Mini Chat Assistant

Time Limit: 2 Hours

Overview

A simplified chat interface that simulates a conversation with an Mock AI assistant. This project was an interview test and had to be built in 2 hours.

Requirements

Core Features (Must Have)

1. Chat Interface: Display messages in a scrollable list
2. Message Input: Text field with send button
3. Mock AI Responses: Simulate AI responses with predefined logic
4. Message Types: Support user and assistant message bubbles with different styling
5. Auto-scroll: Automatically scroll to newest messages

Technical Requirements

• Used SwiftUI for all UI components
• Implemented MVVM pattern with proper separation of concerns
• Handled basic error states (empty messages, etc.)
• Used async/await for simulated network delays
• Implement proper state management

✅ Features Implemented

• Mock AI Service – Simulates an AI response system with network delay, random errors, and context-aware replies (greetings, questions, code-related, or default)

• Chat ViewModel – Manages chat state, handles user input, communicates asynchronously with the AI service, and updates UI state including loading and error messages

• iOS Specifications – Runs on iOS 16+

• ChatInputView – TextField for user input, Send button enabled/disabled based on canSendMessage, submit on return key, loading indicator with ProgressView, error message display with dismiss button, proper padding and background styling.

• ChatView – Main chat screen with VStack layout:

  • Empty state view when there are no messages.
  • ScrollView + LazyVStack for messages.
  • ScrollViewReader for auto-scrolling to the newest message.
  • Smooth animation for auto-scroll when new messages arrive.
  • ChatInputView pinned at the bottom.
  • Clear button in navigation bar to reset chat.

• MessageBubbleView – Displays individual messages with:

  • Separate styling for user vs assistant.
  • Rounded corners and padding inside bubbles.
  • Max width for readability.
  • Spacer usage for proper alignment.
  • Refactored into two helper methods: userBubble() and assistantBubble() for maintainability.

• Mock AI Service Responses with Emojis – Added friendly emojis to assistant replies to make interactions more engaging and expressive.

🖼️ Screens

📱 Demo

MiniChatApp - 2 October 2025 - Watch Video

🚀 Potential Improvements

• Add more text animations for a lively chat experience, such as animated typing dots, smooth message fade-ins
• Add an option to search messages within the chat session for easy reference to previous conversations
• Integrate a real AI API (e.g., OpenAI, GPT) to provide dynamic chatbot responses instead of static mock replies.
• Include message timestamps or “read receipts” for a more realistic chat interface.