Examples
Ruby Real-Time Chat
Building a Real-Time Chat
Ruby real-time chat uses ActionCable for WebSocket messaging.
Understanding ActionCable
ActionCable is a framework used in Ruby on Rails to integrate WebSocket functionality for real-time features, such as chat applications. It allows you to maintain a persistent connection between the client and the server, enabling instant data exchange.
Setting Up Your Rails Environment
Before creating a real-time chat application, ensure your Rails environment is set up correctly. You need to have Rails and a database like PostgreSQL configured. If these are not installed, refer to the Rails installation guide.
Generating a Chat Channel
ActionCable operates on the concept of channels. Channels encapsulate WebSocket logic in Rails applications. Let’s create a chat channel to manage our messaging logic.
After running the command, Rails generates two files: app/channels/chat_channel.rb and app/javascript/channels/chat_channel.js. These files will handle the server-side and client-side logic, respectively.
Implementing Server-Side Logic
The server-side channel logic is where you define the behavior of the WebSocket connection. Open app/channels/chat_channel.rb and add the following code to handle subscriptions and messages.
Implementing Client-Side Logic
Next, implement the client-side logic to send and receive messages. Open the app/javascript/channels/chat_channel.js file and modify it as follows:
Building the Chat Interface
With the backend and frontend WebSocket logic in place, it's time to build a simple chat interface. You can use HTML and JavaScript to create an input box for messages and a display area for the chat log.
Running Your Application
Finally, ensure your WebSocket server is running. Then, start the Rails server and navigate to your application to see the real-time chat in action.
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