i think i have fixed the bugs i did not think I would fix

app/(tabs)/messages.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useReducer, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useReducer, useState, useRef } from 'react';
+import { io } from 'socket.io-client';
 import { ThemedText, ThemedView } from '@/components/theme/Theme';
 import { Alert, Linking, Platform, StyleSheet, ActivityIndicator } from 'react-native';
 import { MaterialIcons } from '@expo/vector-icons';
@@ -27,14 +28,21 @@ import {getMessages, sendMessage} from '@/constants/APIs';
 import { getUser, getPartner } from '@/components/services/SecureStore';
 import { sendPushNotification } from '@/components/services/notifications/PushNotificationManager';
 
+// Reducer function for managing state
 const reducer = (state: GCState, action: GCStateAction) => {
   switch (action.type) {
     case ActionKind.SEND_MESSAGE: {
-      return { ...state, messages: action.payload };
+      return {
+        ...state,
+        messages: action.payload 
+      };
     }
     case ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES: {
-      return { ...state, loadEarlier: true,
+      return {
-        isLoadingEarlier: false, messages: action.payload
+        ...state,
+        loadEarlier: true,
+        isLoadingEarlier: false,
+        messages: action.payload
       };
     }
     case ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_START: {
@@ -50,14 +58,14 @@ const reducer = (state: GCState, action: GCStateAction) => {
 const MessagesScreen = () => {
   const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);
   const [partner, setPartner] = useState<User | null>(null);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, {
     messages: [],
-    step: 0,
     loadEarlier: true,
     isLoadingEarlier: false,
     isTyping: false,
   });
+
+  // Get user and partner data from SecureStore
   const msgUser: GCUser = {
     _id: user?.id ?? 0,
     name: user?.fullName ?? 'You',
@@ -71,6 +79,7 @@ const MessagesScreen = () => {
       `${process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL}/images/default-profile.png`,
   };
 
+  // Initialize users & (trying to) fetch & display initial messages
   useEffect(() => {
     const initialize = async () => {
       try{
@@ -79,31 +88,70 @@ const MessagesScreen = () => {
         if (userData && partnerData) {
           setUser(userData);
           setPartner(partnerData);
-          await fetchInitialMessages(userData.id);
         } else
           throw new Error('User or partner not found');
       } catch (error) {
         console.error('Error initializing users:', error);
         Alert.alert('Error', 'Failed to initialize users. Please try again.');
-      } finally {
+        dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES, payload: [] });
-        setLoading(false);
       }
     };
     initialize();
   }, []);
 
-  const fetchInitialMessages = async (userId: number, limit: number = 20, offset: number = 0) => {
+  useEffect(() => {
-    try {
+    if (!user || !partner) return;
-      const initialMessages = await getMessages(userId, limit, offset);
+     const socket = io(process.env.EXPO_PUBLIC_WEBSOCKET_URL as string, {
+      transports: ['websocket'],
+    });
+    socket.on('connect', () => {
+      //console.log('Connected to WebSocket server');
+      socket.emit('join', user.id);
+    });
+    socket.on('connect_error', (error) => {
+      console.error('Error connecting to WebSocket server:', error);
+    });
+    socket.on('message', async (newMessage) => {
+      console.log('New message received:', newMessage);
+      const formattedMessage = formatMessages([newMessage]);
+      dispatch({
+        type: ActionKind.SEND_MESSAGE,
+        payload: GiftedChat.append(state.messages, formattedMessage),
+      });
+      if (user && partner) {
+        dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_START });
+        const initialMessages = await getMessages(user.id, 20, 0);
+        console.log('initial messages: ', initialMessages);
         if (initialMessages) {
           const formattedMessages = formatMessages(initialMessages);
-        dispatch({ type: ActionKind.SEND_MESSAGE, payload: formattedMessages });
+          console.log('formatted messages: ', formattedMessages);
+          dispatch({
+            type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES,
+            payload: formattedMessages,
+          });
+        }
+      } else console.log('user or partner not initialized');
+    });
+    return () => {
+      socket.disconnect();
+    };   
+  }, [user, partner]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const fetchMessages = async () => {
+      if (user && partner) {
+        dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_START });
+        const initialMessages = await getMessages(user.id, 20, 0);
+        if (initialMessages) {
+          const formattedMessages = formatMessages(initialMessages);
+          dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES, payload: formattedMessages });
         }
-    } catch (error) {
-      console.error('Error fetching initial messages:', error);
       }
     };
+    fetchMessages();
+  }, [user, partner]);
 
