Tense

Tense is a clone of the prevalent messaging app "Slack". Through Tense, users can create and join channels and send live messages to chat with other users. You can access the live app here.

Technologies used

• Ruby on Rails back-end
• PostgreSQL database
• React/Redux front-end

Features

• Create an account with just an email or try a demo!
• You just need an email and the name you want displayed
  • On the backend, we secure your information using BCrypt

Live-messaging!

• Once you're logged in, you can see the real app!

• Send and receive messages in real time!
  
  

• To achieve this, I used the action cable feature built into Rails

• First I set up the backend for my channels in Rails

  • I set it up so that the multiple channels I have could each have their own subscriptions

class ChatChannel < ApplicationCable::Channel
  def subscribed
    # stream_from "some_channel"
    chat_type = params[:type]
    @chat = chat_type.constantize.find_by(id: params[:chatId])
    stream_for @chat if @chat
  end
  def speak(data)
    @message = Message.create(
      body: data["message"]["body"],
      user_id: data["message"]["user_id"],
      messageable_id: @chat.id,
      messageable_type: "Channel"
    )
    socket = { 
      message: {
      id: @message.id,
      userId: @message.user_id,
      body: @message.body,
      messageableId: @message.messageable_id,
      messageableType: @message.messageable_type,
      createdAt: @message.created_at
      }
    }
    ChatChannel.broadcast_to(@chat, socket)
  end

• Then I set up a subscription to set up a connection with specified channels on my front-end

this.subscription = App.cable.subscriptions.create(
      { 
        channel: 'ChatChannel',
        type: 'Channel',
        chatId: this.props.channel.id,
      },
      {
        received: data => {
          this.setState.call(this, ({
            newMessages: this.state.newMessages + 1}));
        },
        speak: data => {
          return this.subscription.perform("speak", data);
        },
      }
    );
  }

Channels

• Create or join channels for topics you want to discuss!
  
  

Direct Messages

• Message users directly in a private direct message that only you two can see!
  
  

Search

• Look up channels or users with ease!
  
  

Try it out!

Future Additions

• Live typing, so everyone can see you type the second you make a keystroke