Cozma Rares
119 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
119 lines
3.3 KiB
Markdown
# Chess Game
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> [Working Demo](https://chess.raru.dev)
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## Project Description
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A minimalistic server for a chess game accompanied by a corresponding website.
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Features:
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- Game Initiation: Effortlessly initiate a new game and conveniently share the
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generated ID.
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- Game Participation: Smoothly join a game by connecting to the one
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corresponding with its unique ID.
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- Local Gameplay: Experiment with strategies and engage in a friendly match
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directly from a single device.
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## Getting Started
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### Prerequisites
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- nodejs
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Debian/Ubuntu:
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```sh
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sudo apt install nodejs
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```
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- npm
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Debian/Ubuntu:
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```sh
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sudo apt install npm
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```
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### Installation
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1. Clone the repo
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```sh
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git clone https://github.com/CozmaRares/chess.git
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cd chess
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```
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2. Install the dependencies
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```sh
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npm install
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cd client
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npm install
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cd ..
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```
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3. Start the development server
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```sh
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npm run dev
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```
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4. Run test suite for the chess engine
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```sh
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npm run test
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```
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5. Build for production
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```sh
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npm run build
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```
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## Deployment
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The application is hosted on AWS, with Route 53 directing traffic to an EC2
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instance. Within the EC2 instance, an nginx server is configured to route
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incoming HTTPS traffic from port 443 to the specific port where the application
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server is listening, ensuring secure communication.
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## Reflection
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The goal of the project was to build a fully functional chess server and to
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familiarize myself with the technologies used during the development process.
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Originally I set out to include more gamemodes, such as 4 player chess or use a
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10x10 board instead of the standard 8x8. The limiting factor proved to be my
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naive implementation of the chess engine that does not support more than two
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players and a bigger than 8x8 board, not without major refactoring.
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The most challenging part was the design of the chess engine itself, mostly
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generating the moves and synchronizing the associated [FEN](https://www.chess.com/terms/fen-chess)
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string with the posision of the pieces on the board.
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During the project, I encountered unforeseen obstacles, including:
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- CSS struggled to manage overflowing height of the gameplay history, and had to
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hack my way through with a little JavaScript.
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- Browsers need to connect securely to the game server. Initially, I assumed ACM
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certificate generation and Route 53 configuration were sufficient. However, I
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explored a more complex route involving a load balancer before ultimately relying
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on nginx.
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The project's development relies on a range of technologies. `AWS` provides a
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dependable infrastructure. `TypeScript` ensures a more error-resistant
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development process. `ReactJS` facilitates the creation of dynamic user
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interfaces, with `React Router` simplifying application routing, while
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`TailwindCSS` enables swift UI styling. `ViteJS` minimizes the initial frontend
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setup. On the backend, `ExpressJS` offers a robust HTTP framework, while
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`Socket.IO` manages web socket connections. Additionally, `Vitest` serves as a
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rapid testing tool that supports TypeScript out of the box.
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Lastly, I want to point out the features that need to be improved if I ever
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decide to develop a second version of this project:
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- a more efficient [move generation engine](https://www.chessprogramming.org/Move_Generation)
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- a more generalized engine that supports additional game modes
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- a richer user interface
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