+  // Format messages for GiftedChat
   const formatMessages = (dbMessages: Message[]): IMessage[] => {
     if (!user || !partner) return [];
     return dbMessages.map((msg) => ({
@@ -112,9 +160,10 @@ const MessagesScreen = () => {
       createdAt: new Date(msg.createdAt),
       user: msg.senderId === user.id ? msgUser : msgPartner,
     })) as IMessage[];
-};
+  };
 
-const onSend = useCallback(async (messages: any[]) => {
+  /* -------- Send message function -------- */
+  const onSend = useCallback(async (messages: any[]) => {
     if (!user || !partner) return;
 
     // Prepare the message to be sent
@@ -145,9 +194,10 @@ const onSend = useCallback(async (messages: any[]) => {
 
     // Add the message with a tempId immediately to the state
     const tempFormattedMessages = formatMessages([messageToSend]);
+    const updatedMessages = GiftedChat.append(state.messages, tempFormattedMessages);
     dispatch({
       type: ActionKind.SEND_MESSAGE,
-    payload: GiftedChat.append(state.messages, tempFormattedMessages),
+      payload: updatedMessages,
     });
 
     try {
@@ -163,36 +213,32 @@ const onSend = useCallback(async (messages: any[]) => {
       
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Error sending message:', error);
-
       // In case of an error, remove the temporary message from the state
       const updatedMessages = state.messages.filter((msg) => msg._id !== tempId);
       dispatch({ type: ActionKind.SEND_MESSAGE, payload: updatedMessages });
       Alert.alert('Error', 'Failed to send message. Please try again.');
     }
-}, [user, partner, state.messages]);
+  }, [user, partner, state.messages]);
 
   const onLoadEarlier = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (!user) return;
+    if (!user) {
-
+      console.log('User not found');
+      return;
+    }
     // Set loading state
     dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_START });
-
     // Fetch the current size of messages already in chat to calculate the new offset
     const offset = state.messages.length;
-
     try {
       const earlierMessages = await getMessages(user.id, 20, offset);
       if (earlierMessages) {
         const formattedMessages = formatMessages(earlierMessages);
-
+        const updatedMessages = GiftedChat.prepend(state.messages, formattedMessages);
-        // Prepend older messages
+        dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES, payload: updatedMessages });
-        dispatch({
-          type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES,
-          payload: GiftedChat.prepend(state.messages, formattedMessages),
-        });
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Error loading earlier messages:', error);
+      dispatch({ type: ActionKind.LOAD_EARLIER_MESSAGES, payload: [] });
     }
   }, [user, state.messages]);
 
@@ -307,10 +353,6 @@ const onSend = useCallback(async (messages: any[]) => {
     );
   }, []);
 
-  if (loading) return (
-    <ActivityIndicator size='large' color='#0000ff'/>
-  );
-
   return (
     <SafeAreaView style={styles.fill}>
       <ThemedView style={styles.fill}>

babel.config.js

@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@ module.exports = function (api) {
   api.cache(true);
   return {
     presets: ['babel-preset-expo'],
+    plugins: ['react-native-reanimated/plugin'],
   };
 };

constants/Types.ts

@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ export type GCMessage = {
 };
 export type GCState = {
   messages: any[];
-  step: number;
   loadEarlier?: boolean;
   isLoadingEarlier?: boolean;
   isTyping: boolean;

package.json

@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@
     "react-native-reanimated": "~3.10.1",
     "react-native-safe-area-context": "4.10.5",
     "react-native-screens": "3.31.1",
-    "react-native-web": "~0.19.13"
+    "react-native-web": "~0.19.13",
+    "socket.io-client": "^4.8.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "^7.25.9",

pnpm-lock.yaml

@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ importers:
       react-native-web:
         specifier: ~0.19.13
         version: 0.19.13(react-dom@18.2.0(react@18.2.0))(react@18.2.0)
+      socket.io-client:
+        specifier: ^4.8.0
+        version: 4.8.0
     devDependencies:
       '@babel/core':
         specifier: ^7.25.9
@@ -1393,6 +1396,9 @@ packages:
   '@sinonjs/fake-timers@10.3.0':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-V4BG07kuYSUkTCSBHG8G8TNhM+F19jXFWnQtzj+we8DrkpSBCee9Z3Ms8yiGer/dlmhe35/Xdgyo3/0rQKg7YA==}
 
