Question

I’m working on a real-time JavaScript Application that requires all changes to a database are mirrored instantly in JavaScript and vise versa.

Right now, when changes are made in JavaScript, I make an ajax call to my API and make the corresponding changes to the DOM. On the server, the API handles the request and finishes up by sending a push using PubNub to the other current JavaScript users with the change that has been made. I also include a changeID that is sequential to JavaScript can resync the entire data set if it missed a push. Here is an example of that push:

{
    "changeID":"2857693",
    "type":"update",
    "table":"users",
    "where":{ 
        "id":"32"
    },
    "set":{
        "first_name":"Johnny",
        "last_name":"Applesead"
    }
}

When JavaScript gets this change, it updates the local storage and makes the corresponding DOM changes based on which table is being changed. Please keep in mind that my issue is not with updating the DOM, but with syncing the data from the database to JavaScript both quickly and seamlessly.

Going through this, I can’t help but think that this is a terribly complicated solution to something that should be reasonably simple. Am I missing a Gotcha? How would you sync multiple JavaScript Clients with a MySQL Database seamlessly?

Answer 1

Just to update the question a few months later – I ended up sticking with this method and it works quite well.