WebSockets are a protocol used for interactive communication between a user’s web browser and a server. WebSockets provide a persistent connection between a client and a server that both parties can use to send data at any time, allowing for real-time data updates. Here is how you can set up a live connection with WebSockets in a React app:
1. First, you need to install the WebSocket library. You can use the ‘ws’ library. To install it, use the following command:
`npm install —save ws`
1. Now, create a connection to the WebSocket server. In the `componentDidMount` life cycle method, create a new WebSocket object and pass the URL of the server as an argument.
```
componentDidMount() {
this.websocket = new WebSocket(‘ws://localhost:8080’)
}
```
1. Register event listeners for the WebSocket instance. The WebSocket API provides several handlers like `onopen`, `onmessage`, `onerror`, and `onclose` to handle different types of interactions with the server.
```
componentDidMount() {
this.websocket = new WebSocket(‘ws://localhost:8080’)
1. If you want to send messages to the server, you can use the `send()` method on the WebSocket instance. Be sure to only send data when the WebSocket connection is open, not while it’s in the CONNECTING state.
```
sendMessage = message => {
this.websocket.send(message)
}
```
1. Finally, always clean up and close the WebSocket connection when the component is about to unmount to prevent memory leaks.
```
componentWillUnmount() {
this.websocket.close()
}
```
This should establish a live connection with WebSockets in Reactjs. Remember to handle all potential cases for your WebSocket connection such as disconnections and errors. Depending on your application’s needs, you may also need to handle manual reconnections in case the WebSocket connection is lost.
