Need Help, Chat with multiple users(web to mobile)

[ahmadjhoney]

Hello Great developers,

i am working on an application, where i am trying to implement the multiple users chat,
Basically the users send message to mobile and then get back the reply , then it shows like normal chatting.

all everything is working and GREAT :icon_wink:

But Except the multiple users chat at a time, So some advance queries and script handeling required,

So please come on, and give some cool replies,

I know you can do it..

Thanks

Waiting for your replies////

[Ezzaral]

You haven't asked a question.

[diafol]

Show us yer code maestro. You show us yours and we'll show you ours.

[ahmadjhoney]

@Ezzaral:

Thanks dude for the reply, my question is , That how i can handle multiple users chatting at a time, on the screen, this is little bit difficult.

@ardav

thank you,

i think i need the concept that how i can handle mutiple users chat, i don't think that for this you need the code, the code i have is just for one user chat at a time.

Thanks

hope you can understand now,

[greatshop]

hi,Ahmad,
You can try to get the concept to continue your chatting.

[diafol]

Is this php? You doing it via webpage? All you need is ajax polling. However, I assume that this would be quite slow on a mobile.

You have a db or file for that matter. A js script polls the db/file via ajax, say once every 5-10 seconds (setInterval should do it). An updatable div then adds the new messages - if there are any. Should be simple, if js is enabled on users' phones.

[ahmadjhoney]

@ardav

its nice one reply till i posted, i have the same methodology for the single user, i refresh the div with jquery interval script, but i want to handle multiple users replies and chatting boxes on the screen,

Means how i will jugde from the database that there is a new reply for this user, is there anyway that i fire ajax on entery in the database,

i think it is little bit simple now,

Thanks

[diafol]

If you want to set up multiple chats as opposed to a single chat with multiple users, you just have a chatbox id (with a name provided by the first user) in a table. Registered users then choose a chatbox to join. Their posts are then entered with a chatbox id in the messages table.
e.g.

chatbox table
=============
chatbox_id (PK, int)
chatbox_name (varchar)
creator_id (foreign key = user_id, int)
created_on (datetime - unix integer, int)
chatbox_type (e.g. public, by invitation)
join_key (if by invitation - this key can be sent to specified recipients)
description (text or varchar)

messages table
==============
message_id (PK, int)
user_id (foreign_key, int)
chatbox_id (foreign key, int)
message (text OR varchar if limiting to 255 charcaters)
time_entered (datetime - unix integer, int)

users table
===========
user_id (PK, int)
email (varchar) [optional]
username [can be guest but must be unique if not logged in]
password (varchar - should be hashed, e.g. md5)

You could make this DB more complicated like adding user session data, but the above should work. There needs to be quite a bit of php session handling going on to keep track of which chatbox_id/user_id is being added to sql queries.

Also, to avoid your db getting humungously large, you should have a cron job that clears messages older than a specified age.

[diafol]

Sorry re-read your post. If you want to avoid polling the DB at regular intervals (ajax) and only get something to the client when the db gets a new entry, you'll need something called 'comet'. This is also known as 'long-polling' or 'push'. It's not for the faint hearted, but you may get some joy from the APE project. Google 'ape project'.

[ahmadjhoney]

@ardav,

your replies are very good, and very helpful to yet, if you can add some more specification, then you are welcome.

Thanks again

[diafol]

The APE/Comet thing will only work if you can place a comet server on the machine that runs the chat app. It must be Linux/Mac - no windows. Talk to your host to see what they say. I assume they wouldn't be overly happy with this somehow.

Short of leading you through it step by step, I'm afraid that's all the help I can give. This is a 'help' not a 'free coder-for-hire' site after all. Good luck though.