Mezon Architecture

August 5, 2025 · View on GitHub

This document provides a detailed overview of Mezon's technical architecture and design decisions.

High-Level Architecture

Architecture Overview

System Components

Frontend Applications

Chat Application (apps/chat)

  • Framework: React 18+ with TypeScript
  • State Management: Redux Toolkit with RTK Query
  • Routing: React Router v6
  • Styling: Tailwind CSS with custom design system
  • Build Tool: Nx with Webpack

Admin Application (apps/admin)

  • Purpose: Administrative dashboard for server management
  • Features: User management, analytics, system monitoring
  • Security: Role-based access control with JWT authentication

Desktop Application (apps/desktop)

  • Framework: Electron
  • Features: Native system integration, auto-updates, offline support
  • Platform: Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Core Libraries

UI Layer (libs/ui)

  • Philosophy: Atomic design with stateless components
  • Components: Base UI elements (buttons, inputs, modals)
  • Styling: Design tokens and theme system
  • Accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance

Components Layer (libs/components)

  • Purpose: Stateful business logic components
  • Architecture: Container/Presenter pattern
  • Context: React Context for local state management
  • Hooks: Custom hooks for component logic

Core Layer (libs/core)

  • Domain Logic: Business rules and entities
  • Utilities: Cross-platform utility functions
  • Constants: Application-wide constants and enums
  • Types: Shared TypeScript interfaces and types

Transport Layer (libs/transports)

  • API Client: REST API communication
  • WebSocket: Real-time communication
  • Authentication: Token management and refresh
  • Caching: Request/response caching strategies

Store Layer (libs/store)

  • State Management: Redux Toolkit slices
  • Async Operations: RTK Query for data fetching
  • Selectors: Memoized state selectors
  • Middleware: Custom middleware for logging and analytics

Data Flow Architecture

Data Flow

One-Way Data Flow

User Action → Action Creator → Reducer → Store → Component → UI

State Management Pattern

  1. Actions: Dispatched from components
  2. Async Thunks: Handle side effects and API calls
  3. Reducers: Update state immutably
  4. Selectors: Derive computed state
  5. Components: Subscribe to state changes

Real-Time Communication

WebSocket Events → Socket Middleware → Action Dispatch → State Update → UI Refresh

Dependency Management

Allowed Dependencies

apps/chat      → libs/*
apps/admin     → libs/*
apps/desktop   → libs/*

libs/components → libs/ui
libs/components → libs/store
libs/components → libs/core

libs/store     → libs/transports
libs/store     → libs/utils
libs/store     → libs/core

libs/transports → libs/core
libs/transports → libs/utils

Dependency Graph

Dependency Graph

Anti-Patterns (Forbidden)

❌ apps/chat → apps/admin
❌ libs/ui → libs/components
❌ libs/transports → libs/store
❌ Cross-platform lib dependencies

Communication Architecture

API Communication

REST API (libs/transports/api)

  • Base URL: Configurable endpoint
  • Authentication: JWT Bearer tokens
  • Error Handling: Centralized error processing
  • Caching: TTL-based response caching
  • Rate Limiting: Client-side request throttling

WebSocket Communication (libs/transports/socket)

  • Protocol: WebSocket with Protocol Buffer serialization
  • Reconnection: Automatic reconnection with exponential backoff
  • Message Queue: Offline message queuing
  • Heartbeat: Connection health monitoring

Message Flow

Component → Action → Thunk → API/Socket → Response → Reducer → State → Component

Security Architecture

Authentication Flow

  1. Login Request: Credentials sent to auth endpoint
  2. Token Generation: JWT with refresh token
  3. Token Storage: Secure storage (httpOnly cookies for web)
  4. Token Refresh: Automatic refresh before expiration
  5. Session Management: Cross-tab session sync

Data Protection

  • Encryption: TLS 1.3 for transport
  • Message Encryption: End-to-end for private messages
  • Input Validation: Client and server-side validation
  • XSS Protection: Content Security Policy headers
  • CSRF Protection: Double-submit cookie pattern

Performance Architecture

Optimization Strategies

Bundle Optimization

  • Code Splitting: Route-based lazy loading
  • Tree Shaking: Dead code elimination
  • Module Federation: Micro-frontend architecture ready
  • Asset Optimization: Image compression and WebP support

Runtime Performance

  • Memoization: React.memo and useMemo
  • Virtualization: Large list rendering optimization
  • Debouncing: Input and API call optimization
  • Caching: Multi-layer caching strategy

Memory Management

  • Cleanup: useEffect cleanup functions
  • Weak References: Prevent memory leaks
  • Garbage Collection: Optimal object lifecycle management

Monitoring and Analytics

  • Performance Metrics: Web Vitals tracking
  • Error Monitoring: Centralized error logging
  • User Analytics: Privacy-compliant usage tracking
  • Performance Profiling: React DevTools integration

Build and Deployment

Build System

Nx Workspace

  • Monorepo Management: Shared tooling and configuration
  • Dependency Graph: Intelligent build ordering
  • Caching: Distributed computation caching
  • Task Orchestration: Parallel task execution

Build Pipeline

Source Code → Type Check → Lint → Test → Build → Bundle → Deploy

Deployment Architecture

Environment Strategy

  • Development: Local development with hot reload
  • Staging: Pre-production testing environment
  • Production: Multi-region deployment

CI/CD Pipeline

  • Source Control: Git with feature branch workflow
  • Testing: Automated unit and integration tests
  • Building: Containerized builds with Docker
  • Deployment: Blue-green deployment strategy

Scalability Considerations

Horizontal Scaling

  • Component Architecture: Modular and reusable
  • State Management: Normalized state structure
  • API Design: RESTful with GraphQL readiness
  • Caching Strategy: CDN and browser caching

Development Scalability

  • Team Structure: Feature-based team organization
  • Code Organization: Domain-driven directory structure
  • Testing Strategy: Comprehensive test coverage
  • Documentation: Living documentation practices

Future Architecture Considerations

Planned Enhancements

  • Micro-frontends: Module federation implementation
  • GraphQL: Migration from REST API
  • Service Workers: Offline-first capabilities
  • WebRTC: Direct peer-to-peer communication
  • WebAssembly: Performance-critical operations

Technology Roadmap

  • React 19: Concurrent features adoption
  • Next.js Migration: SSR and SSG capabilities
  • Edge Computing: Edge function deployment
  • AI Integration: Machine learning model integration

Development Guidelines

Code Organization

src/
├── components/          # Reusable UI components
├── pages/              # Route components
├── hooks/              # Custom React hooks
├── store/              # Redux slices and selectors
├── services/           # API and business logic
├── utils/              # Utility functions
├── types/              # TypeScript type definitions
└── constants/          # Application constants

Naming Conventions

  • Components: PascalCase (e.g., MessageList)
  • Files: kebab-case (e.g., message-list.component.tsx)
  • Functions: camelCase (e.g., handleMessageSend)
  • Constants: SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE (e.g., API_BASE_URL)

Best Practices

  • Single Responsibility Principle for components
  • Immutable state updates
  • Comprehensive error boundaries
  • Accessibility-first development
  • Performance-conscious coding

For implementation details and development setup, see the Developer Guide.