Websocket React JS Example: Everything You Need to Know

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Websocket is a protocol that enables real-time communication between a client and a server. It allows bidirectional communication in a single TCP connection, which makes it more efficient than traditional HTTP. React JS, on the other hand, is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Combining these two technologies can result in a powerful real-time web application. In this article, we will explore a websocket React JS example and explain everything you need to know about it.

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What is Websocket?

Websocket is a protocol that facilitates real-time communication between a client and a server. It was standardized by the IETF in 2011 and is now widely supported by modern browsers. Unlike traditional HTTP, which is a request-response protocol, websocket allows bidirectional communication in a single TCP connection. This means that both the client and the server can send and receive data at any time, without the need for the client to initiate a request.

Websocket is particularly useful for real-time web applications such as chat rooms, online games, and stock trading platforms. It enables fast and efficient communication between the client and the server, which can result in a more responsive and engaging user experience.

What is React JS?

React JS is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It was developed by Facebook and is now widely used by developers all over the world. React JS uses a declarative approach to building UI components, which makes it easier to understand and maintain. It also supports server-side rendering, which can improve the performance of web applications.

React JS is particularly useful for building complex user interfaces that require a lot of interactivity. It enables developers to build reusable UI components that can be easily combined to create a rich and dynamic user experience.

Combining Websocket and React JS

Combining websocket and React JS can result in a powerful real-time web application. The client can use websocket to communicate with the server in real-time, while React JS can be used to render the UI components that display the data received from the server.

One example of a real-time web application that uses websocket and React JS is a chat room. The client can use websocket to send and receive messages in real-time, while React JS can be used to render the chat messages in a user-friendly way.

Websocket React JS Example

Let’s take a look at a websocket React JS example. In this example, we will build a real-time temperature monitoring dashboard. The server will send temperature data to the client using websocket, and React JS will be used to render the temperature data in real-time.

Setting Up the Server

The first step is to set up the server. For this example, we will use Node.js and the ws library, which is a simple WebSocket implementation for Node.js.

  1. Create a new Node.js project and install the ws library.
  2. Create a new file called server.js and add the following code:

server.js

const WebSocket = require('ws');
const server = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });
server.on('connection', (socket) => {console.log('Client connected');
setInterval(() => {const temperature = Math.floor(Math.random() * 100);socket.send(JSON.stringify({ temperature }));}, 1000);
socket.on('close', () => {console.log('Client disconnected');});});
  1. This code creates a new WebSocket server on port 8080. When a client connects, it starts sending temperature data to the client every second. When the client disconnects, it logs a message to the console. We are using JSON.stringify to send the temperature data as a JSON object.

Setting Up the Client

The next step is to set up the client. For this example, we will use Create React App to create a new React JS project.

  1. Create a new React JS project using Create React App.
  2. Install the ws library using npm.
  3. Create a new file called App.js and add the following code:

App.js

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';import './App.css';import WebSocket from 'ws';
function App() {const [temperature, setTemperature] = useState(0);
useEffect(() => {const socket = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:8080');
socket.onmessage = (event) => {const data = JSON.parse(event.data);setTemperature(data.temperature);};
return () => {socket.close();};}, []);
return (<div className="App"><h1>Temperature: {temperature}</h1></div>);}
export default App;
  1. This code creates a new WebSocket object and connects to the server on port 8080. When the client receives a message from the server, it updates the temperature state using the setTemperature function. We are using useEffect to create the WebSocket object only once, when the component is mounted. When the component is unmounted, we are closing the WebSocket connection.
  2. Add some CSS to App.css to make the temperature display look better:

App.css

.App {text-align: center;}
h1 {font-size: 36px;margin-top: 100px;}

Running the Example

Now that we have set up the server and the client, we can run the example and see the temperature monitoring dashboard in action.

  1. Start the server by running node server.js.
  2. Start the client by running npm start.
  3. Open http://localhost:3000 in your web browser.

You should see the temperature display updating in real-time every second.

Conclusion

Websocket and React JS are two powerful technologies that can be combined to create real-time web applications. In this article, we have explored a websocket React JS example and explained everything you need to know about it. We hope that this article has been helpful and that you can use the knowledge gained here to build your own real-time web applications.

FAQ

What is the difference between websocket and HTTP?

Websocket is a protocol that enables real-time bidirectional communication between a client and a server in a single TCP connection. HTTP, on the other hand, is a request-response protocol that requires the client to initiate a request to the server for each interaction. Websocket is more efficient than HTTP for real-time web applications such as chat rooms, online games, and stock trading platforms.

What is React JS?

React JS is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It uses a declarative approach to building UI components, which makes it easier to understand and maintain. React JS is particularly useful for building complex user interfaces that require a lot of interactivity.

What is a real-time web application?

A real-time web application is a web application that provides real-time communication between the client and the server. This means that the client can receive updates from the server in real-time, without the need for the client to initiate a request. Real-time web applications are particularly useful for applications that require fast and efficient communication, such as chat rooms, online games, and stock trading platforms.

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