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Requesting Additions or Changes

Have an idea for improving abe-kafka? We welcome feature requests and suggestions from our community! This guide will help you submit effective feature requests.

Before Submitting​

Before submitting a feature request, please:

  1. Check existing requests: Search the GitHub Issues to see if someone has already suggested a similar feature.
  2. Read the documentation: Make sure the feature doesn't already exist or isn't already planned in our roadmap.
  3. Consider compatibility: Think about how your suggestion fits with the existing architecture and goals of the project.

How to Submit a Feature Request​

Please submit feature requests through our GitHub Issues page using the "Feature Request" template.

What to Include​

An effective feature request should include:

  1. Clear and descriptive title: Summarize the proposed feature concisely.

  2. Problem statement: Describe the problem that this feature would solve.

    • What are you trying to accomplish?
    • Why is it difficult or impossible with the current implementation?
    • Who else might benefit from this feature?

  3. Proposed solution: Describe your idea for implementing the feature.

    • Be as specific as possible
    • Include mockups or diagrams if applicable
    • Consider edge cases and potential issues

  4. Alternative solutions: Have you considered other ways to solve this problem?

  5. Implementation considerations: If you have technical insights about how to implement the feature, please share them.

  6. Impact and importance: Explain why this feature would be valuable to users and the project.

Example Feature Request​

Title: Add WebSocket transport option for real-time updates

Problem Statement:
Currently, abe-kafka supports HTTP streaming and SSE for client communication. 
However, for truly bidirectional real-time communication, these options have limitations. 
Many modern web applications would benefit from WebSocket support for more efficient 
real-time updates and lower latency.

Proposed Solution:
Add a new transport option "websocket" that implements the WebSocket protocol. This would:
- Allow bidirectional communication between client and server
- Reduce overhead compared to HTTP polling or SSE
- Enable real-time updates for task changes, comments, etc.
- Follow the same MCP message format as existing transports

The implementation should include:
1. New WebSocketTransport class implementing the Transport interface
2. Client-side connection handling and reconnection logic
3. Support for the same authentication mechanisms as existing transports

Alternative Solutions:
1. Enhance the SSE implementation with custom headers for upstream communication
2. Implement long-polling with improved efficiency

Implementation Considerations:
This would require adding a WebSocket library dependency (e.g., websockets for Python).
Care should be taken to ensure proper connection management and resource cleanup.

Impact and Importance:
This feature would greatly improve real-time applications built on abe-kafka,
reducing latency and improving the user experience for collaborative tools.

After Submitting​

After you've submitted a feature request:

  • Be responsive to questions about your proposal
  • Be open to feedback and suggestions
  • Consider contributing to the implementation if you have the skills

Thank you for helping improve abe-kafka!