In this article, I will discuss the Laravel Echo package and what's it used for.
What is Laravel Echo?
Simply, Laravel Echo is a tool that lets you utilise Web Sockets to a Laravel application.
Additionally, this plugin makes it easier to handle more complex features of integrating Web Sockets. This will enable the application to incorporate real-time updates without any refreshing.
Echo, connects to the Laravel's Event broadcasting system. Not only that but also it is a new JavaScript package that can be installed with npm.
It's a layer of sugar on top of either Pusher JS or Socket.io.
Echo provides a more robust, efficient alternative to continually polling your application for changes.
If you are wondering what's a real-time update. It is a network that uses web technologies and practices. That enable users to receive information as soon as it is published. Rather than reloading or rechecking it manually.
When to use Laravel Echo?
First, let’s see where you can implement the Echo to the application or even to the business model.
Throughout the years, Web Sockets have been useful for sending real-time notifications to users. Some applications update the data structures using the same concept.
As I mentioned above, Echo utilises the Web Socket concept. Therefore, Echo has many applications.
- Admin Dashboards/Charts with real-time data feeding in.
- Alerts/Notifications without refreshing or navigating to another page.
- Social/Newsfeed for the employees or for the customers.
- Employee chat rooms and customer chat rooms.
Why use Laravel Echo?
With the above uses I have mentioned, you might be wondering why you need Echo.
In the first place, Web Sockets are very powerful.
Therefore, Echo is scalable, and it will not overload the application servers.
All updates are nearly instantaneous. Which will make sure the update reaches all users at the same time.
Furthermore, Echo provides a nice, clean syntax. It combines with the Laravel Broadcasting feature to enable it to connect the public channels. Even to all the complex features. Such as; authentication, authorisation, and private and presence channels.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Echo provides many benefits, and some are entirely invisible. Likewise, it provides a powerful tool for a Laravel application. It will help you improve the day to day business processes. Just imagine the staff updating the application, and you see all changes without any refreshing.
Even though some of these features exist in Pusher JS and Socket.io, Echo will make it simple to integrate. Echo takes what could be slow and painful with other socket libraries and makes it simple and easy.
If you want to learn how to integrate Laravel Echo, check the references. I added the documentation and the Laracast tutorials links below.
If you have any trouble integrating it or you need a professional opinion, you can contact us. We have completed various types of web applications using Laravel. Some of the projects relied on real-time updates for the business process. Laravel Echo made it effortless to integrate it.
References
- Laravel Documentation: https://laravel.com/docs/7.x/broadcasting
- Github Repository: https://github.com/laravel/echo
- Laracast Tutorials: https://laracasts.com/series/get-real-with-laravel-echo