A Step-by-step Guide to Build a Real-time Chat App with Vue.Js and Golang

Communication is vital to running businesses smoothly. Customers are likely to get attracted to enterprises that offer top-notch customer services. If you do not ensure timely responses to customers’ queries and requests, they will not come back to you.

For this reason, real-time chat applications are gaining momentum in the business world.

Are you wondering why?

Unlike traditional ways of communication like phone calls, SMS, or E-mails, real-time chat focuses on sending instant messages. The best thing about live-chat applications is customers get the same engaging and human-like responses every time. The replies are not from humans who can get affected by emotions and other factors.

In addition to this, they are available 24/7. It means customers can get answers to their queries at any time.

Now, the question is how to create a live-chat application? Luckily, you are on the right page. Below, we have listed a complete guide to building a real-time chat application with Vue.Js and Golang. Indeed, your Vue.Js development company can help you create a dynamic live-app application. But if you are familiar with the step-by-step process, you can make out if they are doing it right or not. Let us have a look at this tutorial.

• A complete guide to building a live-chat application using Vue.Js and Golang
  

  Firstly, we will look at the prerequisites for real-time chat application development. Besides Vue.Js and Golang, you need Socket.IO to complete your project.But what is Socket.IO? It is one of the efficient solutions that offer real-time communications. Built on WebSocket and other leading technologies, Socket.IO is a JavaScript-based library. Here are some advantages of Socket.IO that make it an excellent tool for implementing human-like communications in your application.

  • With Socket.IO, you can broadcast a message to your clients and customers.
  • It allows executing proxies and loading balancers with ease.
  • Socket.IO can handle dropping connections efficiently.
  • Ease of working with Socket.IO APIs.

• Golang project initialization
  • The first step involves creating a directory. Therefore, create a directory GoChat using the following command.
    mkdirGoChat
    cdGoChat
  • Next, you need to initialize the project with go.mod. The primary motive of this is to manage dependency. Follow this command:
    go mod initGoChat
  • It is time to download the dependencies required for the project. For example, mux will help you route and handle HTTP requests. Also, you need to download graarh for Socket.IO.

• Initialization of Socket.IO server

  In this step, your developer will initialize Socket.IO. Usually, they carry it out in the init function to complete it before all functions. As a result, it will start the server and add the code to the main.go file.

• Socket.IO set up

  Now, your prospective developer will craft a LoadSocket function, which helps perform three operations. These are Socket Connection, Socket Disconnection, and Chat Socket. We have explained how these work.

  • Use Socket Connection to log into the server.On() function. It will help you check whether you have established a connection or not.
  • Once they check the connection, the next step is writing the logic. It tells you what to do on receiving a message in Chat Socket.
  • Lastly, Socket Disconnection refers to disconnecting the socket. To do so, your developer will remove the client from the room. Follow this command: c.Leave (“Room”).

• Vue.Js project initialization
  • It involves creating a VueJs application inside the chat application. For this, use the following command:
    vue create client
  • Now, your developer will install bootstrap and bootstrap-vue using:
    npm i bootstrap-vue

• Components creation

  It is time to create a simple front-end, which involves using components of bootstrap and bootstrap-vue in the app. But firstly, the developers will import bootstrap and bootstrap using:
  importVue from "vue";
  import App from "./App.vue";
  import {
  FormInputPlugin,
  NavbarPlugin,
  LayoutPlugin,
  IconsPlugin,
  BCard,
  BInputGroup,
  BButton,
  } from "bootstrap-vue";
  import "bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css";
  import "bootstrap-vue/dist/bootstrap-vue.css";
  Vue.config.productionTip = false;
  Vue.use(FormInputPlugin);
  Vue.use(NavbarPlugin);
  Vue.use(LayoutPlugin);
  Vue.component("b-card", BCard);
  Vue.component("b-input-group", BInputGroup);
  Vue.component("b-button", BButton);
  Vue.use(IconsPlugin);
  newVue({
  render: (h) => h(App),
  }).$mount("#app");

  Also, create a folder for components related to chat features, such as ChatHeader.vue, ChatNavbar.vue, ChatMessageBox.vue, and ChatChatBox,vue. After this, write a code for files one at a time.

• Implementing Socket.IO in front-end

  The application will load in the ChatChatBox.vue for the first time. It will use the mounted() function. When it comes to the socket.on() function, all messages will be pushed in the chatHistory array. The socket.on() enables developers to listen to the ‘.message’ event.

  In ChatMessagebox.vue, the user’s message will go to the server from the input box through the socket.emit().

In closing

Congratulations! You just learned how to build a real-time application in Golang and Vue.Js using Socket.IO. Are you ready to create a live-chat application for your business? If yes, hire Vue.JS developers in India with relevant experience and skills.

If you are searching for a reliable Vue.JS company in India, get in touch with SoftProdigy. We house a team of experts who are committed to delivering off-the-ground app development services.

---

FAQs

1. Why use Socket.IO for developing a real-time chat application?

   Socket.IO is a JavaScript-based library that is known for implementing exceptional real-time communications in apps. It is preferred over other WebSocket for its numerous features and advantages.

2. What is Golang?

   Designed by Google, Golang is an open-source programing language. It allows developers to build lightweight and reliable software. Currently, it is used for creating APIs interacting with front-end applications.

3. What makes Vue.Js an excellent choice for real-time chat applications?

   Vue.Js is one of the popular JavaScript-based frameworks. But compared to other frameworks, it is progressive and highly adaptable. Vue.Js focuses on the view layer. Hence, it can integrate with third-party libraries and projects with ease.

4. What are the advantages of using Golang?

   Currently, Golang is one of the most preferred programming languages for several reasons. It includes:

   • Ease of learning
   • Scalability
   • Comprehensive tools
   • Faster development

5. Which are the big companies using Golang?

   Golang is a first-choice of both start-ups and large-scale companies. Some of the leading brands using Golang are Google, Medium, BBC, Dailymotion, Twitch, etc.

6. Is Vue.Js suitable for building large applications?

   There is misinformation on the internet that Vue is not the right option for large-scale applications. But do not believe it because Vue.Js has plenty of tools and libraries, making it the perfect choice for enterprise-level applications.