Inbox & Messaging

Overview

The Inbox & Messaging module is a critical feature in the marketplace. It facilitates communication between guests and hosts and acts as a precursor to bookings. The system supports:

• Standard messaging
• Custom quote generation
• Real-time price breakdowns based on listing configurations

Use Cases

• Guests can inquire about availability and details before booking
• Hosts can offer tailored pricing or packages
• Messaging interface can evolve into a full inbox or conversation thread

UI & Component Architecture

MessageHostContainer.tsx

This container handles:

• Rendering dynamic forms based on the listing’s pricingStrategy
• State management via react-hook-form + zod
• Live price calculations using useDeepCompareEffect
• Conditional rendering of time pickers, alcohol checkbox, and custom activity fields

Key Concepts:

• Controlled inputs for all fields (dates, guests, activity, etc.)
• Dynamically calculates price as the user adjusts the form
• Triggers a dialog (PriceBreakdownDialog) to confirm pricing before submission
• Displays error feedback on submission failure

Schema Design

Zod Schema (MessageHost.schema.ts)

z.discriminatedUnion("type", [
  z.object({ type: z.literal("LUMPSUM"), listingId, activity, numberOfPeople, consumeAlcohol, message }),
  z.object({ type: z.literal("PER_HOUR"), listingId, date, from, to, ... }),
  z.object({ type: z.literal("CUSTOM"), listingId, activity, message }),
])

Why Discriminated Unions?

• Enables dynamic validation and conditional form rendering
• Prevents invalid field combinations depending on strategy
• Simplifies inference and autocomplete for consumers of the schema

Utilities

calculateLumpsumPrice, calculatePerHourPrice

These functions receive listing metadata and guest input, then compute pricing:

• Lumpsum: flat rate per person + alcohol surcharge
• Per Hour: hourly rate × duration
• Custom: optional pricing

Internally they use:

• differenceInHours from date-fns
• Alcohol multiplier logic
• Configurable pricing per listing record

Messaging Logic

Currently the "Send Message" flow:

1. Validates input with Zod
2. Shows a price breakdown dialog for confirmation
3. Submits data to a messageHost mutation or route (tRPC or REST depending on backend)
4. Creates an initial message or pending booking intent in DB

Potential Improvements

Full Inbox View

• Build an inbox by grouping messages per listing/user
• Use Supabase realtime to sync new messages
• Add read/unread tracking, timestamps, and indicators

Real-Time Chat

• Use Supabase channel subscriptions or WebSockets
• Allow hosts and guests to chat before or after a booking

Quotes as Bookings

• Quote messages could trigger draft bookings
• Improve conversion by enabling "Accept Quote" → "Book Now"

Attachments

• Support file/image uploads for proposals or verification
• Use Supabase storage with signed URLs

Security & Abuse Protection

• Validate message payloads against session identity
• Rate-limit submissions per user/listing
• Optionally scan messages for harmful content (e.g. profanity, links)

File Index