Building a Decentralized Chat Dapp: GUN Web3 Tutorial
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Benefits of Building a Decentralized App
- Challenges of Building a Decentralized App
- Understanding the Working of the Decentralized Chat App
- Gun.js: A Decentralized Graph Database
- How Data is Persisted and Handled in the Chat App
- User Authentication and Security in the App
- Implementing User Sign-in and Sign-up
- Managing User State and UI in the App
- Querying and Displaying Messages in the Chat Room
- Sending Messages in the Decentralized Chat App
- Conclusion
Introduction
In today's digital landscape, decentralized applications or DApps are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide enhanced privacy, security, and control over user data. In this article, we will explore the concept of decentralized apps and discuss the process of building a decentralized chat app using Gun.js, a decentralized graph database. We will dive into the benefits and challenges of building such an app and explore the unique features and functionalities it offers. So, let's get started and unravel the world of decentralized chat apps.
Benefits of Building a Decentralized App
Decentralized apps offer several advantages over their centralized counterparts. Here are some key benefits of building a decentralized app:
-
Enhanced Privacy: Unlike traditional apps, decentralized apps distribute data across the network, ensuring that no single entity has complete control over user information. This decentralized nature provides enhanced privacy to users.
-
Improved Security: With data distributed across multiple nodes, decentralized apps are more resilient to hacking and data breaches. The cryptographic algorithms used in these apps provide an added layer of security.
-
User Control: Users have complete ownership and control over their data in decentralized apps. They can choose what information to share and have the power to revoke access at any time.
-
Censorship Resistance: Centralized platforms often face censorship and content restrictions. Decentralized apps, on the other HAND, are resistant to censorship as there is no central authority governing them.
-
Global Accessibility: Decentralized apps can be accessed from anywhere in the world, making them highly accessible to users across different geographical locations.
Challenges of Building a Decentralized App
While decentralized apps offer numerous benefits, they also present unique challenges during the development process. Here are some challenges You may encounter while building a decentralized chat app:
-
Infrastructure Setup: Unlike traditional apps that rely on centralized servers, decentralized apps require a distributed infrastructure. Setting up and maintaining this infrastructure can be complex and resource-intensive.
-
Data Persistence: Storing and persisting data in a decentralized manner presents challenges. Ensuring data availability even when users clear their browser cache requires the use of relay servers and advanced storage mechanisms.
-
User Authentication: User authentication in a decentralized app requires a different approach. Cryptographic techniques, such as generating secure key pairs and implementing proof-of-work, need to be employed to establish user identities securely.
-
End-to-End Encryption: Implementing end-to-end encryption in a decentralized chat app ensures that messages remain secure and private. However, integrating encryption mechanisms and managing encryption keys can be a complex task.
Understanding the Working of the Decentralized Chat App
Before we Delve into the technicalities of building a decentralized chat app, let's understand how it works at a high level. The app is built using Gun.js, a decentralized graph database. Unlike traditional databases that store data on a single disk or in the cloud, Gun.js distributes data across the network.
Each user in the chat app stores a subset of data locally, Based on the data they Consume or query. When a user makes a query for specific data, the app searches for other users who have that data and synchronizes it using technologies like WebRTC. Essentially, the entire database is a union of all peers on the network.
It's important to note that the decentralized chat app is not based on blockchain technology. While they share similarities, the app utilizes a more efficient and lightweight approach, allowing for better real-time communication and scalability.
Gun.js: A Decentralized Graph Database
At the Core of the decentralized chat app is Gun.js, a decentralized graph database. Gun.js enables the app to store and retrieve data in a decentralized manner. It provides the infrastructure to distribute data across the network, ensuring data availability and resilience.
Gun.js also leverages cryptography for various functionalities within the app, such as user authentication and end-to-end encryption. It uses cryptographic algorithms to securely generate key pairs for user authentication and to encrypt and decrypt messages.
How Data is Persisted and Handled in the Chat App
By default, data in the decentralized chat app is stored in the browser's local storage, which has a limited capacity of 5 megabytes. If a user clears their browser cache or data is not available locally, a relay server can be deployed. This server uses a storage mechanism called Radix, which allows for larger data storage on dedicated servers.
The presence of a relay server makes the network more robust, as queries can fall back to the relay server when data is not available from other peers. This ensures data persistence and availability, even in the absence of a user's local data.
It's worth mentioning that when a node is created in the database, it becomes available to the entire decentralized network. Other developers can easily access public data by knowing the name of the node where it's stored. While data encryption is possible, it requires a different mental model and introduces additional complexity.
User Authentication and Security in the App
User authentication is a crucial aspect of the decentralized chat app to establish user identities and ensure secure communication. Gun.js provides the necessary tools for user authentication, leveraging cryptographic techniques.
When a user creates an account, a cryptographically secure key pair is generated. The username is associated with a public key, allowing past messages to be found. Additionally, a password is used as a proof-of-work seed to encrypt and decrypt access to the account's private keys.
