Socket.IO is a JavaScript library that facilitates real-time, bi-directional communication between web clients and servers. It works in every platform, browser, or device, which further improves speed and reliability. Here’s how you can use Socket.IO to create a real-time chat:
1. Installation: In order to use Socket.IO, you will need to first install it in your project. Navigate to your project’s root directory in the terminal or command prompt and type:
`npm install socket.io` This command installs the socket.io module.1. Setting Up Server:
You can create a server which will listen to clients’ requests and respond to them: \`\`\` var app = require(‘express’)(); var http = require(‘http’).Server(app); var io = require(‘socket.io’)(http); app.get(‘/’, function(req, res){ res.send(’1. Event Handling:
Socket.IO primarily uses events for communication. Here are some common ones: `io.on(‘connection’)`: The server listens for a connection, and when it’s connected, it prints a log in the console. `socket.on(‘chat message’)`: This event listens for any ‘chat message’ events from the client. `io.emit(‘chat message’,msg)`: This sends the ‘chat message’ event to all the available clients.A simple example:
\`\`\` io.on(‘connection’, function(socket){ socket.on(‘chat message’, function(msg){ io.emit(‘chat message’, msg); }); }); \`\`\`1. Creating the client page:
You can use the following HTML and JavaScript for a simple chat client. \`\`\`1. Starting the Server
Run the server using the command `node index.js` in the terminal.In summary, the server listens for ‘chat message’ event, broadcasts it to all connected clients and then the client listens for the ‘chat message’ event and appends the received message to the list. Your chat application using Socket.IO is ready!
