Building a Real-Time Chat Component
Display live messages in a scrolling chat list using WebSocket events and React state.
Chat Component Architecture
A real-time chat has three parts: a message list (display), a message input (send), and the WebSocket/Socket.IO connection layer. Keep the socket logic in a custom hook.
Message Data Shape
Define a TypeScript interface for chat messages to keep the component type-safe throughout.
interface Message {
id: string;
text: string;
sender: string;
timestamp: number;
}
const [messages, setMessages] = useState<Message[]>([]);All lessons in this course
- WebSocket Fundamentals in the Browser
- Using Socket.IO with React
- Building a Real-Time Chat Component
- Reconnection, Error Handling & Cleanup