const loginRes = await axios.post(`${API_URL}/api/auth/login`, {
      email: 'test@guc.edu.eg',
      password: 'password123'
    });
    authToken = loginRes.data.token;
    console.log('✓ Logged in successfully');

    // 2. Get active chats
    console.log('\n2. Fetching active chats...');
    const chatsRes = await axios.get(`${API_URL}/api/active-chats`, {
      headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${authToken}` }
    });
    console.log(`✓ Found ${chatsRes.data.length} active chat(s)`);
    
    if (chatsRes.data.length === 0) {
      console.log('⚠ No active chats found. Create and register for an event first.');
      return;
    }

    // 3. Get messages for first chat
    const firstChat = chatsRes.data[0];
    console.log(`\n3. Getting messages for "${firstChat.eventName}"...`);
    const messagesRes = await axios.get(
      `${API_URL}/api/chat/${firstChat.eventType}/${firstChat.eventId}/messages`,
      { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${authToken}` } }
    );
    console.log(`✓ Found ${messagesRes.data.messages.length} message(s)`);

    console.log('\n✅ All tests passed!');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('❌ Test failed:', error.response?.data || error.message);
  }
}

testChat();

Run with: node test-chat.js

Common Issues

Chat Not Appearing

Check browser console for errors
Verify Socket.io connection: Look for "Socket connected" in console
Check that event has started and status is correct
Verify you're registered for the event

Messages Not Sending

Check browser console for Socket errors
Verify authentication token is valid
Check server logs for Socket.io events
Ensure chat is still active

Real-time Updates Not Working

Verify Socket.io connection is established
Check CORS settings in server.js
Try refreshing the page
Check firewall/proxy settings

Browser Console Commands

Test Socket.io connection:

// Check if socket service is connected
import socketService from './services/socketService';
console.log('Connected:', socketService.isConnected());

// Manually connect
socketService.connect();

// Test sending a message
socketService.sendMessage('workshop', 'EVENT_ID', 'Test message');

Server Logs to Monitor

When testing, watch for these logs:

✓ Socket connected
✓ User <userId> joined room workshop-<eventId>
✓ Message sent in room workshop-<eventId> by <userName>
✓ Activated chat for workshop: <eventName>
✓ Deactivated chat for workshop: <eventName>

Performance Testing

Test with multiple users:

Open 10+ browser tabs
Login with different accounts in each
All send messages simultaneously
Verify all messages appear in real-time
Check for lag or connection issues

Security Testing

Try accessing chat without being registered
Try sending messages without authentication
Try XSS attacks in message text
Verify message length limits
Test with invalid event IDs

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