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AI solution for System Design on BFE.dev
4. Design a messenger web app

To design a messenger web app, I would focus on the following features:

  1. Real-time messaging: To make messaging real-time, I will use WebSockets. WebSockets allow the server to push updates to the client instantly, resulting in real-time messaging.

  2. Offline support: To handle offline messaging, I will implement a message queue, where all the messages are stored until the user's internet connection is restored. Once the internet connection is back, the app will push all the messages that were queued.

  3. Read status: To show when the message was read, I will implement a feature that will display a tick mark when the message is seen by the recipient.

  4. Group chats: To support group chats, I will implement a group creation feature. Users can create groups and add other users to it. All the members of the group will be able to message each other and receive notifications for group messages.

  5. Server performance: To improve server performance, I will use a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across multiple servers. Additionally, I will implement a caching mechanism to store frequently requested information in memory, reducing the load on the database.

The UI of the messenger app will have the following components:

  1. A chat interface that displays the conversation history between the user and the recipient.

  2. A contact list, where users can see their contacts and start new conversations.

  3. A settings page where users can configure app preferences like notifications and privacy.

  4. In the chat interface, users will be able to send messages, and receive messages in real-time. The chat interface will also display read status.

  5. Group chats will be marked with an icon in the contact list, and the chat interface will display group members.

That's my proposed solution for designing a messenger web app.