VoidBitz Chat Application

A ChatGPT-like interface built with Next.js frontend and C# Web API backend, using Azure OpenAI and Semantic Kernel.

⚠️ IMPORTANT SECURITY NOTICE

This application currently has NO USER AUTHENTICATION or USER ISOLATION implemented.

• All users can see ALL chat sessions from ALL users
• Chat data is shared globally across all application users
• This is suitable for development/testing only - NOT for production use

See the Security Considerations section below for details on implementing proper user isolation.

Architecture

• Frontend: Next.js with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS
• Backend: ASP.NET Core Web API with Semantic Kernel
• Database: SQL Server for chat history and sessions
• AI Service: Azure OpenAI with GPT models
• Authentication: Azure AD (optional)

Project Structure

voidbitzchat/
├── backend/              # ASP.NET Core Web API
│   ├── Controllers/      # API controllers
│   ├── Data/            # Entity Framework DbContext
│   ├── Models/          # Data models and DTOs
│   ├── Services/        # Business logic services
│   ├── Migrations/      # EF Core migrations
│   └── Program.cs       # Application entry point
├── frontend/            # Next.js React application
│   ├── app/            # Next.js app router pages
│   ├── components/     # React components
│   ├── lib/            # Utility functions and API client
│   └── types/          # TypeScript type definitions
└── .vscode/            # VS Code configuration

Features

• Real-time chat interface similar to ChatGPT
• Custom Chat Naming: Create chats with meaningful, custom titles
• Chat Management: Rename existing chats, create, view, switch between sessions
• Model Deployment Settings: Dynamic configuration of Azure OpenAI model deployments
  • Add, edit, and delete model deployments through the UI
  • Test connections to verify deployment configurations
  • Set default models for new chat sessions
  • Referential integrity protection (deployments in use cannot be deleted)
• Complete chat history persistence with user-defined organization
• Context isolation between sessions
• Semantic Kernel integration for advanced AI capabilities
• Comprehensive logging and monitoring
• ⚠️ NO USER AUTHENTICATION - All data is currently shared between all users

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK
• Node.js 18+
• Azure subscription with OpenAI service
• SQL Server (local or Azure)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• .NET 8 SDK
• Node.js 18+
• Azure subscription with OpenAI service
• SQL Server (local or Azure)

Quick Setup

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd voidbitzchat

2. Backend Setup

   cd backend
   dotnet restore
   dotnet ef database update
   dotnet run

   Backend will be available at https://localhost:7061 and http://localhost:5027

3. Frontend Setup (in a new terminal)

   cd frontend
   npm install
   npm run dev

   Frontend will be available at http://localhost:3000

4. Configure Azure OpenAI

   • Navigate to /settings in the application or
   • Update backend/appsettings.Development.json with your Azure OpenAI credentials
   • Set AzureOpenAI:Endpoint, AzureOpenAI:DeploymentName, and AzureOpenAI:ApiKey

   Recommended: Use the Settings page in the application to manage model deployments dynamically without code changes.

VS Code Development

Use the "Start Full Stack" task from VS Code's Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P → Tasks: Run Task) to run both frontend and backend simultaneously.

Using the Chat Application

Managing Model Deployments

1. Click the Settings icon in the sidebar footer
2. Add New Deployment: Click "Add New Deployment" and provide:
   • Deployment name (for identification)
   • Azure OpenAI endpoint URL
   • Model deployment name
   • API key
   • Set as default (optional)
3. Test Connection: Click "Test" to verify the deployment works
4. Edit/Delete: Modify existing deployments (cannot delete if referenced by chat sessions)

Creating Named Chats

1. Click the "New Chat" button in the sidebar
2. Enter a meaningful title for your conversation (e.g., "Planning Weekend Trip", "Code Review Discussion")
3. Click "Create Chat" to start your conversation

Renaming Existing Chats

1. Hover over any chat session in the sidebar
2. Click the pencil icon that appears
3. Enter a new title and click "Save"

Chat Organization

• All chats are automatically saved with your custom titles
• Chat sessions are ordered by most recent activity
• Each chat maintains its own conversation context and history

Security Considerations

Current State: No User Isolation ⚠️

The application currently lacks proper user authentication and isolation:

1. Shared Data: All users see the same chat sessions
2. No Authentication: No login system implemented
3. Global Access: Any user can view, modify, or delete any chat session

Required for Production

Before deploying to production, you MUST implement one of these user isolation strategies:

1. Session-based Identification (Simple)

   • Use browser sessions to identify users
   • Suitable for anonymous usage

2. Cookie-based User IDs (Recommended for MVP)

   • Generate persistent user IDs stored in secure cookies
   • No login required, but provides user isolation

3. Full Authentication (Production Ready)

   • Implement JWT-based authentication
   • User registration and login system
   • Role-based access control

Implementation Notes

The backend is already prepared for user isolation:

• ChatSession.UserId field exists in the database
• Repository methods accept userId parameters
• Controller has GetUserId() method (currently returns null)

To implement user isolation, you only need to modify the GetUserId() method in ChatController.cs.

Development Status

This is a development/demo application. See DEVELOPMENT.md for implementation details and security considerations.

For detailed setup instructions, see DEVELOPMENT.md.

For comprehensive model deployment settings documentation, see MODEL_DEPLOYMENT_SETTINGS.md.