## Getting Started

### Minimal Setup
1. **Installation**:
   ```bash
   composer require laravel/reverb
   php artisan reverb:install

This generates a .env configuration and publishes the necessary files.

Configuration: Update .env with Redis connection details:

BROADCAST_CONNECTION=redis
REVERB_REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
REVERB_HOST=127.0.0.1
REVERB_PORT=6001

Run Reverb:
```
php artisan reverb:start
```
For production, use a process manager like Supervisor to keep Reverb running.

First Use Case: Use Laravel's built-in broadcasting to test:

// In a route or controller
broadcast(new \App\Events\TestEvent())->toOthers();

Connect via JavaScript:

const socket = new WebSocket(`ws://${window.location.hostname}:6001/app/TEST_CHANNEL`);
socket.onmessage = (event) => console.log(event.data);

Key Files to Review

config/broadcasting.php: Configure broadcasting connections.
config/reverb.php: Reverb-specific settings (e.g., host, port, heartbeat).
routes/channels.php: Define channel authorization logic.
app/Events/: Define your custom broadcast events.

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Broadcasting Events

Server-Side:

// Define an event
class MessageSent implements ShouldBroadcast
{
    public function broadcastOn(): array
    {
        return ['message-channel'];
    }

    public function broadcastAs(): string
    {
        return 'message.sent';
    }
}

// Broadcast the event
broadcast(new MessageSent($data))->toOthers();

Client-Side:

Echo.channel('message-channel')
    .listen('message.sent', (data) => {
        console.log('New message:', data);
    });

2. Channel Authorization

Use routes/channels.php to authorize channels:

Broadcast::channel('private-user.{id}', function ($user, $id) {
    return (int) $user->id === (int) $id;
});

3. Presence Channels

Track users in a channel:

Broadcast::channel('chat.room.{id}', function ($user, $id) {
    return $user->canAccessRoom($id);
});

// Client-side
Echo.join(`chat.room.${roomId}`)
    .here((users) => console.log('Users here:', users))
    .joining((user) => console.log('User joined:', user))
    .leaving((user) => console.log('User left:', user));

4. Private Channels with Authentication

Use Laravel's auth middleware:

Broadcast::channel('private-app.{user}', function ($user) {
    return Auth::check();
});

5. Scaling with Multiple Servers

Configure Redis pub/sub for horizontal scaling:

REVERB_SCALE=true
REVERB_SCALE_CHANNEL=reverb-scale-channel

Integration Tips

Frontend Integration

Use Laravel Echo with Pusher JS or Socket.IO for client-side WebSocket management.

import Echo from 'laravel-echo';
import Pusher from 'pusher-js';

window.Pusher = Pusher;
window.Echo = new Echo({
    broadcaster: 'reverb',
    key: 'app_key',
    wsHost: window.location.hostname,
    wsPort: 6001,
    forceTLS: false,
    disableStats: true,
    enabledTransports: ['ws', 'wss'],
});

Testing

Use Laravel's BroadcastServiceProvider and BroadcastFake for unit tests:

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Broadcast;

public function test_broadcast_event()
{
    Broadcast::fake();

    broadcast(new TestEvent())->to('test-channel');

    Broadcast::assertSent(TestEvent::class, function ($event) {
        return $event->data === 'test';
    });
}

Monitoring and Logging

Configure Reverb logging in config/reverb.php:

'log_level' => 'debug',
'log_file' => storage_path('logs/reverb.log'),

Use Laravel's Log facade to debug connection issues:

\Log::debug('WebSocket connection established', ['connection_id' => $connection->id]);

Customizing Reverb

Extend Reverb's behavior by binding custom classes in AppServiceProvider:

public function register()
{
    $this->app->bind(\Laravel\Reverb\Contracts\Connection::class, function () {
        return new \App\Services\CustomReverbConnection();
    });
}

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls and Debugging

1. Connection Issues

Symptoms: Clients fail to connect or disconnect abruptly.
Causes:
- Incorrect Redis configuration (e.g., wrong host/port).
- Firewall blocking WebSocket ports (6001 by default).
- Missing CORS headers (configure in config/reverb.php):
```
'allowed_origins' => ['http://localhost', 'https://your-app.com'],
```
Fix:
- Verify Redis is running and accessible:
```
redis-cli ping
```
- Check Reverb logs (storage/logs/reverb.log).
- Ensure REVERB_HOST and REVERB_PORT match your frontend connection.

2. Authentication Failures

Symptoms: Clients connect but receive unauthorized errors.
Causes:
- Missing or incorrect auth endpoint in Echo config.
- Incorrect channel authorization logic in routes/channels.php.

Fix:

Ensure your BroadcastServiceProvider includes:

Broadcast::routes(['middleware' => ['auth:sanctum']]);

Test auth with:
```
php artisan reverb:auth
```

3. Memory Leaks

Symptoms: High memory usage or crashes under load.
Causes:
- Unclosed WebSocket connections (fixed in v1.7.0).
- Large channel lists or unoptimized event data.
Fix:
- Use REVERB_ACTIVITY_TIMEOUT to prune idle connections:
```
REVERB_ACTIVITY_TIMEOUT=30
```
- Limit channel subscriptions per user.

4. Rate Limiting

Symptoms: Clients get 429 Too Many Requests errors.

Fix:

Enable rate limiting in config/reverb.php:

'rate_limiting' => [
    'enabled' => true,
    'max_attempts' => 100,
    'decay_seconds' => 60,
],

5. Scaling Issues

Symptoms: Messages not delivered across multiple Reverb instances.
Causes:
- Missing Redis pub/sub configuration.
- Incorrect REVERB_SCALE_CHANNEL.
Fix:
- Ensure all Reverb instances share the same Redis connection.
- Verify scaling is enabled:
```
REVERB_SCALE=true
REVERB_SCALE_CHANNEL=reverb-scale-channel
```

Configuration Quirks

1. Custom Server Path

If Reverb is behind a reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx), set a custom path:
```
REVERB_SERVER_PATH=/ws
```

Update Echo config:

wsHost: window.location.hostname,
wsPort: 6001,
wsPath: '/ws',

2. HTTPS/SSL

For production, ensure Reverb uses WSS (secure WebSocket):
```
REVERB_SCHEME=https
```

Configure your web server to proxy WebSocket connections:

location /ws {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:6001;
    proxy_http_version 1.1;
    proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
    proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
}

3. Environment-Specific Config

Use Laravel's environment-specific configs:

// config/reverb.php
'host' => env('REVERB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'),
'port' => env('REVERB_PORT', env('APP_ENV') === 'production' ? 443 :

Reverb Laravel Package