+  '@socket.io/component-emitter@3.1.2':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-9BCxFwvbGg/RsZK9tjXd8s4UcwR0MWeFQ1XEKIQVVvAGJyINdrqKMcTRyLoK8Rse1GjzLV9cwjWV1olXRWEXVA==}
+
   '@teovilla/react-native-web-maps@0.9.5':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-gyVqyzb7PypH3bD4s3GmLK8Xv8KUNNedyXVjzASmTO1QKbMyoadjKaSrBWJezShbs3nz6JEL6OZchx9ccwMbjA==}
     peerDependencies:
@@ -2234,6 +2240,13 @@ packages:
   end-of-stream@1.4.4:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-+uw1inIHVPQoaVuHzRyXd21icM+cnt4CzD5rW+NC1wjOUSTOs+Te7FOv7AhN7vS9x/oIyhLP5PR1H+phQAHu5Q==}
 
+  engine.io-client@6.6.2:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-TAr+NKeoVTjEVW8P3iHguO1LO6RlUz9O5Y8o7EY0fU+gY1NYqas7NN3slpFtbXEsLMHk0h90fJMfKjRkQ0qUIw==}
+
+  engine.io-parser@5.2.3:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-HqD3yTBfnBxIrbnM1DoD6Pcq8NECnh8d4As1Qgh0z5Gg3jRRIqijury0CL3ghu/edArpUYiYqQiDUQBIs4np3Q==}
+    engines: {node: '>=10.0.0'}
+
   entities@4.5.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-V0hjH4dGPh9Ao5p0MoRY6BVqtwCjhz6vI5LT8AJ55H+4g9/4vbHx1I54fS0XuclLhDHArPQCiMjDxjaL8fPxhw==}
     engines: {node: '>=0.12'}
@@ -4378,6 +4391,14 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-h+z7HKHYXj6wJU+AnS/+IH8Uh9fdcX1Lrhg1/VMdf9PwoBQXFcXiAdsy2tSK0P6gKwJLXp02r90ahUCqHk9rrw==}
     engines: {node: '>=8.0.0'}
 
+  socket.io-client@4.8.0:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-C0jdhD5yQahMws9alf/yvtsMGTaIDBnZ8Rb5HU56svyq0l5LIrGzIDZZD5pHQlmzxLuU91Gz+VpQMKgCTNYtkw==}
+    engines: {node: '>=10.0.0'}
+
+  socket.io-parser@4.2.4:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-/GbIKmo8ioc+NIWIhwdecY0ge+qVBSMdgxGygevmdHj24bsfgtCmcUUcQ5ZzcylGFHsN3k4HB4Cgkl96KVnuew==}
+    engines: {node: '>=10.0.0'}
+
   source-map-js@1.2.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-UXWMKhLOwVKb728IUtQPXxfYU+usdybtUrK/8uGE8CQMvrhOpwvzDBwj0QhSL7MQc7vIsISBG8VQ8+IDQxpfQA==}
     engines: {node: '>=0.10.0'}
@@ -4967,6 +4988,18 @@ packages:
       utf-8-validate:
         optional: true
 
