AppEngine - WebSocket

Platform Developer Q&A Forum
1

Hello,

I was interested in the ability to integrate chat functionality in an App built with AppEngine; is it possible to use websockets?

E.g. I would do something like this:

import io from ‘socket.io-client’;const socket = io(‘my-socket-io-server.com’);
export const App = () => { /* do something */ }

Thanks for the support.

2

Hi @fabbrus,

Thank you for your question. I’m checking if it’s possible to use the package you mentioned and will get back to you as soon as I can. If using the package is possible, you’ll need to use it in an app function, which will allow you access to external resources.

Kind regards,

Sarah

3

Hi @SarahFaustmann ,

Thanks for your kind answer.

Based on your reply, then I don’t think it is possible to use websockets, since for the chat a websocket needs to stay  open for as long as the user interacts with the app; but in app functions there is this requirement:

Runtime limitations​

Currently, the following restrictions apply to functions:

  • Function execution times out after 120 seconds.

So, the websocket would stop working after that time.

I’ll wait for your feedback, though.

Best regards, 
Simone

4

Hi @fabbrus,

I’ve checked with an internal team. Unfortunately for your case, WebSockets are not supported for security reasons, and any third party module using them won’t work properly. I hope this answer at least saves you some further inquiry. 😉

Kind regards,

Sarah