Handling real-time updates in a Next.js application typically involves integrating technologies or techniques that facilitate real-time communication between the server and the client. Here are some common approaches:
WebSocket Integration: WebSocket is a communication protocol that provides full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection. You can integrate WebSocket libraries such as Socket.
Server-Sent Events (SSE): Server-Sent Events is another approach for real-time updates where the server sends events to the client over a single HTTP connection that remains open. Unlike WebSockets, SSE is unidirectional (server to client), and the client can’t send messages back to the server.
HTTP Long Polling: Although less efficient than WebSocket or SSE, HTTP long polling can be used to achieve real-time updates in Next.js applications. With long polling, the client sends a request to the server, and the server holds the connection open until it has new data to send.
Third-Party Services: Alternatively, you can use third-party services or platforms that offer real-time functionality, such as Firebase Realtime Database, GraphQL subscriptions with services like Apollo or AWS AppSync, or Pusher for WebSocket-based communication.
State Management Libraries: State management libraries like Redux or Zustand can also be used to handle real-time updates within the client-side application. These libraries can manage the application state and update the UI in response to real-time events received from the server.