Collaborative Text Editor

Overview

This is a collaborative text editing application built using JavaFX for the frontend and Spring WebSocket for the backend. It allows multiple users to edit a shared document in real-time, with features such as:

• Real-time text editing using a CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Type) for consistency.
• User presence tracking (list of connected users with cursor positions).
• Commenting system (users can add comments on text ranges, which are highlighted when clicked).
• Undo/Redo functionality for text edits.
• Exporting the document as a text file.

The application consists of:

• Client: A JavaFX application (SessionController) that provides the UI for editing and commenting.
• Server: A Spring Boot application with WebSocket support (WebSocketController) for real-time communication.
• CRDT: A custom CRDTTree implementation to handle concurrent edits.

Prerequisites

To run this application, you need the following installed on your system:

1. Java Development Kit (JDK): Version 17 or higher.
2. Maven: For dependency management and building the project.
3. JavaFX SDK: Required for the client UI.
   • Download from: https://gluonhq.com/products/javafx/
   • Alternatively, use Maven to include JavaFX dependencies.
4. Spring Boot: The server uses Spring Boot for WebSocket communication.
   • Included as a Maven dependency.
5. IDE: IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, or any IDE with JavaFX and Maven support (optional but recommended).
6. WebSocket Client Library: The client uses spring-messaging and spring-websocket for WebSocket communication (included via Maven).

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

Clone or download the project to your local machine.

2. Configure Dependencies

Ensure you have a pom.xml file with the necessary dependencies. Run mvn install to download dependencies.

Running the Application

1. Start the Server

1. Navigate to the project directory.
2. Run the Spring Boot server with the following command:
   • mvn spring-boot:run
3. The server will start on localhost:8080 and expose a WebSocket endpoint at ws://localhost:8080/ws.

2. Start the Client

1. Ensure the server is running.
2. Run the JavaFX client with the following command:
   • mvn javafx:run
3. If using IntelliJ:
   • Naviate to the main JavaFX application class and click the run button.

This project was a part of the Advanced Programming Techniques course in the Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering

Credits:

• George Ayman
• Jana Meriden
• Moaaz Emam
• Yara Senousy