I need to add messaging capability into an app I’m making.
All the messaging would be in context to a “shared” document.
It’s a multi user system, all intended for iOS initially, but may go to desktop.
Visibility of messages needs to be controlled one-one or one-many.
I also have to consider offline caching and a good way to ensure synchronization.
I think I can do this all, but before I bother coding it, I’m wondering if there is an existing platform I should be leveraging that would eliminate a lot of the heavy lifting.
i would use/create a web-based solution, vps with database and web service.
web-based can be used at phone browser or desktop browser. or maybe HTMLViewer in app.
data and users are centrally located.
make the requirement must be online.
i think there are not much options.
opensource will create other worries.
messaging services are not free (except the misuse of whatsapp or fb messenger). usually licence fees.
in consideration of long term support your own source code is the best solution and not the cheapest.
a datacenter / webbased solution cost either way a fix amount of money each month.
its all a weighting between pro and con.
slack.com has a wondeful API, but yes the use of the platform costs a few bucks. Microsoft Teams is an option too, but via Microsoft Graph the authentication is a bit more complicated than with Slack.
True, though it depends what you want to achieve, and what you have. Many customers have Teams “for free” if they are already using Microsoft Office, or NPOs can get O365 for free. In both cases, it is usually difficult to “sell” another product, even if it’s better. From an integration perspective Slack is a dream. A bit of CURL and you are done.
I did an XMPP integration many years ago, wasn’t extraordinarily difficult. I know someone else was working on a Jitsi integration in Xojo at one point in time, but I don’t know how far they made it or remember who it was.