Users should be able to send messages to offline users

Oct 13, 2025 by magicalceylontours.com 49 views

Overview

In today's digital age, instant communication is the norm. However, there are instances where users may be offline, whether due to a lack of internet connectivity or simply being away from their devices. This user story aims to address this issue by enabling users to send direct messages to other users, even if they are offline. The messages will be stored in a database and delivered to the offline user when they log in, ensuring that they do not miss out on important conversations.

Acceptance Criteria

To ensure that this feature is implemented correctly, the following acceptance criteria must be met:

Users should be able to send messages to offline users: This means that users should be able to initiate a conversation with another user, even if that user is not currently online.
Offline users should receive messages when they log in: When an offline user logs in, they should receive any messages that were sent to them while they were offline.
Messages sent to offline users should be stored in a database: This ensures that messages are not lost and can be retrieved when the offline user logs in.

Acceptance Tests

To verify that this feature is working as expected, the following acceptance tests should be performed:

A user sends a message to an offline user → The message is stored in the database: This test ensures that messages are being stored correctly when sent to offline users.
The offline user logs in → They receive the stored message: This test verifies that messages are being delivered to offline users when they log in.
The message history should be updated and accessible: This test ensures that the message history is up-to-date and accessible to both the sender and the receiver.

Tasks

To implement this feature, the following tasks must be completed:

Modify the message storage system to queue messages for offline users: This involves modifying the existing message storage system to store messages for offline users.
Implement logic to deliver stored messages upon login: This involves implementing logic to deliver stored messages to offline users when they log in.
Update the UI to indicate when a user is offline but still receivable: This involves updating the user interface to indicate when a user is offline but still receivable.
Write unit and integration tests for message storage and retrieval: This involves writing tests to ensure that the message storage and retrieval system is working correctly.

Implementation

To implement this feature, we will need to modify the existing message storage system to queue messages for offline users. This will involve creating a new database table to store messages for offline users and modifying the existing message storage system to store messages in this table.

We will also need to implement logic to deliver stored messages upon login. This will involve creating a new function that checks for stored messages when a user logs in and delivers them to the user.

In addition, we will need to update the UI to indicate when a user is offline but still receivable. This will involve modifying the user interface to display a message indicating that the user is offline but still receivable.

Finally, we will need to write unit and integration tests for message storage and retrieval. This will involve writing tests to ensure that the message storage and retrieval system is working correctly.

Database Schema

To implement this feature, we will need to modify the existing database schema to include a new table to store messages for offline users. The new table will have the following columns:

id: a unique identifier for the message
sender_id: the ID of the user who sent the message
receiver_id: the ID of the user who received the message
message: the text of the message
created_at: the timestamp when the message was sent

Message Storage and Retrieval

To implement this feature, we will need to modify the existing message storage system to store messages for offline users. This will involve creating a new function that stores messages in the new table and another function that retrieves stored messages when a user logs in.

The message storage function will take the sender ID, receiver ID, message text, and timestamp as input and store the message in the new table. The message retrieval function will take the receiver ID as input and retrieve any stored messages for that user.

UI Updates

To implement this feature, we will need to update the UI to indicate when a user is offline but still receivable. This will involve modifying the user interface to display a message indicating that the user is offline but still receivable.

We will also need to update the UI to display the message history for both the sender and the receiver. This will involve modifying the user interface to display a list of messages for each user.

Testing

To ensure that this feature is working correctly, we will need to write unit and integration tests for message storage and retrieval. This will involve writing tests to ensure that the message storage and retrieval system is working correctly.

We will also need to write tests to ensure that the UI updates are working correctly. This will involve writing tests to ensure that the UI is displaying the correct information and that the message history is up-to-date.

Conclusion

Q: What is the purpose of this feature?

A: The purpose of this feature is to enable users to send direct messages to other users, even if they are offline. This ensures that users do not miss out on important conversations and can receive messages when they log in.

Q: How does the feature work?

A: The feature works by storing messages for offline users in a database. When an offline user logs in, the system retrieves the stored messages and delivers them to the user.

Q: What are the benefits of this feature?

A: The benefits of this feature include:

Ensuring that users do not miss out on important conversations
Providing a seamless user experience
Enabling users to receive messages when they log in

Q: How does the feature handle multiple messages?

A: The feature handles multiple messages by storing each message in the database and retrieving them when the offline user logs in. This ensures that all messages are delivered to the user in the correct order.

Q: Can users send messages to multiple offline users at once?

A: Yes, users can send messages to multiple offline users at once. The feature stores each message in the database and retrieves them when the offline users log in.

Q: How does the feature handle message delivery when multiple users are offline?

A: The feature handles message delivery when multiple users are offline by storing each message in the database and retrieving them when the offline users log in. This ensures that all messages are delivered to the users in the correct order.

Q: Can users delete or edit messages sent to offline users?

A: Yes, users can delete or edit messages sent to offline users. The feature updates the database to reflect the changes and ensures that the updated message is delivered to the offline user when they log in.

Q: How does the feature handle message storage and retrieval?

A: The feature handles message storage and retrieval by using a database to store messages for offline users. When an offline user logs in, the system retrieves the stored messages and delivers them to the user.

Q: Can users see the message history for offline users?

A: Yes, users can see the message history for offline users. The feature updates the UI to display the message history for both the sender and the receiver.

Q: How does the feature handle user authentication and authorization?

A: The feature handles user authentication and authorization by using a secure authentication system to verify user identities and ensure that only authorized users can send and receive messages.

Q: Can users send messages to offline users using different devices?

A: Yes, users can send messages to offline users using different devices. The feature stores each message in the database and retrieves them when the offline user logs in, regardless of the device used to send the message.

Q: How does the feature handle message delivery when users are using different time zones?

A: The feature handles message delivery when users are using different time zones by storing each message in the database with the timestamp of when it was sent. When an offline user logs in, the system retrieves the stored messages and delivers them to the user in the correct order, regardless of the time zone.

Q: Can users send messages to offline users using different languages?

A: Yes, users can send messages to offline users using different languages. The feature stores each message in the database with the language of the sender and retrieves them when the offline user logs in, displaying the message in the language of the receiver.

Q: How does the feature handle message delivery when users are using different browsers?

A: The feature handles message delivery when users are using different browsers by storing each message in the database and retrieving them when the offline user logs in, regardless of the browser used.