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wtf is lambda-chat?

tchayen/lambda-chat — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2018-03-18

★ 3HaskellAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5DormantSetup · moderate

TL;DR

A minimal real-time chat app using websockets, with an Elm front-end and a Haskell back-end, built as a learning exercise.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Real-time messaging
      Websocket connection
      Message routing
    Tech stack
      Haskell
      Elm
      Websockets
      Nginx
    Use cases
      Learning web apps
      Chat proof-of-concept
    Audience
      Developers
      Students

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Study a minimal working example of a websocket-based chat system to learn how real-time apps work.

REASON 2

Run a small real-time chat app locally by starting the Elm front-end and Haskell back-end.

REASON 3

Use as a starting point for experimenting with Haskell backend servers.

REASON 4

Deploy behind Nginx as a simple proof-of-concept chat service.

What's in the stack?

HaskellElmWebsocketsNginx

How it stacks up

tchayen/lambda-chatpsibi/yesod-postgrespsibi/odbc-issue-49
Stars341
LanguageHaskellHaskellHaskell
Last pushed2018-03-182018-08-242022-04-26
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatemoderate
Complexity3/53/51/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires installing and running two separate programs: an Elm front-end build and a Haskell back-end server.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through setting up and running both the Elm front-end and Haskell back-end for this chat app.
Prompt 2
Explain how websockets keep the connection open between the browser and this Haskell server.
Prompt 3
Help me configure Nginx to serve this app's front-end files in production.
Prompt 4
Show me how messages are routed from one user to another in this Haskell back-end.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is lambda-chat?

A minimal real-time chat app using websockets, with an Elm front-end and a Haskell back-end, built as a learning exercise.

What language is lambda-chat written in?

Mainly Haskell. The stack also includes Haskell, Elm, Websockets.

Is lambda-chat actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2018-03-18).

How hard is lambda-chat to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is lambda-chat for?

Mainly developer.

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