English | MP4 | AVC 1920×1080 | AAC 44KHz 2ch | 117 Lessons (8h 38m) | 6.45 GB
Build a real-time file transfer app using WebRTC data channels. Understand ArrayBuffers, Blobs, Buffers, Chunks & More!
BEST WEBRTC FILE TRANSFER COURSE
- Build a file transfer app using WebRTC DataChannels
- Understand how data channels can be used for sending files
- Master the FileReader API, Streams API and Blobs
- Work with Blobs to assemble received file chunks into a downloadable link
- Learn the importance of sending file metadata (filename, size, type)
- Explore chunking strategies to split files into manageable pieces
- Gain insight into browser memory handling
- Understanding how to avoid memory bloat by streaming data rather than loading entire files at once
- Equip yourself with best practices for WebRTC signaling and connection management to build robust and scalable file sharing apps.
- And more!!!
Feel like diving in and touching the bottom? Now’s your chance. Code an app that sends large files to another device. Bypass servers by using WebRTC.
TWO (OF MANY) REASONS WHY THIS COURSE IS A GAME CHANGER:
1. You can look forward to an advanced course which is structured to motivate you. Together we build a complete file-sharing project from scratch without relying on servers or intermediaries. This course provides practical skills like no other.
2. You will use WebRTC for this, which is a modern, private and secure technology. This course covers WebRTC sufficiently for its purposes, but those wanting a more comprehensive overview of WebRTC may consider my specialized WebRTC course.”
Other mainstream sites (like SendBig, TransferNow, WeTransfer, etc) use servers and traditional methods to send files. This course teaches you how to build peer-to-peer file transfers using cutting-edge WebRTC technology, making your file sharing faster, more secure, and incredibly efficient. No servers, no middlemen, just direct device-to-device transfer in real time. How amazing is that?
Sending files directly between devices is a critical, high-demand skill in modern web applications, and this course teaches you how to do it using cutting-edge WebRTC. You will master building WebRTC peer-to-peer file transfers that bypass servers completely, ensuring file sharing is fast, secure, and efficient.
Why sending files is complicated?
The journey of transferring a file over WebRTC follows this path:
“file on senders hard drive → browser memory → WebRTC transfer -> receiver’s browser memory → receiver’s disk”
Sounds simple, right?
But here’s the catch: if we try to load the whole file into browser memory at once, we hit RAM limits imposed by browsers. To overcome this, we use chunking, breaking the file into manageable pieces.
But wait, chunking alone isn’t the end of the story. WebRTC data channels weren’t initially designed to handle massive messages. Some browsers like Mozilla allow sending huge fragments—up to 1 GB thanks to their EOR flags—but Chrome is far stricter, limiting fragments to just 250 KB. That’s tiny! So not only do we chunk the file for reading, but we must also send those chunks in small pieces to fit browser protocol limits.
Here’s where it gets tricky: your browser often reads chunks and calls the send() method faster than WebRTC can actually transmit them. This creates a send queue—a backlog that, if ignored, can crash your connection with errors. That’s why you’ll master how to monitor the bufferedAmount and handle the “bufferedamountlow” event, ensuring smooth data flow and keeping your connection stable and alive.
This course makes these complex challenges simple and practical, turning you into a savvy WebRTC file transfer expert!
Why this Course Matters:
- Secure Peer-to-Peer File Transfer: Learn how WebRTC enables direct device-to-device communication, so no servers are needed to send files.
- Real Project Setup: Build a native HTTP server with Node.js and create a WebSocket signaling server, then establish a full WebRTC connection.
- Deep Dive into Files: Understand what files really are at the binary level, and why browsers require files to be read into memory before sending.
- Practical Use of the FileReader API: Master the most popular API for reading files into browser memory and the necessity of chunking files to avoid RAM limits.
- Handling WebRTC DataChannel Limits: Discover browser-specific constraints like Chrome’s 250kB max fragment size and strategies for chunking file data and handling the send queue using bufferedAmount and bufferedamountlow events.
- Adding Compression: Explore optional compression techniques and the challenges of compressing already compressed image formats like PNG and JPEG.
- Alternatives to FileReader: Learn how to send files as Blobs directly for different developer needs.
- Modern Streams API: Utilize the Streams API for file transfer, intelligently managing chunk sizes with the “bring your own buffer” (BYOB) method for precise control.
