twilio-socket.io-chat App

Greeting, this is my first project from my GA WDI learning. The past seven days is be a fun ride for me as I can really experiences myself as a developer. I got to bed with my laptop and the first thing I do when I open my eyes is turning on my laptop as well.

This project used basic Javascript, jQuery, MongoDB/Mongoose, Html/CSS and mainily focus how twilio and socket.io is working with the server and client relationship. The project first started with just me playing around with Twilio's api and wanting to test how voice ip really function in the interweb. As speaking with Braus with my idea of project. He took my tiny "reminder app" to the next level. Inspried by his idea, I am trying to make this app a two way communication app that users can inter-exchange messages.

The main goal of this app is to achieve a minimum function of "text help desk" in today's standard. The example Braus and me come up is hypothetically in the "Third World" or developing countries when not everyone is having a smart phone with wifi and not everyone can accesss with a laptop or pcs. This app will work as turning any possible pcs or macs with internet connection as a phone.

One of the example is, a nurse logged in with this app and keep tracking his or her conversation with old and new paitents and answersing all the "low level" questions which today, most doctors would not appericated to answer. One nurse can handle multiple clients and also saving commute time. In the long run, all these data (messages) are saved in the data base where data analyst can implement search and automated answers as database is growing bigger. And eventually the nurse will only have to answer "serious" questions and all the "greet" and "low hanging" answers will be answers by auto-text machine.

The Making! To be honest, I did not build a skateboard than a bike than a car. Although I don't consider my app is a car yet, but at least it is moving. The way of my making process is more of an assembly line style. First, I spent two full days reading twilio's Docs and looking for examples and similar apps in node.js through out the internet. Unfortunately, there is not much help I found and I end up did not use any of my reading nor twilio's out going twilhml docs. Without any help from the internet, I turned to seeking help from the instructor. Matt helped me with the MogoDB models and I was able to reference "chats" with "users" and embed messages in to chats. With the most difficult parts is done. I buildted my outbound function of twilio and have my login and sign up set up done first. Than I am start working on my rotues of the backend. And I run out of time with bootstrap and css, which is something I will go back to finish it.

Testing the app is also somehow challenging, at first ,I was only able to send outbound messages to any phones, but can not receive any inbound messages, due to set up in twilio account and also the ports and firewall from the router. Later, I was able to testing the inbound messages with direct public ip and opening all the ports at my home with production. But can not duplicate at campus. Brause show me the "PostMan" addon from Chrome where I can fake and incoming messages as long as I set up my mock "messages" is similar to twilio. This is amazing.