The app also supports end-to-end encryption, where messages are encrypted before being stored in the database. This ensures that only intended recipients can decrypt and Read the messages.
Implementing User Sign-in and Sign-up
To facilitate user sign-in and sign-up, the decentralized chat app utilizes Gun.js's authentication and encryption features. The app incorporates a user.js file that handles the authentication process.
In the user.js file, Gun.js is imported along with supporting libraries such as C (security encryption and authorization) and AX (advanced exchange equation). The user.js file also initializes the database and sets up references to the currently authenticated user.
The app manages user state and UI using a writable store from Svelte, a JavaScript library. This store stores the user's username and updates reactively whenever changes occur in the user's alias.
User sign-in and sign-up functionalities are implemented using the Gun.js user auth and Create methods, respectively. These methods authenticate and create users with their chosen username and password. The authentication process also involves error handling to ensure a smooth user experience.
Managing User State and UI in the App
To manage user state and provide a seamless UI experience, the decentralized chat app utilizes the concept of stores in Svelte. A writable store is created to hold the user's username, ensuring that UI components automatically update whenever the username changes.
The app includes a header component that displays the app's title when the user is not logged in. When the user is logged in, the header component shows the user's username and Avatar, powered by the DiceBear API. A sign-out button is also displayed for logged-in users.
Svelte's built-in directives and reactive features enable conditional rendering of UI elements based on the user's login status. This ensures that the UI updates dynamically as the user's state changes.
Querying and Displaying Messages in the Chat Room
The chat component is responsible for handling the querying and displaying of messages in the decentralized chat app. The component utilizes Gun.js's features to read messages from the database.
Upon initialization of the chat component, Gun.js is used to create a reference to the chat node. Messages are then queried using the map method, which iterates over each message node in the chat.
To handle new messages, a callback function is defined, which retrieves the data and ID of each new message node. The callback formats the data to display the message's sender, content, and timestamp. The messages are stored in an array, which is then looped over in the UI using a Svelte each block.
Sending Messages in the Decentralized Chat App
The decentralized chat app allows users to send messages in the chat room. The chat component handles the functionality of sending messages.
When a user submits a message through the form, the send message function is called. The function employs Gun.js's C library to encrypt the message text, ensuring secure communication.
The encrypted message is then associated with the Current user and stored in the database. A date is generated to serve as the index for the message, enabling proper sorting. The message is added to an array for rendering in the UI.
By implementing message encryption and secure storage in the decentralized chat app, users can enjoy private and secure conversations.
Conclusion
Building a decentralized chat app brings numerous benefits and unique challenges. By leveraging technologies like Gun.js and Svelte, developers can create apps that offer enhanced privacy, security, and user control.
In this article, we explored the benefits and challenges of building a decentralized app and discussed the working of a decentralized chat app using Gun.js. We delved into user authentication, data persistence, message querying, and sending functionalities.
Decentralized chat apps provide a compelling alternative to traditional chat platforms, empowering users with privacy, security, and control over their conversations. As the world embraces decentralized technologies, we can expect to see more innovative and secure communication solutions in the near future.
Highlights
- Decentralized apps offer enhanced privacy, security, and user control.
- Building a decentralized app requires addressing challenges such as infrastructure setup, data persistence, and user authentication.
- Gun.js is a decentralized graph database that enables distributed storage and retrieval of data.
- Data in the decentralized chat app is persisted in the browser's local storage and can be backed up using relay servers.
- User authentication in the app involves cryptographic key generation and encryption for secure communication.
- The app utilizes Svelte's reactive stores to manage user state and provide a dynamic UI.
- Messages in the chat room are queried and displayed using Gun.js's map functionality.
- Users can send encrypted messages in the decentralized chat app, ensuring privacy and security.
FAQ
Q: What makes decentralized apps different from traditional apps?
A: Decentralized apps distribute data and control across a network of users, providing enhanced privacy, security, and user control compared to centralized apps.
Q: Is Gun.js a blockchain technology?
A: No, Gun.js is not a blockchain technology. It is a decentralized graph database that offers efficient real-time communication and scalability.
Q: How is user authentication handled in the decentralized chat app?
A: User authentication in the app involves generating secure key pairs, associating usernames with public keys, and employing cryptographic techniques for secure communication.
Q: Can messages in the decentralized chat app be encrypted?
A: Yes, the app supports end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only intended recipients can decrypt and read the messages.
Q: How is data persistence ensured in the decentralized chat app?
A: By default, data is stored in the browser's local storage. However, relay servers can be deployed to provide fallback storage mechanisms and ensure data persistence even when local data is cleared.
Q: Can users access each other's data in the decentralized chat app?
A: Each node created in the database is available to the entire decentralized network. However, encryption can be implemented to secure sensitive data.
Q: What technologies are used in the chat app for user interface and data handling?
A: The chat app utilizes Svelte, a JavaScript library, for the user interface, and Gun.js, a decentralized graph database, for data storage and retrieval.