- Metadata and File Reconstruction: Implement logic to send metadata and reassemble chunks on the receiver side, creating downloadable URLs from blobs with the URL.createObjectURL method.
- Interactive Learning: Benefit from quizzes, write-ups, and thorough explanations designed to make you a WebRTC file transfer grandmaster.
What You Will Build:
In this course you’ll build a fully functional file transfer application that allows a sender to select a file, send it chunk-by-chunk over a WebRTC data channel, and create a download link on the receiver’s end, ready for users to save their files locally.
Course Highlights:
- Understanding files as computer and browser objects.
- Setting up essential signaling with WebSocket and Node HTTP servers.
- Overcoming browser memory limits with chunked reading and sending.
- Handling WebRTC data channel constraints and send buffer management.
- Adding file compression with practical caveats and solutions.
- Exploring multiple APIs including FileReader, Blob transmission, and Streams API with BYOB.
- Creating reliable file reconstruction and user-friendly download links.
- Experiential learning through real project code, quizzes, and explanations.
But wait, there’s more!
We’ll dive into adding compression options. If you want to squeeze those files down even smaller. Here’s the twist: image files like PNG and JPEG are already compressed by default, so trying to compress them again can blow your mind—and your file size—by making them bigger than the original! Sounds crazy, right? Don’t sweat it though, I’ve got your back, and together we’ll crack that puzzle.
Meet Your Instructor: Clyde
Clyde is a lifelong coding enthusiast who has been hooked on computers since he was 7 years old. With years of hands-on experience in web development and a passion for teaching, he brings a treasure trove of practical knowledge and real-world insights to this course. Known for his engaging and approachable style, Clyde breaks down complex concepts into clear, enjoyable lessons that anyone can follow.
You might be wondering, is he an AI? Nope, Clyde is 100% human (or is this something a robot would say ?!), and he’ll be right there with you throughout every lecture, your dedicated wingman as you tackle challenges, celebrate breakthroughs, and master the skills step by step.
This course is far from a solo adventure. With Clyde as your companion, you’ll feel supported and inspired as you journey from beginner to WebRTC file transfer pro. Let’s get crackin’
Why This Course Is Different:
It’s comprehensive, hands-on, and rooted in real-world challenges like chunking, buffer management, compression issues, and signaling. Unlike generic tutorials, you get deep understanding and practical skills that today’s employers and projects demand.
Enroll now to become an expert in peer-to-peer file transfer with WebRTC. Advance your development skills, build secure, efficient apps, and join a thriving community of forward-thinking web developers.
Let’s get crackin’
Who this course is for:
- Web Developers: If you are a front-end or full-stack developer looking to add efficient, peer-to-peer file transfer capabilities to your web applications using WebRTC DataChannels, this course will show you exactly how to implement it end-to-end
- JavaScript Enthusiasts: This course is perfect for those with solid JavaScript skills wanting to deepen their understanding of asynchronous programming, stream handling, and real-time communication on the web.
- Developers who want to demystify how Files work, and understand the differences between Blobs, ArrayBuffers and UInt8Arrays etc
- Developers Building Collaborative Apps: Anyone building file-sharing features for chat apps, collaborative platforms, or real-time communication tools will benefit from the practical approaches and architectural insights taught here
- If you want to master creating seamless, performant file transfer experiences directly between browsers without relying on servers, this course is designed with you in mind.
