Simple Chat

A simple Node.js application that demonstrates how to use OpenAI's Chat Completions API to create a basic chatbot.

Features

• 🤖 Integration with OpenAI's GPT models (GPT-4.1 or GPT-4o)
• 💬 Simple chat completion example
• 🔧 Environment variable configuration
• 📦 Modern ES modules support

Prerequisites

• Node.js (Latest LTS version)
• An OpenAI API key

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/javascriptcebu/simple-chat
   cd simple-chat

2. Install dependencies using bun (recommended) or npm:

   # Using bun (recommended)
   bun install
   
   # Or using npm
   npm install

3. Set up your environment variables:

   # Create a .env file in the root directory
   touch .env

4. Add your OpenAI API key to the .env file:

   OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here

Usage

Run the chat application:

# Using bun (recommended)
bun start

# Or using npm
npm start

The application will send a predefined message to the OpenAI API and display the response in the console.

Configuration

Environment Variables

• OPENAI_API_KEY: Your OpenAI API key (required)

Model Configuration

You can modify the model used in chat.js:

model: "gpt-4.1", // or "gpt-4o"

Available models:

• gpt-4.1 - Fast and cost-effective
• gpt-4o - More capable but slower and more expensive

Project Structure

simple-chat/
├── chat.js          # Main application file
├── package.json     # Project dependencies and scripts
├── .env            # Environment variables (create this)
├── .gitignore      # Git ignore rules
└── README.md       # This file

Customization

To customize the chat behavior, modify the messages array in chat.js:

messages: [
  { role: 'system', content: 'You are a helpful assistant.' },
  { role: 'user', content: 'Your custom message here' },
];

Dependencies

• openai: Official OpenAI Node.js library
• dotenv: Loads environment variables from .env file

Getting an OpenAI API Key

1. Visit OpenAI's website
2. Sign up or log in to your account
3. Navigate to the API section
4. Generate a new API key
5. Copy the key and add it to your .env file

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "API key not found" error: Make sure your .env file contains the correct OPENAI_API_KEY
2. Module import errors: Ensure you're using Node.js version 14 or higher
3. Network errors: Check your internet connection and API key validity

Support

If you encounter any issues, please check:

• Your OpenAI API key is valid and has sufficient credits
• Your Node.js version is compatible
• All dependencies are properly installed