Codec: A Real-Time Collaborative Coding Platform with Multi-Language Execution

Heet Shah¹, Chirag Vanzara², Mrs. Sujaya Bhattcharjee³, Mrs. Shubhangi Dhaygude⁴
¹² UG Students Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Parul Institute of Technology, ParulUniversity, Vadodara, Gujarat , India
³ Assistant Professor , Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Parul Institute of Technology, ParulUniversity, Vadodara, Gujarat , India
⁴ Lecturer , Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Parul Institute of Technology, Parul University,Vadodara, Gujarat , India

ABSTRACT:Real-time collaboration has become essential in modern software development and programming education. Traditional workflows rely on separate tools for editing, execution, and communication, which increases complexity and reduces productivity. This project presents Codec, a web-based real-time collaborative coding platform that allows multiple users to write, compile, and execute code together in various programming languages such as C, C++, Java, andPython. The system provides a centralized environment that integrates a browser-based editor, multi-language execution engine, user authentication, room-based collaboration via invite links, and an in-built group chat. Codec is implemented using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the frontend, Node.js and Express.js for the backend, MongoDB as a NoSQL database, and Socket.IO over WebSockets for low-latency synchronization. Data is organized into collections for users, rooms, messages, and code sessions. Real-time synchronization is handled by Socket.IO events that broadcast code and chat updates to all participants in a room, while REST APIs manage authentication, room operations, and data retrieval. The platform is deployed on Render for cloud accessibility. Initial testing shows that Codec offers an effective and user-friendly environment for collaborative coding, reducing setup overhead and improving communication in both educational and  rofessional contexts.Keywords: Real-Time Collaboration, Online Code Editor, WebSockets, Socket.IO, Multi-Language Execution, Cloud Deployment, MongoDB, Node.js,REST API, Collaborative Programming.