- Curious minds ready to explore how computers view files, and how to chunk files and send them over the internet
Table of Contents
Introduction to files
1 File introduction
2 Intro to this section
3 What are files
4 Steps required to send a file over the wire
5 Why metadata is vital
6 Preparing and sending a file using pseudo Python code
7 Breaking down the metadata example over TCP
8 Receiving reading and creating a file using pseudo Python code
9 A more modern way of sending a file over the network using WebRTC
Setting up a WebSocket connection and getting project ready
10 Project and WebSocket Setup
11 Who should do this section
12 HTML and CSS overview
13 Creating our entry JavaScript file and setting up ESModules
14 Setting up state on the client side
15 What is client state
16 Setting up a WebSocket connection on the client
17 WebSockets role with WebRTC
18 Setting up our custom logger
19 Setting up a Node server and spinning up an HTTP server
20 Setting up a WebSocket server
21 Setting up a WebSocket server and extracting the userId
22 Storing connection state for users on our server
23 Registering WebSocket event listeners on the server
24 Handling disconnections
25 Summary and testing
Intro to the File API and using AJAX to check the recipient ID
26 File API and AJAX
27 Project review minor fixes and starting files
28 Extracting the receivers session ID
29 Purpose of session ID
30 Sending an AJAX request using the Fetch API to check receivers session ID
31 Handling the AJAX request on the server
32 Finishing off our client side AJAX logic
33 Testing our AJAX request and minor bug fixes
34 Introduction to the File API
35 The File API is more than just the input element
36 Creating null byte files in the terminal for testing purposes
37 The File Specification and viewing heap memory in the browser memory tab
38 The location of the file on the users system is not made available to us
39 Ensuring a user does not load an empty file
40 Completing our file upload checking logic
41 Enabling the Send button and getting ready for WebRTC
42 The process well take in this course
Setting up a WebRTC connection from scratch
43 Overview of how WebRTC works
44 Starting files
45 Creating a WebRTC offer
46 Explaining the createPeerConnection and createDataChannel functions
47 Sending the WebRTC offer to the signaling server
48 Relaying the offer to the user receiving the file
49 Setting up incoming message event listeners for our WebSocket connection
50 Receiving the offer and generating the WebRTC answer
51 Sending and receiving the WebRTC answer
52 Dealing with ICE candidates
53 Pushing ICE candidates in our array into the PC object
54 Testing code and ending files
File Transfer over WebRTC using FileReader API
55 The different ways a browser can read a file into memory
56 The 3 main ways you can read files and send them over a WebRTC data channel
57 Triggering our sendFile code
58 Setting up the progress element and testing our code
59 Introduction to the FileReader API
60 Browser and WebRTC errors if we use the FileReader without chunking
61 The two errors youll face when trying to send a large file without chunking
62 Viewing the memory heap growing and shrinking in real time
63 Array buffers and memory RAM
64 What is an ArrayBuffer in my own words
65 Chunking and the send queue
66 Writing logic to chunk our files
67 Why not always send the maximum size chunk possible
68 Why working with ArrayBuffers is sometimes required
69 Updating the offset value reading further chunks updating progress element
70 Testing code
71 Viewing the bufferedAmount property on the data channel
72 How we have to use the bufferedAmount and bufferedAmountLowThreshold properties
73 Why we have to monitor the bufferedAmount property
74 Setting our send queue thresholds and the bufferedAmountLowThreshold
75 Managing congestion control in our project
76 Pause sending when the send queue buffer aka bufferedAmount gets too full
77 Resume sending when the bufferedamountlow event is fired
78 Testing our sender code and attaching coding files
79 How to receive a file
80 Sending file metadata to the receiver
81 Registering the message event listener on the receivers data channel
82 Extracting file metadata
83 Handling chunks and displaying statistics
84 Creating a Blob object and using the URL interface to create a downloadable link
85 Testing our code and discussion about metadata logic
86 Why create one single Blob object
87 Summary on Blob object creation
88 Closing a WebRTC and data channel gracefully
89 Gracefully closing the data channel and the WebRTC peer connection object
90 Clearing variable memory
91 Allowing the user to Stop sending a file
92 Fixing an undefined error
93 Ending files
File Transfer over WebRTC using Blobs
94 Blobs
95 Blobs vs ArrayBuffers and starting files
96 Is the fileslice method the same as arrslice
97 Sending Blobs directly
98 The binaryType property of the dataChannel
99 Ending files
File Transfer over WebRTC using FileReader API with Compression
100 Compression
101 Introduction to compression and the Pako library
102 Compression makes data transmission fater
103 Sending compressed ArrayBuffers
104 Receiving and decompressing ArrayBuffers
105 Image can be tricky
106 Compressing an image can result in a larger file than the original mind blown
107 Easy solution reduce the size of each chunk sent over the data channel
108 Solution two part 1 only compress non image files
109 Solution two part 2 only decompress non image files
110 Fixing the error and celebrating our success
111 Summary
File Transfer over WebRTC using the Streams API
112 Streams API
113 Section intro
114 Intro to the Streams API
115 Some questions arising from the filestreamgetReader stream
116 Lets implement the File Streams API
117 Did you know
118 Testing our code and the problems with the Streams API
119 The practical differences between using the modern Streams API vs FileReader
120 Intro to the BYOB mode of the Streams API
121 Implementing BYOB and testing our Streams API
122 Ending files
Outro
123 Outro
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