Flutter
Integrating
Socket.IO Client
(with code)
Pratik Andarpa
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What is Socket.IO?
Socket.IO is a library that enables real-time,
bidirectional communication between clients and
servers. It's perfect for chat applications, live
tracking, online gaming and more!
Providing real-time communication between the
client and server through WebSockets.
In this post, we will integrate the Socket.IO Client
into a Flutter app.
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How Does
Socket.IO Work?
Client-Server Communication:
In our setup, the Flutter app acts as the client,
while your backend server acts as the server.
We establish a bidirectional, real-time data
transmission between them using Socket.IO.
Steps:
First, we establish a connection between the client
and the server.
The app listens for events.
You can emit events to broadcast data to the
backend.
Close the connection between the client and
server when it's no longer needed.
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Add Dependencies
To start, add the socket_io_client package to your
pubspec.yaml file:
Import the library
To start, add the socket_io_client package to your
pubspec.yaml file:
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Initialize Socket.IO
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Initialize Socket.IO
Brief descriptions for each state:
onConnect: When the connection is established,
the onConnect callback will be triggered.
onDisconnect: When the connection is
disconnected, the onDisconnect callback will be
triggered.
onConnectError: If there is an error during the
connection attempt, the onConnectError callback
will be triggered.
onError: If any general error occurs, the onError
callback will be triggered.
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Listening Events
To receive and handle data from the server, use
the on method to listen for specific events. This
enables your app to react to incoming messages or
updates, such as displaying new chat messages in
real-time.
Replace 'eventName' with the event name sent
from your server.
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Emitting Events
When you want to send data to the server or
broadcast an event, use the emit method. This
allows you to transmit messages or data from the
client to the server, such as sending a new
message in a chat application.
Replace 'emitMessageName' with the appropriate
event name as defined on your server.
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Closing Socket
Always close the socket when it's no longer
needed.
Note: If the socket connection fails, verify that the
versions of the server and client libraries are
compatible with each other.
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step 10
Conclusion
You now have a basic setup to integrate Socket.IO Client
in your Flutter app! Implement real-time features like chat,
live tracking, and more effortlessly.
If you encounter any errors with the socket, please leave
a comment with the details. I'm happy to help!
Happy coding!
Pratik Andarpa
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Pratik Andarpa
