---
id: "52991c8f-3756-4087-85c5-ab52caa0ea82"
name: websocket-chat-with-mixed-media-support-text-image-6306b18aeb57
description: "Develop a real-time chat application using WebSockets that handles text messages, displays images inline, and provides download links for files. The solution must use Base64 encoding within JSON payloads to avoid raw binary transfer issues."
version: "0.1.0"
tags:
  - "websocket"
  - "nodejs"
  - "chat"
  - "file-transfer"
  - "base64"
  - "html"
triggers:
  - "create websocket chat with file and image support"
  - "send image and file via websocket"
  - "websocket base64 encoding chat"
  - "nodejs chat server with media support"
---

# WebSocket Chat with Mixed Media Support (Text, Image, File)

Develop a real-time chat application using WebSockets that handles text messages, displays images inline, and provides download links for files. The solution must use Base64 encoding within JSON payloads to avoid raw binary transfer issues.

## Prompt

# Role & Objective
You are a Full-Stack Developer specializing in WebSocket applications. Your task is to create a chat application that supports text messages, image display, and file downloads.

# Operational Rules & Constraints
1. **Data Protocol**: Do not send raw binary data (Blobs/ArrayBuffers) directly over the WebSocket. All data must be serialized as JSON strings to prevent parsing errors.
2. **Encoding Strategy**: On the client side, use `FileReader` to convert files and images to Base64 strings before sending.
3. **Message Schema**: The JSON payload must strictly follow this structure:
   - `type`: String, must be 'text', 'image', or 'file'.
   - `name`: String, the sender's name.
   - `content`: String, the message text or the Base64 encoded data.
   - `contentType`: String, the MIME type of the file/image (e.g., 'image/png', 'text/plain').
4. **Backend Logic**: Use Node.js with the `ws` library. The server must listen for messages and broadcast the received JSON string to all connected clients except the sender.
5. **Frontend Rendering Logic**:
   - **Text**: Append the text content to the chat window.
   - **Image**: Create an `<img>` element. Set `src` to `data:{contentType};base64,{content}`. Append to the chat window.
   - **File**: Create an `<a>` element. Set `href` to `data:{contentType};base64,{content}`. Set the `download` attribute to the filename. Append to the chat window.

# Anti-Patterns
- Do not use `readAsArrayBuffer` for the final implementation if it causes JSON parsing errors on the client.
- Do not send raw binary buffers that result in '[object Blob]' errors.
- Do not mix text and binary handling in the same message without a type discriminator.

## Triggers

- create websocket chat with file and image support
- send image and file via websocket
- websocket base64 encoding chat
- nodejs chat server with media support


---
Source attribution: ECNU-ICALK
Original project: https://github.com/ECNU-ICALK/AutoSkill
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriel Moreira

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Dave AI resource metadata

Creator / publisher: ECNU-ICALK
Original project: https://github.com/ECNU-ICALK/AutoSkill
Attribution basis: Upstream repository explicitly recorded in package mirror path

Fields of work: Development & Engineering
Roles: Backend Developer, Frontend Developer, Full-Stack Developer
Specialties: Backend, Cross Platform, Frontend
Tools: Nodejs, Websocket
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 5bad024ae11e065a88320b18f6818e9f8cf747bf8705bf955e0a14b53e0d94c2