Learn SignalR: Make a Full Featured Chat App From Scratch

Name: Learn SignalR: Make a Full Featured Chat App From Scratch
Rating: 3.7 (97 reviews)

Learn creating real time web applications with SignalR from zero to hero with full featured chat app from scratch

Created byD. Penev

Last updated 6/2015

English

What you'll learn

Build an enterprise level real-time chat application from scratch
Understand the importance and the challenges for real-time web functionality
Understanding the difference between real-time web and standard HTTP protocol communication

Course content

3 sections • 31 lectures • 41m total length

Introduction1:00
Learn the fundamentals of real time, why it matters, and install and configure SignalR to progressively build a full featured chat app from scratch.
Real-time web0:49
Real-time web enables the server to push data as it happens, delivering it instantly without waiting for a client request, highlighting the speed needed for timely information.
The problem (HTTP overview)1:10
Understand HTTP's stateless request‑response model, where servers reply only after requests. See why this limitation motivates real‑time two‑way communication for chat apps.
Possible solutions (polling)1:01
Examine ajax porting and long polling as solutions for real-time updates: the client polls the server at short intervals or holds a request until new data arrives.
The solution (TCP sockets)0:27
Leverage tcp sockets to enable real-time communication by maintaining a persistent, bidirectional connection between client and server, allowing the server to push data without the client requesting it.

Hello SignalR0:35
Explore how the Microsoft SignalR library enables real-time functionality in applications, and get practical by switching to Visual Studio to start building a web application using HDMI and JavaScript.
Installing SignalR0:59
Install SignalR by adding the package, locate the scripts folder, and configure the server to run a full featured chat app from scratch.
Configuring the server1:29
Configure the server to support a full featured chat app, addressing startup costs and the rules needed to get the application working.
Creating Server Methods1:53
Create server methods in SignalR and expose them to client-side JavaScript. Follow naming conventions with capitalized method names to enable client calls from JavaScript.
Calling Server Methods2:34
Learn to call server methods by establishing a connection, obtaining a proxy, and invoking methods from the client side using script blocks.
Creating Client Functions1:01
Create client functions to call server methods from the JavaScript directory, enabling real-time communication by invoking C-sharp server code with a defined function signature of string and string.
Calling Client Functions1:34
Initial Connection0:48
The State Object1:07
Explore the SignalR state object, showing how a proxy exposes server-accessible variables and how to create and access a state property using core states.
Joining/Leaving Rooms2:45
Manage chat rooms with SignalR by using groups to join, leave, and send messages, and implement server methods to add or remove members by connection id.

Preparing the project0:19
Mass chat: Create the Server SendMessage Method1:39
Create a mass chat broadcast by implementing the server send message method. Ensure the method accepts a username and a message and broadcasts them to all connected users.
Mass chat: Create the Client ReceiveMessage Function3:11
Mass chat: Bind to the Server SendMessage Method1:33
Bind the client to the server's SendMessage method in a SignalR chat app, establish the socket connection, and trigger server calls from button clicks.
Mass chat: Demonstration1:14
Demonstrate building a mass chat with SignalR by broadcasting usernames and messages to all connected clients in real time, showcasing a full featured chat app.
Chat rooms: Bind to the Server SendToRoom Method1:28
Learn to implement chat rooms by binding to the server SendToRoom method, handle room and message input, validate non-empty fields, and broadcast messages to all users with a send button.
Chat rooms: Create the Server SendToRoom Method1:09
Learn to implement the server SendToRoom method to broadcast chat messages by username to a room, manage group assignments, and handle users joining or leaving the chat.
Chat rooms: Bind to the Server Join/Leave Room Methods1:55
Chat rooms: Create the Server Join/Leave Room Methods1:09
Learn how to implement server-side join and leave room methods in SignalR to manage chat rooms as groups, and handle connections and group names.
Chat rooms: Demonstration1:27
Explore a browser-based chat rooms demonstration that shows sending and receiving messages, and how message visibility changes as room state evolves for different users.
Private chat: Bind to the Server JoinChat Method2:11
Bind usernames to connection IDs to enable private messaging in SignalR, using the JoinChat method and a join button to register users before sending targeted messages.
Private chat: Create the Server JoinChat Method1:05
Private Chat: Bind to the Server SendToUser Method1:05
Bind the chat to the server by invoking the SendToUser method to deliver private messages to a specific username, validating the recipient's username and photo, and implementing the server-side method.
Private Chat: Create the Server SendToUser Method1:15
Implement the server side sendToUser method to privately deliver a message to a specific user by validating their connection ID against the joined users dictionary.
Private Chat: Demonstration1:08
Watch a private chat demonstration within a full-featured SignalR chat app, showing how messages are sent and received along with practical cost considerations.
Summary0:37
Review real-time web concepts, explore possible solutions, and illustrate solving the problem with CNR, then outline server and client setup.

Requirements

C#, ASP.Net and JavaScript programming languages - basic skills
Visual Studio 2012 or above will be needed to write code shown in this course
A PC which is connected to a network, be it your home WiFi

Description

The purpose of this course is to give you the fundamental knowledge of real-time web and how to implement it using Microsoft's suspiciously easy to use library Signal R and probably to make you fall in love with it.

Why take this course?

You should take this course if you're a professional(or student) with some coding experience in the past but lack understanding of what is real-time web and why it is so important to have in your app. You will learn how to implement a real-time web functionality in your app using Microsoft's library SignalR.

Sections 1, 2 and 3 contain very useful information about HTTP protocol inner workings and the difference from TCP Socket connections and anybody can benefit from them - regardless whether they're familiar with C#.Net or not.

Practice beats theory

A lot of courses tend to pile up theory ahead of the real code, this course is going take a minimum theory first approach.

You will learn essentials of real-time web and will start implementing it in your application in under 20 minutes.

We value your time

Your time is precious, so instead of repeating one thing in 4 different ways, we will keep it straight to the point - all videos tend to include only the information that you are going to benefit from - no small talk.

Open Source Project

All source code shown in this course is also made available as a Git repository through GitHub. Students can create their own branches, and push changes back for community benefit.

Who this course is for:

Take this course if you want to build real-time web apps with SignalR
Real-time web is used in almost every modern app and using SignalR is the fastest way to add real-time web to new or already existing apps
This course also covers the basics of TCP socket communications vs standard HTTP communication, but it focuses on building an application using ASP.NET, so this course might not be suitable for students who do not use the .NET framework.

Learn SignalR: Make a Full Featured Chat App From Scratch

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Real Time Web5 lectures • 4min

Hello SignalR10 lectures • 15min

Creating fully featured chat app from scratch16 lectures • 22min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: