Question 1

How do I set up Cable with the Lucky framework?

Accepted Answer

Mount the Cable::Handler middleware before Lucky::RouteHandler in app_server.cr, configure settings in cable.cr, and implement connection and channel classes, as detailed in the README's Lucky example. Ensure you load the shard in shards.cr and choose a backend like Redis for pub/sub.

Question 2

Cable vs Kemal's built-in WebSocket support – which should I use?

Accepted Answer

Cable is better for ActionCable compatibility and multi-backend flexibility, while Kemal's WebSocket is simpler for basic, framework-native real-time features. Cable excels if you need Rails-like APIs or plan to migrate from Rails, but Kemal might suffice for lightweight, Kemal-only projects.

Question 3

Does Cable support authentication with JWT tokens?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Cable supports token-based authentication via the connection class, where you can decode JWT tokens in the connect method, as shown in the example using UserToken.decode_user_id. This allows secure identification and user instance management.

Question 4

Can I use Cable without Redis for production?

Accepted Answer

While possible with backends like NATS or Postgres, the README notes these alternatives may need work before production use, so Redis is recommended for stability. Evaluate your backend choice carefully and test thoroughly if opting for non-Redis options.

Question 5

How do I handle errors in Cable with a service like Bugsnag?

Accepted Answer

Configure the on_error hook in cable.cr to report exceptions to Bugsnag, as demonstrated in the README's error handling section. This allows custom logging and integration with third-party monitoring tools for better debugging.

Question 6

Is Cable ready for high-traffic real-time applications?

Accepted Answer

Cable can scale with robust backends like Redis, but performance depends on your infrastructure and backend choice. The high logging overhead and experimental alternate backends might require optimization for very high traffic scenarios.

Question 7

How to migrate from Rails ActionCable to Cable in Crystal?

Accepted Answer

Keep the same ActionCable JavaScript client, replace the Rails server with Cable configured in Crystal, and port channel logic using Cable's similar API. The README's compatibility ensures minimal frontend changes, but backend code must be adapted to Crystal syntax.

Cable

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