Connect (Messaging)

Routes

Route	Purpose
/connect	Chat inbox with sidebar
/connect/[id]	Individual chat thread

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Chat Types

Type	Description
DIRECT	One-on-one conversation
GROUP	Multi-user chat
ONE_TO_ONE	Alternative direct chat
ORDER	Order-related communication
SYSTEM	System-generated messages

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Chat List

• Sorted by updatedAt (newest first)
• Max height 420px with scroll
• Tabs: All, Requests, Archive, Spammed, Blocked
• Unread count badges on tabs

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Messaging Features

Sending Messages

• Multi-line textarea (40-200px auto-height)
• Enter to submit, Alt+Enter for newline
• File attachment (drag-drop or click)
• Emoji picker
• Voice recording (browser microphone API, stored as MP3)

Message Content Types

text, image, file, voice, video, mix, link-dispute, system

@Mentions

• Type @ to trigger autocomplete dropdown
• Searches chat members by displayName and email (case-insensitive)
• Stored as @{userId} in message, displayed as @{displayName}
• Creates notification in users/{uid}/mentions/{messageId}

Emoji Reactions

• Full emoji picker on hover
• Stored as reactions: { emoji: [userId1, userId2, ...] }
• Show count per emoji, highlight user’s own reactions

Read Receipts

• Single check (gray): sent
• Double check (purple): read
• Auto-marked read when chat is viewed (readBy array)

Message Editing

• Available for sender only
• Sets isEdited: true flag
• Updates updatedAt timestamp

Message Deletion

• Delete for me: Adds userId to deletedFor array (others still see it)
• Delete for all: Removes message entirely (sender only)
• Confirmation dialog required

Thread Replies

• Replies stored in subcollection: chats/{chatId}/messages/{messageId}/replies
• Original message shows reply count
• Thread panel opens on right side
• Same features: reactions, edits, mentions, quotes

File Sharing

File Type	Icon	Color
Images	File_3d	Green
Videos	Video	Primary
Audio	Music	Orange
PDFs	FileText	Red
Word docs	FileText	Blue
Excel	FileSpreadsheet	Dark Green
Archives	Archive	Yellow

Storage paths:

• Files: files/{chatId}/{fileId}
• Voice: audios/{chatId}/{fileId}
• Group avatars: groups/{chatId}/avatar

All files tracked in StorageUserService with metadata.

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Connection Requests

Flow

1. User sends connection request → chat created with status: Requested
2. Recipient sees in “Requests” tab
3. Accept: Sets status: Accepted, moves to main tab, adds system message
4. Decline: Sets status: Declined, stays in requests tab, adds system message

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Chat Management

Action	Direct	Group
Archive/Unarchive	Yes	Yes
Delete	Yes	No
Leave Group	No	Yes
Block User	Yes	No
Unblock User	Yes	No
Mark as Spam	Yes	No
Unmark as Spam	Yes	No

Blocking

• Stored at: users/{uid}/blockedUsers/{userId}
• Data: { isBlocked: true, timestamp, userId }
• Hides chat from main list
• Shown in “Blocked” tab with unblock option

Spam Reporting

• Stored at: users/{uid}/spammedChats/{userId}
• User selects criteria: Repetitive Content, Unsolicited Links, High Volume, Suspicious Keywords, Sender Reputation, Inconsistent Metadata, Other
• Custom reason text field
• Moves chat to “Spammed” tab

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Group Chats

• Create with name + select multiple members
• Optional group avatar (5MB max, JPEG/PNG/GIF)
• Avatar stored at: groups/{chatId}/avatar
• admins array for admin privileges
• Leave group removes member + adds system message

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Presence & Status

• Real-time via Firebase Realtime Database at presence/{userId}
• Session objects with status (‘online’|‘away’|‘offline’) and lastSeen
• Displayed in chat header

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Data Collected Per Message

Data	Description
Message text	Exact content
Sender UID, name, photo	Sender identification
Timestamp	Seconds + nanoseconds precision
Read receipts	List of UIDs who read
Reactions	Emoji to user mapping
Mentions	Referenced user UIDs
Quoted message	Reference to replied message
Files	Name, size, type, URL, storage path
Edit/delete status	Tracked with timestamps
Deleted-for list	Per-user deletion tracking