+  ws@8.17.1:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-6XQFvXTkbfUOZOKKILFG1PDK2NDQs4azKQl26T0YS5CxqWLgXajbPZ+h4gZekJyRqFU8pvnbAbbs/3TgRPy+GQ==}
+    engines: {node: '>=10.0.0'}
+    peerDependencies:
+      bufferutil: ^4.0.1
+      utf-8-validate: '>=5.0.2'
+    peerDependenciesMeta:
+      bufferutil:
+        optional: true
+      utf-8-validate:
+        optional: true
+
   ws@8.18.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-8VbfWfHLbbwu3+N6OKsOMpBdT4kXPDDB9cJk2bJ6mh9ucxdlnNvH1e+roYkKmN9Nxw2yjz7VzeO9oOz2zJ04Pw==}
     engines: {node: '>=10.0.0'}
@@ -5006,6 +5039,10 @@ packages:
   xmlchars@2.2.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-JZnDKK8B0RCDw84FNdDAIpZK+JuJw+s7Lz8nksI7SIuU3UXJJslUthsi+uWBUYOwPFwW7W7PRLRfUKpxjtjFCw==}
 
+  xmlhttprequest-ssl@2.1.1:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-ptjR8YSJIXoA3Mbv5po7RtSYHO6mZr8s7i5VGmEk7QY2pQWyT1o0N+W1gKbOyJPUCGXGnuw0wqe8f0L6Y0ny7g==}
+    engines: {node: '>=0.4.0'}
+
   xtend@4.0.2:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-LKYU1iAXJXUgAXn9URjiu+MWhyUXHsvfp7mcuYm9dSUKK0/CjtrUwFAxD82/mCWbtLsGjFIad0wIsod4zrTAEQ==}
     engines: {node: '>=0.4'}
@@ -7099,6 +7136,8 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       '@sinonjs/commons': 3.0.1
 
+  '@socket.io/component-emitter@3.1.2': {}
+
   '@teovilla/react-native-web-maps@0.9.5(@react-google-maps/api@2.20.3(react-dom@18.2.0(react@18.2.0))(react@18.2.0))(expo-location@17.0.1(expo@51.0.38(@babel/core@7.25.9)(@babel/preset-env@7.25.9(@babel/core@7.25.9))))(react-native-maps@1.14.0(react-native-web@0.19.13(react-dom@18.2.0(react@18.2.0))(react@18.2.0))(react-native@0.74.5(@babel/core@7.25.9)(@babel/preset-env@7.25.9(@babel/core@7.25.9))(@types/react@18.2.79)(react@18.2.0))(react@18.2.0))(react-native@0.74.5(@babel/core@7.25.9)(@babel/preset-env@7.25.9(@babel/core@7.25.9))(@types/react@18.2.79)(react@18.2.0))(react@18.2.0)':
     dependencies:
       '@react-google-maps/api': 2.20.3(react-dom@18.2.0(react@18.2.0))(react@18.2.0)
@@ -7985,6 +8024,20 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       once: 1.4.0
 
+  engine.io-client@6.6.2:
+    dependencies:
+      '@socket.io/component-emitter': 3.1.2
+      debug: 4.3.7
+      engine.io-parser: 5.2.3
+      ws: 8.17.1
+      xmlhttprequest-ssl: 2.1.1
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - bufferutil
+      - supports-color
+      - utf-8-validate
+
+  engine.io-parser@5.2.3: {}
+
   entities@4.5.0: {}
 
   env-editor@0.4.2: {}
@@ -10643,6 +10696,24 @@ snapshots:
 
   slugify@1.6.6: {}
 
+  socket.io-client@4.8.0:
+    dependencies:
+      '@socket.io/component-emitter': 3.1.2
+      debug: 4.3.7
+      engine.io-client: 6.6.2
+      socket.io-parser: 4.2.4
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - bufferutil
+      - supports-color
+      - utf-8-validate
+
+  socket.io-parser@4.2.4:
+    dependencies:
+      '@socket.io/component-emitter': 3.1.2
+      debug: 4.3.7
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - supports-color
+
   source-map-js@1.2.1: {}
 
   source-map-support@0.5.13:
@@ -11214,6 +11285,8 @@ snapshots:
 
   ws@7.5.10: {}
 
+  ws@8.17.1: {}
+
   ws@8.18.0: {}
 
   xcode@3.0.1:
@@ -11236,6 +11309,8 @@ snapshots:
 
   xmlchars@2.2.0: {}
 
+  xmlhttprequest-ssl@2.1.1: {}
+
   xtend@4.0.2: {}
 
   y18n@4.0.3: {}