Complicated projects need different new elements to be integrated into the personalized platform for making it unique and relevant. Broadcasting focuses on the capability to build user interfaces in real time as new activity is happening. As several web application development projects are gaining popular approaches, it was important to explore a new feature. This feature that was added to the activity involves broadcasting using Laravel 5.4, Node.Js, Redis and Socket.io. In this blog, we will explain the multifaceted real-time broadcasting integration with the help of Laravel and how Laravel has become essential in real-time broadcasting functionality.
What Is real-time broadcasting?
Broadcasting can be defined as the capability to update user interfaces in real-time when there is any new activity happening elsewhere on the server. The broadcasting process is implemented using Websocket API. Websocket API is considered a more effective alternative to other available options.
The execution and adoption of real-time broadcasting enabled new bidding actions on the website. As a result, it is simultaneously broadcasted to different current users browsing the biddable auction pages. The bidding status of the current user including the highest bidding activity, outbid, lost or won information is shown. Besides, distinct additional user information is updated in real-time without even a page reload.
Why laravel for real-time broadcasting?
As per the requisite, multiple AWS EC2 of the app can be developed and deployed at any time resourced by autoscaling can be added to make the integration successful. In this way, the broadcast data can be generated from any server instance as well as spent on a distinct server instance. As the top laravel development company in India, our developers handled the challenge by using an independent Redis server instance for storing the broadcast data.
The reason why Laravel is used for effective integration for real-time broadcasting is discussed so that readers can get a crisp idea of its implementation and functionality. Laravel has different amazing features for assisting in the broadcasting process.
The generic flow of data and events during the broadcasting process can be delineated are as follows:
- A laravel event is fired as any bidding activity happens.
- The laravel event class pushes the data towards a Redis channel.
- A socket server is set up by means of utilizing Node.Js as well as socket.io. clarifies updates on the Redis channel.
- Whenever the channel receives any updates on the channel that are captured and broadcast by the socket server.
- A socketio client script executed on the bidding pages creates a Websocket that remains connected to the server.
- As the new data is broadcast on the Websocket, the data is updated live on the bidding pages by utilizing frontend Javascript.
In this case, mentioned below is the stepwise description of the ways how we implemented this feature in our project. We can split the implementation into three main sections are as follows:
- Configuring Redis and fire event
- Socket server to broadcast data
- Creating WebSocket and consuming data
Configuring redis
It is the Redis host, client and database detail configured in the config/database.php file. The 'redis' key could be configured. Herein, the PHP Redis client library is utilized to connect to the Redis host. A package for the same should be installed. One can use the following command for installing the predis library. The configuration values are set from constants defined in the .env file a sample of which can be discovered at the end of the blog. The configuration file or broadcasting.php file is used to delineate the default broadcast driver to be utilized by the application. For instance, the value is set to 'redis' : 'default' => env('Broadcast_Driver', 'Redis').
Fire event
As any action occurs on the frontend of the platform that needs robust broadcasting, our developer fire an event. The ActionEvent call executes the ShouldBoradcast interface that assists in pushing the data towards the Redis host. As the event and Redis config is set up, the Laravel developers can utilize the broadcastOn and broadcastWith functions of the ShouldBroadcast interface on the event class. This helps the data to move to the Redis host.
Therefore, our project adopted Laravel queues. Additionally, Redis was used both as a queue driver and broadcast driver. The workaround was using ShouldBroadcastNow interface that ensured that the broadcast data job was implemented immediately.
With the triggering of the event, the event class pushes the data to the Redis server comprising actionld and actionData. Our developers are capable of monitoring the data on the Redis server and checking if the entries with the key 'action-channel-one' existed.
In this context, we will delineate the steps required to set up real-time event broadcasting with the help of Redis and Socket.io. Let's take a look at the steps below:
Step1: Install Laravel 6
Step2: Install predis
Step3: Creating Event
Step4: Update the configuration file by needing to set the env file with Broadcast_Driver
Step5: Install Laravel Echo Server
Step6: Install npm, laravel-echo and socket.io.
Step7: Update the view file
Step8: Calling event
Final wrap up
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Saran
July 13, 2022 Author