JavaScript Discord bot with data storage

Other Questions Discord bot
1

I’m working on a Discord bot using JavaScript and nedb for data storage. I need help with a function that downloads and saves conversations for specific users on a given date. The tricky part is checking if messages already exist in the database and only inserting new ones.

Here’s what I’ve got so far:

const fetch = require('node-fetch');
const moment = require('moment');
const db = new Datastore({ filename: 'chat_logs.db', autoload: true });

const DAYS_TO_MS = 86400000;
const BASE_DATE = moment([2018, 3, 30]);
const BASE_ID = 440557948108800000;

function getMessageId(date) {
  return BASE_ID + date.diff(BASE_DATE, 'days') * DAYS_TO_MS;
}

class ChatApi {
  fetchMessages(date, userId, skip = 0) {
    const url = `${API_ENDPOINT}?${new URLSearchParams({
      min_id: getMessageId(date),
      user_id: userId
    })}`;
    return fetch(url, {
      headers: { Authorization: API_KEY }
    }).then(res => res.json());
  }

  // TODO: Implement syncMessages function
  syncMessages(date) {
    // For each target user, fetch messages and update database
  }
}

module.exports = new ChatApi();

Can anyone help me complete the syncMessages function? I’m stuck on how to efficiently check and update the database. Thanks!

2

hey there, try fetching messages from each user and check if each one exists in your db already.

then add the missing ones. using bulk ops might speed things up. hope its helpful, lmk if u need more info.

3

I’ve tackled this exact problem before in a project. Here’s what worked for me:

For the syncMessages function, I’d suggest implementing a cursor-based pagination approach. This way, you can efficiently fetch messages in batches without overloading the API or your database.

Start by querying your database for the most recent message ID for each user. Use this as your starting point when fetching new messages. Then, in a loop, fetch new messages and compare them against what’s in your database.

A bulk upsert operation can significantly speed up the database updates. Most NoSQL databases, including NeDB, support this. It allows you to insert new messages and update existing ones in a single operation.

Don’t forget to handle API rate limits and potential network issues. Implement exponential backoff for retries if you hit rate limits or encounter temporary failures.

This approach has served me well in production environments, handling millions of messages daily.

4

I’ve encountered similar challenges with Discord bots. In implementing the syncMessages function, I recommend fetching messages in manageable chunks. By processing messages in batches, you can perform a bulk check against your database to see which messages already exist and then insert only the new ones. This approach minimizes redundant operations and improves efficiency. Ensure you incorporate robust error handling and manage rate limits to prevent disruptions. From my own experience, this technique simplifies scaling and maintenance. It works very effectively.