NodeJS with PHP application and user session

Question

I have a PHP application (with Symfony2) and I need to let my users talk, and other tings, in real time (with socket.IO). Let's focus on the chat mechanism : A logged user can talk with an other logged user (logged with FOSUserBundle in Symfony). When the user sent a message, it must be saved in MySQL and sent in real time to the other user. So the message is linked to two users (a sender and a receiver) in my MySQL database.

So I have two possibilities :

• I use PHP to store messages :
  • I have an event on the click "submit" and call a PHP url with AJAX
  • If my PHP return "OK" (so he correctly added the message in database), I emit a Socket.IO event -> let doctrine deal with datas and symfony with my user
  • On NodeJS side, I have a listener on this event and I sent the message through Socket.IO with an other event
• I use only NodeJS :
  • How can I log my user on PHP and NodeJS side ?
  • I need to use a different database for datas in real time ?
  • How can I share my users between NodeJS and PHP ?

I don't know what is the cleanest solution, if someone can help me. Thanks !

Answer 1

Can be done using a common data store like redis to store user sessions

Check this link for reference

http://simplapi.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/php-and-node-js-session-share-redi/

Also check

http://www.slideshare.net/leeboynton/integrating-nodejs-with-php-march-2013-1

Which gives you an overview of how sessions can be shared using a common in-memory data store and some sample memcached code.

WebSockets

If you are using nodejs just for the WebSockets part, I'd suggest not to because then you'd have to replicate your user authentication logic in nodejs as well

You can instead do WebSockets in PHP using some library like http://socketo.me/

As far as storing the messages in MySQL goes

Your first approach of making an AJAX call to store the message in database, waiting for the response and then emitting a SocketIO event would lead to a sluggish chat experience. I'd suggest you store messages to MySQL through NodeJS (asynchronously)

On a side-note check https://github.com/kyle-dorman/ChitChat.js for adding real-time chat functionality to your website.