Lakhveer Singh Rajput

Push Notifications In Ruby On Rails

🚀 Power Up Your App with Push Notifications in Ruby on Rails! 📲

Push notifications are an excellent way to engage users by sending timely, relevant updates directly to their devices. In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of push notifications in Ruby on Rails. Whether it’s a simple notification system or complex third-party integrations, we’ve got you covered! Let’s explore the various options and learn how to set up each with examples. 💡

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🛠️ Types of Push Notifications in Rails

1. In-App Notifications 📩
2. Web Push Notifications 🌐
3. Mobile Push Notifications 📱
4. Email as Push Notifications ✉️
5. Using Third-Party Services 🛠️

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1. In-App Notifications 📩

In-app notifications appear within your application. Rails has several ways to implement these, including creating your own notification system or using gems like Notification or Noticed.

Setup Example with Noticed Gem

1. Add the gem:

   gem 'noticed'
   

2. Generate a Notification Model:

   rails generate noticed:model NewMessageNotification
   

3. Define Notification Content:

   Edit app/notifications/new_message_notification.rb to customize the message:

   class NewMessageNotification < Noticed::Base
     deliver_by :database
        
     def message
       "You have a new message from #{params[:sender_name]}!"
     end
   end
   

4. Trigger Notification:

   Use the notification within your controller:

   NewMessageNotification.with(sender_name: @user.name).deliver_later(recipient)
   

5. Display Notification in View:

   <% current_user.notifications.each do |notification| %>
     <p><%= notification.message %></p>
   <% end %>
   

💡 In-app notifications are perfect for alerting users of updates or activities while they’re actively using the app.

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2. Web Push Notifications 🌐

Web push notifications reach users even when they’re not actively browsing your app. To implement this in Rails, you can use the webpush gem to send messages directly to the browser.

Setup Example with webpush Gem

1. Install the gem:

   gem 'webpush'
   

2. Generate VAPID Keys:

   Use VAPID keys to authenticate your server with web browsers.

   require 'webpush'
   vapid_key = Webpush.generate_key
   

3. Store and Use VAPID Keys:

   Save these keys in your credentials file for security.

4. Send Push Notification:

   Webpush.payload_send(
     message: "Hello from Rails!",
     endpoint: subscription[:endpoint],
     p256dh: subscription[:keys][:p256dh],
     auth: subscription[:keys][:auth],
     vapid: {
       subject: "mailto:you@example.com",
       public_key: ENV['VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY'],
       private_key: ENV['VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY']
     }
   )
   

🌐 Web push notifications are great for re-engaging users after they’ve left your app.

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3. Mobile Push Notifications 📱

For mobile apps, push notifications can be sent to iOS and Android devices using services like Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for Android and Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) for iOS.

Setup Example with FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging)

1. Create a Firebase Project:

   Register your app in Firebase Console and get the FCM server key.

2. Send Notification Using fcm Gem:

   gem 'fcm'
   

3. Initialize and Send Notification:

   fcm = FCM.new("YOUR_SERVER_KEY")
   registration_ids = ["device_token_1", "device_token_2"]
   
   options = { notification: { title: "Hello!", body: "New message received." } }
   response = fcm.send(registration_ids, options)
   

📱 Mobile push notifications keep users engaged on the go!

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4. Email as Push Notifications ✉️

Emails work as an indirect push notification method. For Rails, Action Mailer provides an easy way to send emails with minimal setup.

Setup Example Using Action Mailer

1. Generate Mailer:

   rails generate mailer NotificationMailer
   

2. Define Mailer Content:

   class NotificationMailer < ApplicationMailer
     def new_message_email(user)
       @user = user
       mail(to: @user.email, subject: "You have a new message!")
     end
   end
   

3. Trigger Email Notification:

   NotificationMailer.new_message_email(@user).deliver_later
   

📧 Email notifications are ideal for transactional updates like password resets or order confirmations.

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5. Using Third-Party Services 🛠️

For more advanced needs, third-party push notification services like OneSignal or Pusher provide robust features for managing notifications, targeting specific audiences, and gaining insights.

Setup Example with OneSignal

1. Register for OneSignal:

   Sign up on OneSignal and create a new application.

2. Install the OneSignal SDK:

   Use the provided instructions to set up OneSignal with your Rails app.

3. Send Notification:

   Once integrated, you can send notifications via their API:

   require 'net/http'
   uri = URI("https://onesignal.com/api/v1/notifications")
   
   response = Net::HTTP.post(
     uri,
     {
       app_id: "YOUR_APP_ID",
       headings: { en: "New Update!" },
       contents: { en: "Check out the latest features!" },
       included_segments: ["Subscribed Users"]
     }.to_json,
     "Content-Type" => "application/json",
     "Authorization" => "Basic YOUR_REST_API_KEY"
   )
   

💥 Third-party services are perfect for larger apps requiring in-depth analytics and segmented messaging.

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🔥 Wrapping Up

Push notifications in Ruby on Rails can range from in-app alerts to sophisticated, multi-platform notifications. Each approach has its unique advantages:

• In-App Notifications for real-time updates
• Web Push for re-engagement
• Mobile Push for reaching users on their phones
• Email Notifications for important transactional messages
• Third-Party Services for advanced customization and analytics

Adding push notifications takes your app’s engagement to the next level, keeping users informed and connected. Give it a try, and start sending updates your users won’t want to miss! 🎉