Ping-of-Exile

• Electron
• React
• TypeScript
• Node.js
• Chokidar
• Discord API

Ping of Exile is a real-time trade monitoring desktop application for Path of Exile that automatically detects incoming trade requests and sends Discord notifications with intelligent filtering.

I built the entire system: a file watcher that monitors Path of Exile’s client log in real-time, a sophisticated trade parsing engine that extracts trade details using regex pattern matching, a multi-layered filtering system with currency thresholds and whitelists, and Discord webhook integration for instant notifications.

How it works (log monitoring → notifications)

1. Real-time log monitoring: The app uses Chokidar to watch Path of Exile’s client log file for changes, reading only new appended content to efficiently process incoming messages.
2. Trade detection & parsing: A complex regex pattern extracts trade details from log messages: player name, item name, item type, price, currency, league, stash tab, and position coordinates.
3. Intelligent filtering: Multi-tier filtering system prioritizes currency value thresholds (Exalted, Chaos, Divine, Annulment orbs), then falls back to item and stash tab whitelists. AFK status detection ensures notifications only fire when appropriate.
4. Discord integration: Filtered trades trigger rich Discord webhook notifications with embedded trade details, optional user pings, and original log context for verification.

What I built (scope & responsibilities)

• File monitoring system: Robust log file watching with error handling, file validation, and automatic restart on file changes or replacements.
• Trade parsing engine: Regex-based extraction of structured trade data from Path of Exile’s specific message format, handling various item types and currency combinations.
• Filtering logic: Currency threshold system that overrides other filters when met, with fallback to configurable item and stash tab whitelists. Smart handling of empty filter states.
• Desktop UI: React-based interface with real-time trade display, filter management, settings persistence, and theme switching using shadcn/ui components.
• Discord notifications: Rich webhook integration with customizable user mentions, trade details formatting, and AFK-aware notification timing.

Design choices that make it robust

• Efficient file watching: Only reads appended content rather than entire file, with size tracking to detect file truncation or replacement.
• Persistent configuration: Electron Store with schema validation for all settings, ensuring user preferences survive app restarts.
• Graceful error handling: Comprehensive error catching for file operations, network requests, and invalid configurations with user-friendly error messages.
• Modular architecture: Clean separation between main process (file monitoring, parsing) and renderer process (UI) with secure IPC communication.
• Smart filtering hierarchy: Currency thresholds take precedence over whitelists, ensuring high-value trades are never missed while allowing fine-grained control for lower-value items.