> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cometchat-22654f5b-docs-restapi-chatapi-quotedmessages.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send A Message

Using CometChat, you can send three types of messages:

1. A [text message](/sdk/ionic/2.0/messaging-send-message#text-message), the most common and standard message type.
2. A [media message](/sdk/ionic/2.0/messaging-send-message#media-message), for sending photos, videos and files.
3. A [custom message](/sdk/ionic/2.0/messaging-send-message#custom-message), for sending completely custom data using JSON structures.

You can also send metadata along with a text, media or custom message. Think, for example, if you'd want to share the user's location with every message, you can use the metadata field

## Text Message

*In other words, as a sender, how do I send a text message?*

To send a text message to a single user or group, you need to use the `sendMessage()` method and pass a `TextMessage` object to it.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="User">
    ```
    let receiverID = "UID";
    let messageText = "Hello world!";
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
    let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
      receiverID,
      messageText,
      receiverType
    );

    CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Group">
    ```
    let receiverID = "GUID";
    let messageText = "Hello world!";
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
    let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
      receiverID,
      messageText,
      receiverType
    );

    CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The `TextMessage` class constructor takes the following parameters:

| Parameter        | Description                                                                                                   |          |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- |
| **receiverID**   | `UID` of the user or `GUID` of the group receiving the message                                                | Required |
| **messageText**  | The text message                                                                                              | Required |
| **receiverType** | The type of the receiver- `CometChatConstants.RECEIVER_TYPE_USER` or `CometChatConstants.RECEIVER_TYPE_GROUP` | Required |

When a text message is sent successfully, the response will include a `TextMessage` object which includes all information related to the sent message.

### Add Metadata

To send custom data along with a text message, you can use the `setMetadata` method and pass a `JSONObject` to it.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="User">
    ```
    let receiverID = "UID";
    let messageText = "Hello World!";
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
    let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
      receiverID,
      messageText,
      receiverType
    );

    let metadata = {
      latitude: "50.6192171633316",
      longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
    };

    textMessage.setMetadata(metadata);

    CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Group">
    ```
    let receiverID = "GUID";
    let messageText = "Hello World!";
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
    let textMessage = new CometChat.TextMessage(
      receiverID,
      messageText,
      receiverType
    );

    var metadata = {
      latitude: "50.6192171633316",
      longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
    };

    textMessage.setMetadata(metadata);

    CometChat.sendMessage(textMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("Message sent successfully:", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("Message sending failed with error:", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Media Message

*In other words, as a sender, how do I send a media message like photos, videos & files?*

To send a media message to any user or group, you need to use the `sendMediaMessage()` method and pass a `MediaMessage` object to it.

Getting file Object: You can use different ionic packages for sending media messages. We demonstrate how to send images using CometChat.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="JavaScript">
    ```js
    ImagePicker.showImagePicker(options, (response) => {
    if (response.didCancel) {
      console.log('User cancelled photo picker');
    } else if (response.error) {
      console.log('ImagePicker Error: ', response.error);
    } else if (response.customButton) {
      console.log('User tapped custom button: ', response.customButton);
    } else {
      console.log('ImagePicker Response: ', response);
      if (Platform.OS === 'ios' && response.fileName != undefined) {
        var ext = response.fileName.split('.')[1].toLowerCase();
        var type = this.getMimeType(ext);
        var name = response.fileName;
      } else {
        var type = response.type;
        var name = 'Camera_001.jpeg';
      }
      var file = {
        name: Platform.OS === "android" ? response.fileName : name,
        type: Platform.OS === "android" ? response.type : type,
        uri: Platform.OS === "android" ? response.uri : response.uri.replace("file://", ""),
      }
      console.log('file: ', file);
      this.setState({ mediaMsg: file })
    }
    });
    }
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="User">
    ```
    let receiverID = "UID";
    let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
    let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
      receiverID,
      this.state.mediaMsg,
      messageType,
      receiverType
    );

    CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Group">
    ```
    let receiverID = "GUID";
    let messageType = CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE;
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
    let mediaMessage = new CometChat.MediaMessage(
      receiverID,
      this.state.mediaMsg,
      messageType,
      receiverType
    );

    CometChat.sendMediaMessage(mediaMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("Media message sent successfully", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("Media message sending failed with error", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The `MediaMessage` class constructor takes the following parameters:

| Parameter        | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |          |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- |
| **receiverId**   | The `UID` or `GUID` of the recipient.                                                                                                                                                                                               | Required |
| **file**         | The file object to be sent                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Required |
| **messageType**  | The type of the message that needs to be sent which in this case can be: <br />1.`CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.IMAGE` <br />2.`CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.VIDEO` <br />3.`CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.AUDIO` <br />4.`CometChat.MESSAGE_TYPE.FILE` | Required |
| **receiverType** | The type of the receiver to whom the message is to be sent. <br />`1. CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER` <br />`2. CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP`                                                                                        | Required |

When a media message is sent successfully, the response will include a `MediaMessage` object which includes all information related to the sent message. If you wish to send a caption or some text along with the Media Message, you can use the `caption field` provided by the MediaMessage class. While sending the Media Message use the `setCaption()` method and at the receiver end in the MediaMessage object you can use the `getCaption()` method to obtain the caption shared.

### Add Metadata

To send custom data along with a media message, you can use the `setMetadata` method and pass a `JSONObject` to it.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Metadata">
    ```
    var metadata = {
      latitude: "50.6192171633316",
      longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
    };

    mediaMessage.setMetadata(metadata);
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Add Caption(Text along with Media Message)

To send a caption with a media message, you can use `setCaption` method and pass text to it.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Caption">
    ```
    var caption = "Random Caption";

    mediaMessage.setCaption(caption);
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Custom Message

*In other words, as a sender, how do I send a custom message like location co-ordinates?*

CometChat allows you to send custom messages which are neither text nor media messages.

In order to send a custom message, you need to use the `sendCustomMessage()` method.

The `sendCustomMessage()` methods takes an object of the `CustomMessage` which can be obtained using the below constructor.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Custom Message">
    ```
    var customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
      receiverID,
      receiverType,
      customType,
      customData
    );
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The above constructor, helps you create a custom message with the message type set to whatever is passed to the constructor and the category set to `custom`.

The parameters involved are:

1. `receiverId` - Unique id of the user or group to which the message is to be sent.
2. `receiverType` - Type of the receiver i.e user or group
3. `customType` - custom message type that you need to set
4. `customData` - The data to be passed as the message in the form of a JSONObject.

You can also use the subType field of the `CustomMessage` class to set a specific type for the custom message. This can be achieved using the `setSubtype()` method.

Once the object of `CustomMessage` class is ready you can send the custom message using the `sendCustomMessage()` method.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="JavaScript (User)">
    ```js
    let receiverID = "UID";
    let customData = {
      latitude: "50.6192171633316",
      longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
    };
    let customType = "location";
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.USER;
    let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
      receiverID,
      receiverType,
      customType,
      customData
    );

    CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="JavaScript (Group)">
    ```js
    let receiverID = "GUID";
    let customData = {
      latitude: "50.6192171633316",
      longitude: "-72.68182268750002",
    };
    let customType = "location";
    let receiverType = CometChat.RECEIVER_TYPE.GROUP;
    let customMessage = new CometChat.CustomMessage(
      receiverID,
      receiverType,
      customType,
      customData
    );

    CometChat.sendCustomMessage(customMessage).then(
      (message) => {
        console.log("custom message sent successfully", message);
      },
      (error) => {
        console.log("custom message sending failed with error", error);
      }
    );
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The above sample explains how custom messages can be used to share the location with a user. The same can be achieved for groups.

On success, you will receive an object of the `CustomMessage` class.