How to make a messenger on Python

Build your own messenger app with Python and a step-by-step guide to creating a chatbot with an example.

Creating a Messenger App with Python

Creating a messenger app with Python is relatively easy and straightforward. With the help of some built-in modules, creating a basic messenger app can be done within a few hours. This tutorial will explain how to create a simple messenger app with Python.

The first step is to import the necessary modules. The modules that are needed are the socket module, the threading module, and the time module. These modules will be used to create sockets, create threads, and set a time limit for a connection.

import socket
import threading
import time

Next, we will create the functions for the server and the client. The server will create a socket, bind to a port, and wait for a connection. The client will create a socket and connect to the server's IP address and port.

def server():
    # Create a socket
    server_socket = socket.socket()

    # Bind to a port
    port = 12345
    server_socket.bind(('', port))

    # Wait for a connection
    server_socket.listen(1)
    conn, address = server_socket.accept()
    print("Connection from: " + str(address))

def client():
    # Create a socket
    client_socket = socket.socket()

    # Connect to a server
    server_ip = '127.0.0.1'
    port = 12345
    client_socket.connect((server_ip, port))

Now we can start writing the main loop of the program. This loop will accept input from both the server and the client. We will also set a time limit for the connection.

while True:
    # Set a time limit for the connection
    timeout = 10
    client_socket.settimeout(timeout)

    # Receive data from the server
    try:
        data = client_socket.recv(1024).decode()
        if data:
            print("Received from server: " + data)
    except:
        print("Connection timed out")
        break

    # Send data to the server
    data = input("Enter message to send to server: ")
    client_socket.send(data.encode())

client_socket.close()

Finally, we will create threads for the server and the client. This will allow both the server and the client to run in parallel.

# Create threads
thread1 = threading.Thread(target=server)
thread2 = threading.Thread(target=client)

# Start threads
thread1.start()
thread2.start()

# Join threads
thread1.join()
thread2.join()

With these steps, you have successfully created a basic messenger app with Python. You can now use this app to send and receive messages with other users. You can also expand this app to add more features and make it more robust.