Leveraging Backand, this super-easy Ionic chat provides a boatload of functionality including real-time communication and a database API.

Set up instructions:

1 - To run starter, run ionic start on the repository:

ionic start backand-ionic-chat https://github.com/backand/backand-ionic-chat
cd backand-ionic-chat

2 - Install Backand

bower install socket.io-client#1.4.5
bower install backand-angular1-sdk

3 - Run with ionic serve function

ionic serve

In order to run the app on another platform (Android/iOS):

cordova platform add <platform>
ionic run <platform>

Setting up your own realtime Backand app

1 - Create a free personal app at backand.com

2 - Set the following Backand DB model:

[
  {
    "name": "users",
    "fields": {
      "email": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "firstName": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "lastName": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "chats": {
        "object": "chats"
      }
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "chats",
    "fields": {
      "participants": {
        "collection": "users",
        "via": "chats"
      },
      "messages": {
        "collection": "messages",
        "via": "chat"
      },
      "name": {
        "type": "string"
      }
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "messages",
    "fields": {
      "message": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "chat": {
        "object": "chats"
      }
    }
  }
]

3 - On the messages object, add a server side action that triggers after the create event. Call it SendMessage and use the following code:

'use strict';
function backandCallback(userInput, dbRow, parameters, userProfile) {
    socket.emitAll("send_message" + dbRow.chat, dbRow.message);
  return {};
}

4 - Modify the following code on www/js/app.js with your Backand app name, sign up token and anonymous token:

  BackandProvider.setAppName('Your-App-Name');

  BackandProvider.setSignUpToken('Your-SignUp-Token');

  BackandProvider.setAnonymousToken('Your-Anonymous-Token');

5 - Enjoy your custom Real Time app! You can add whatever functionality you want both to the client or the server!

For more info about Backand Real Time feature: http://docs.backand.com/en/latest/apidocs/realtime/index.html