Overcoming Backend Challenges: A Journey Through Chat Integration

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As a backend developer, one of the most critical skills is problem-solving, especially when project requirements change unexpectedly. Recently, I faced a challenging situation while developing an application for organizations to post jobs and for potential employees to apply, similar to LinkedIn. Midway through the project, the scope expanded to include chat functionality, which was not part of the initial design. This addition presented several challenges that I needed to address creatively and efficiently.

The Challenge

The existing application was a monolith, and there was no need to complicate it by converting it to a microservices architecture. Therefore, I decided to create a separate application dedicated to chat functionality. For this, I chose a document-based database (MongoDB) to handle the unstructured nature of chat data. I used Nest.js with Socket.io to implement basic chat features, such as private messaging and read receipts.

Integrating Users Across Applications

One significant challenge was integrating users from the main application into the chat application. To solve this, I implemented an initialization endpoint in the chat application. This endpoint had to be called the first time a user accessed the chat, accepting a DTO containing essential user information. Additionally, I created an endpoint in the main application to verify tokens. This allowed the frontend to send the same token from the main application to the chat application, ensuring authentication and authorization consistency. I also implemented token-based authentication for the Socket.io handshake.

With these solutions, I successfully integrated chat functionality while maintaining the stability and performance of the original application.

My Coding Journey

I began my coding career with JavaScript and TypeScript, attracted by the rapid prototyping capabilities they offered. However, I found the JavaScript ecosystem overwhelming due to its vast array of libraries and the multitude of ways to solve any given problem. This freedom, while powerful, often distracted me from the core issues I was trying to address.

Desiring more structure, I turned to Java, a well-established and trusted language for server-side development. I appreciated Java's stability and the clarity with which the community approached problem-solving. This transition helped me focus more on the logic and architecture of my applications rather than getting bogged down by the numerous ways to implement them.

Why the HNG Internship

My journey with Java has been rewarding, and I aim to deepen my expertise through the HNG Internship. Although Java might not be a primary focus of this program, I am eager to work with C#, which shares many similarities with Java. Having completed a simple project with .NET, I found it enjoyable and look forward to expanding my skills in this area.

I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded professionals and learn from the best in the industry. The HNG Internship represents a pivotal step in my career, and I am eager to embrace the challenges and growth opportunities it offers.

I can't wait to meet great minds here at HNG.