Page 1 of 2

PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 5:59 am
by spider888
Salutations,

I'm just a newbie in PHP.

Currently I'm working on a Social Networking Tool. The goal of this project is provide a Social Networking site similar with Facebook.

So I chose Joomla as my baseline site. In my Joomla site, I used the JomSocial component for profiling of users. The only thing that is missing is an Instant Messaging feature in my site like in Facebook.

I also found out that Facebook is created using PHP (Correct me if I'm wrong).

Does anyone tried creating a chat similar in Facebook?
Can you advise me how/where to start in creating a chat like Facebook?

Any suggestion/feedback is welcome.


Thanks in advance.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:39 am
by Paul Arnold
You won't be able to do that with PHP. You need a client-side soultion.
There are plenty of Javascript chat scripts available on the interwebs.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:37 pm
by spider888
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the reply.
Paul Arnold wrote:You won't be able to do that with PHP.
Ah ok. So I can't do it in PHP. Hmm, that saves development time. Thanks.

Paul Arnold wrote:You need a client-side soultion.
There are plenty of Javascript chat scripts available on the interwebs.
Ah i see, ok I'll try to check it out myself. Btw, if you have Javascript chat script websites that you want to refer to me, just post it here. Really appreciate it.


Thanks in advance.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:30 pm
by ldougherty
If you do a quick search on Google for javascript chat script you'll find a wealth of applications to choose from.

This URL may prove useful as these are PHP based chat applications:

http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Chat/

These are javascript based chat applications:

http://www.scripts.com/java-scripts/cha ... ript-chat/

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 9:31 pm
by spider888
Hi ldougherty,

Thanks for the reply.

ldougherty wrote:http://www.scripts.com/java-scripts/cha ... ript-chat/
Yup, checking them right now. Btw, with the links that you provided, is there a chat script that is similar with Facebook? Because all I'm seeing are just scripts that lets you create chat rooms. Is this means that I should start with them as a baseline and then evolve them something like the chat in Facebook?

Well, its better if there is a chat script that is similar to Facebook so I could just inject it in my site and to cut off some development time.


Thanks and God bless.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 12:02 am
by jaoudestudios
I started one a while back which I never quite finished.

You are welcome to have it, if it helps?

Online Chat (jQuery)

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 8:20 pm
by spider888
Hi jaoudestudios,

Thanks for the reply.

I saw your Online Chat, yup do you have the source? Would like to check it myself.


Anyways, I found AJAX IM in the net. I'm currently trying to integrate it to my Joomla site.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 1:28 am
by jaoudestudios
Sure.

It is in my SVN repo, but if it is easier I can zip it and send it to you - I have no idea what state the code is in though :? - probably just inline comments, no full documentation.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:31 am
by spider888
Hi jaoudestudios,

PM sent.


Thanks.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 5:13 am
by onion2k
spider888 wrote:I'm just a newbie in PHP.

Currently I'm working on a Social Networking Tool. The goal of this project is provide a Social Networking site similar with Facebook.
Talk about trying to run before you can walk...

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 4:53 am
by Paul Arnold
onion2k wrote:
spider888 wrote:I'm just a newbie in PHP.

Currently I'm working on a Social Networking Tool. The goal of this project is provide a Social Networking site similar with Facebook.
Talk about trying to run before you can walk...
We had an email from a guy the other day asking if we could set him a site up similar to Facebook for £500...

Unreal.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 5:02 am
by onion2k
Paul Arnold wrote:We had an email from a guy the other day asking if we could set him a site up similar to Facebook for £500
Creating something like FB from scratch would cost a lot, but a skinned Ning install could be done for £500 no problem. It's less than a day's work. http://www.ning.com/

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 5:27 am
by jayshields
What do you mean by Ning "install"? There's nothing to install is there? Isn't it just an online service that anyone can sign up to?

I doubt a client would be very happy if they wanted a Facebook-like social networking site and all you did was sign them up to a free online service and write some CSS.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 5:49 am
by spider888
onion2k wrote:
spider888 wrote:I'm just a newbie in PHP.

Currently I'm working on a Social Networking Tool. The goal of this project is provide a Social Networking site similar with Facebook.
Talk about trying to run before you can walk...
That is the team's objective.

onion2k wrote:
Paul Arnold wrote:We had an email from a guy the other day asking if we could set him a site up similar to Facebook for £500
Creating something like FB from scratch would cost a lot, but a skinned Ning install could be done for £500 no problem. It's less than a day's work. http://www.ning.com/
Try reading my post again:
spider888 wrote:So I chose Joomla as my baseline site. In my Joomla site, I used the JomSocial component for profiling of users.
Try to check Joomla, its an open-source CMS: http://www.joomla.org
Also, try to check JomSocial, its component for Joomla: http://www.jomsocial.com/
With those 2 as my baseline, I don't think I would'nt need to spend £500 or more.


Try reading my post again:
spider888 wrote:The only thing that is missing is an Instant Messaging feature in my site like in Facebook.
Also, I tried Ning.com before... and it has no chat feature.

Btw, when I said "provide a Social Networking site similar with Facebook.", most of its feature should be existing in my site like the chat and the profiling of users(photo uploading and adding of friends).


jayshields wrote:What do you mean by Ning "install"? There's nothing to install is there? Isn't it just an online service that anyone can sign up to?

I doubt a client would be very happy if they wanted a Facebook-like social networking site and all you did was sign them up to a free online service and write some CSS.
Yep you're right. And besides, we are planning to host our Social Networking site in an INTRANET.

Re: PHP chat like Facebook

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 5:54 am
by jayshields
If you want to research implementing something like FB chat from scratch I'd look into a real-time private messaging system rather than a chat system.