Building a Real-Time Chat Application with Livewire 3.0

January 12, 2025
10:23 pm
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Introduction

In last blog Adding Notifications and Toast Messages in Livewire 3.0, we explored how to add notifications and toast messages in Livewire 3.0. Today, we’ll dive into building a real-time chat application using Livewire 3.0. Real-time chat apps are integral to modern web applications, enabling seamless communication between users. With Livewire’s reactivity, creating such a feature becomes simple and efficient.

Step 1: Setting Up the Chat Environment

1. Create a Chat Component

Generate a new Livewire component for the chat feature:


php artisan make:livewire Chat

This creates:

app/Livewire/Chat.php – The backend logic for the chat.
resources/views/livewire/chat.blade.php – The frontend view for the chat interface.

Step 2: Defining Chat Logic

Open Chat.php and define properties and methods:


<?php

namespace App\Livewire;

use Livewire\Component;
use App\Models\Message;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth;

class Chat extends Component
{
    public $messages;
    public $newMessage;

    protected $listeners = ['messageReceived' => 'fetchMessages'];

    public function mount()
    {
        $this->fetchMessages();
    }

    public function fetchMessages()
    {
        $this->messages = Message::latest()->take(20)->get()->reverse();
    }

    public function sendMessage()
    {
        $this->validate([
            'newMessage' => 'required|max:255',
        ]);

        Message::create([
            'user_id' => Auth::id(),
            'content' => $this->newMessage,
        ]);

        $this->newMessage = '';

        $this->emit('messageReceived');
    }

    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.chat');
    }
}

What’s Happening Here?

fetchMessages: Fetches the latest 20 messages from the database.
sendMessage: Validates and saves new messages to the database.
$listeners: Listens for the messageReceived event to update messages in real time.

Step 3: Designing the Chat Interface

Open chat.blade.php and build the chat layout:


<div>
    <div class="chat-box">
        @foreach ($messages as $message)
            <div class="message {{ $message->user_id === auth()->id() ? 'self' : '' }}">
                <strong>{{ $message->user->name }}:</strong> {{ $message->content }}
            </div>
        @endforeach
    </div>

    <form wire:submit.prevent="sendMessage" class="chat-input">
        <input type="text" wire:model="newMessage" placeholder="Type your message...">
        <button type="submit">Send</button>
    </form>
</div>

<style>
    .chat-box {
        height: 300px;
        overflow-y: scroll;
        border: 1px solid #ddd;
        padding: 10px;
        margin-bottom: 10px;
    }
    .message {
        margin-bottom: 10px;
    }
    .message.self {
        text-align: right;
    }
    .chat-input {
        display: flex;
        gap: 10px;
    }
    .chat-input input {
        flex: 1;
        padding: 8px;
        border: 1px solid #ddd;
    }
    .chat-input button {
        padding: 8px 12px;
        background-color: blue;
        color: white;
        border: none;
        cursor: pointer;
    }
</style>

Step 4: Setting Up the Database

1. Create a Migration

Run the following command:


php artisan make:migration create_messages_table

In the migration file, define the schema:


Schema::create('messages', function (Blueprint $table) {
    $table->id();
    $table->foreignId('user_id')->constrained()->onDelete('cascade');
    $table->text('content');
    $table->timestamps();
});

Run the migration:


php artisan migrate

2. Create the Message Model


php artisan make:model Message

Update Message.php:


<?php

namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Factories\HasFactory;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class Message extends Model
{
    use HasFactory;

    protected $fillable = ['user_id', 'content'];

    public function user()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
    }
}

Step 5: Broadcasting Messages (Optional)

For real-time broadcasting, you can use Laravel Echo and Pusher:

Install Laravel Echo and Pusher:


npm install --save laravel-echo pusher-js

Configure broadcasting in .env:


BROADCAST_DRIVER=pusher
PUSHER_APP_ID=your-app-id
PUSHER_APP_KEY=your-app-key
PUSHER_APP_SECRET=your-app-secret
PUSHER_APP_CLUSTER=your-cluster

Update the sendMessage method to broadcast events:


event(new MessageSent($message));

Listen for the broadcast event in your JavaScript:


Echo.channel('chat')
    .listen('MessageSent', (e) => {
        Livewire.emit('messageReceived');
    });

Final Output

By following these steps, your chat application will:

Allow users to send and receive messages in real time.
Dynamically update the message list without refreshing the page.
Provide an interactive and user-friendly experience.

Key Features Covered Today

Creating a real-time chat application with Livewire 3.0.
Managing messages dynamically with Livewire properties.
Setting up the database for chat functionality.
(Optional) Integrating real-time broadcasting with Laravel Echo.

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