June 2017 Summaries

ALFREDO is a web and mobile application designed for event coordination and communication, allowing real-time updates and interactions across connected devices. Developed by Distillery, a Los Angeles-based design and development firm, the application ensures solid real-time functionality across various platforms by utilizing PubNub's extensive library of resources, which has been proven effective in previous projects. This choice enables the development team to concentrate on solving application-level challenges without the need to build infrastructure from scratch. Additionally, a new Chat Resource Center has been launched to provide tutorials and design patterns for building and deploying chat functionalities on mobile and web platforms.

Ubidots is an Internet of Things (IoT) data analytics and visualization company that transforms sensor data into actionable insights for various industries. It offers device-friendly APIs for real-time data transmission and retrieval through several protocols, and its platform provides tools for interactive data visualization and customization. Ubidots has integrated its application enablement platform with PubNub's Data Stream Network via customizable microservices called BLOCKS, allowing developers to add real-time code and deploy features efficiently. The guide provided outlines the process of managing data between PubNub and Ubidots, including setting up channels, event handlers, and WebHooks for publishing and subscribing data. The integration facilitates seamless data flow from devices to the cloud, enabling users to leverage the insights generated for enhanced decision-making and resource optimization.

PubNub has announced two significant updates: the renaming of PubNub BLOCKS to Functions, and the introduction of webhook integration with Endpoints. Functions, a serverless compute service, facilitates the execution of business logic on messages as they stream through PubNub, allowing developers to easily build and operate real-time applications without managing server infrastructure. It deploys rapidly, scales automatically, and operates with minimal latency on the PubNub Data Stream Network. The new Endpoints feature enables Functions to be accessed by any system capable of making an HTTP request, simplifying the process of creating webhooks and supporting functionalities such as message transformation, third-party service integration, and advanced chat capabilities. These enhancements are designed to help developers create large-scale social applications, online games, IoT use cases, and more, with comprehensive support for secure REST endpoints and stateful data management.

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to creating a Facebook Messenger chatbot using Functions-as-a-Service from PubNub, highlighting how to build microservices and webhooks compatible with ECMAScript 6. It instructs users to modify Facebook's example code, create a Function for handling incoming messages, and set up a webhook via the PubNub network to interact with Facebook's API. The tutorial covers setting up a Facebook app, verifying tokens, obtaining a Page Access Token, and coding functions to receive and respond to messages. It also explores advanced features like sending structured messages and handling postbacks. Additionally, the tutorial emphasizes the scalability of Functions through PubNub’s real-time network, offering examples of potential implementations such as bots for weather alerts or neighborhood watch. The guide encourages further exploration of Functions and Endpoints documentation for extended learning and offers ideas for practical applications using PubNub’s infrastructure.

PubNub has introduced a Best Practices Playbook aimed at helping developers build efficient real-time applications using its various SDKs, including JavaScript, Objective-C, Swift, and Android. The playbook provides guidance on optimal and suboptimal uses of PubNub, covering areas such as publishing, subscribing, configuring security, and message storage. It delves into specific design patterns like Server Message Aggregation for managing high ingress architectures, Advanced Channel Groups for understanding Stream Controller and Presence, and Inbound Channel Pattern for designing effective 1-1 and group chat architectures. Additionally, it explores methods for simulating message updates and deletions using PubNub's Storage & Playback feature and offers strategies for synchronizing message states across multiple devices. The playbook aims to address common mistakes made by users and provide design patterns to enhance the architecture of applications utilizing PubNub's services.