Integrating WebSockets with React and Python Backend

 WebSockets are a powerful tool for building real-time web applications where the server and client can communicate instantly without needing to refresh the page. They enable two-way communication over a single, long-lived connection, which makes them ideal for real-time features such as chat apps, live notifications, and live updates in dashboards.

In this blog, we will walk through integrating WebSockets between a React frontend and a Python backend using FastAPI for the backend and Socket.IO for the frontend in React.

1. Setting Up the Python Backend with WebSockets

For the backend, we will use FastAPI. FastAPI is an easy-to-use, modern framework for building APIs and supports WebSocket integration out-of-the-box.

  • Socket Initialization: The useEffect hook establishes a connection with the WebSocket server at http://localhost:8000.

  • Sending and Receiving Messages: We listen for incoming messages from the server with socket.on("message") and display them in the UI. The sendMessage function sends messages to the server.

3. Run the React Application

Make sure your React app is running:

bash
npm start

The React app will be available at http://localhost:3000.

4. Test the Application

  1. Open multiple tabs in your browser.

  2. On each tab, the React application will connect to the WebSocket server.

  3. When you send a message from one tab, all other tabs should receive the message in real-time.

5. Optional: Deployment

For deployment, make sure that:

  • The WebSocket server is accessible through the public domain.

  • Your React app uses the production WebSocket URL instead of localhost.

You can use services like Heroku, AWS, or DigitalOcean to deploy the backend and frontend.

6. Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to integrate WebSockets in a real-time web application with a React frontend and FastAPI backend. WebSockets allow for seamless, real-time communication, making your app feel more dynamic and interactive. Whether you are building a chat app, live notifications, or real-time dashboards, WebSockets are a great choice for achieving low-latency, persistent connections between client and server.

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