REALTIME.md

Real-Time Features

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StockForumX uses Socket.io for real-time, bidirectional communication between clients and the server.

Architecture

graph LR
    subgraph Client
        C1[User A]
        C2[User B]
    end
    
    subgraph Server
        WS[WebSocket Server]
        H1[Handers]
    end
    
    subgraph Database
        DB[(MongoDB)]
    end
    
    C1 <-->|Socket.io| WS
    C2 <-->|Socket.io| WS
    WS --> H1
    H1 --> DB

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Connection Setup

Server-Side

const io = new Server(httpServer, {
    cors: {
        origin: process.env.CLIENT_URL,
        methods: ['GET', 'POST']
    }
});

Client-Side

const socket = io('http://localhost:5000', {
    autoConnect: false
});
socket.connect();

Room-Based Architecture

Room Format: stock:{stockId}

Each stock has its own room. This isolates communication so users only receive updates for the stocks they are currently viewing.

Tip

Room-based architecture significantly reduces bandwidth usage by avoiding global broadcasts.

Events Reference

Chat Events

Event	Direction	Description
join:stock	Client → Server	Join a stock's room.
leave:stock	Client → Server	Leave a stock's room.
chat:message	Client → Server	Send a new message.
chat:typing	Client → Server	Emit typing status.

Update Events

Event	Direction	Description
question:new	Server → Client	New question posted.
answer:new	Server → Client	New answer posted.
prediction:new	Server → Client	New prediction made.
stock:update	Server → Client	Stock price changed.

Implementation Example

Client-Side Chat Component

useEffect(() => {
    socket.emit('join:stock', stockId);

    socket.on('chat:message', (message) => {
        setMessages(prev => [...prev, message]);
    });

    return () => {
        socket.emit('leave:stock', stockId);
        socket.off('chat:message');
    };
}, [stockId]);

Performance Considerations

1. Room-Based Broadcasting: Always use io.to(room).emit() instead of io.emit() whenever possible.
2. Throttling: Debounce high-frequency events like "typing" indicators.
3. Connection Pooling: Monitor the number of concurrent connections per user.

Security Considerations

Warning

Always verify user identity before processing sensitive socket events.

• Authentication: Usage of middleware to attach user context to the socket.
• Rate Limiting: Custom implementation to prevent spamming chat:message events.
• Input Validation: Sanitize all incoming messages before broadcasting.