Introduction
In this tutorial, we will learn how to build a chat application using Ruby on Rails framework. Rails is a powerful web development framework that simplifies the process of building web applications, including real-time chat applications.
Step 1: Setting up the Rails Application
First, make sure Rails is installed on your machine. If not, open your command line and run the following command:
$ gem install rails
Next, create a new Rails application by running the following command:
$ rails new chat_app
Step 2: Implementing Chat Functionality
In Rails, models represent the data in your application. Generate a chat model by running the following command:
$ rails generate model Chat content:string
Run the database migration to create the chat table in the database:
$ rails db:migrate
Create an interface for users to send and receive chat messages. Add the necessary HTML and JavaScript code for the chat interface. You can use libraries like jQuery or React.js to handle real-time communication.
In your Rails application, implement the necessary logic to handle chat messages. Create appropriate controllers and actions to handle sending and receiving messages.
class ChatsController < ApplicationController
def index
@chats = Chat.all
end
def create
@chat = Chat.new(chat_params)
if @chat.save
ActionCable.server.broadcast 'chat_channel',
message: @chat.content
head :ok
end
end
private
def chat_params
params.require(:chat).permit(:content)
end
end
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully built a chat application using Ruby on Rails. You can further enhance this application by adding features like user authentication, message notifications, and more.
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